It is usually early March when we learn about the Great Depression and New Deal. To capture the excitement of March Madness, I have students do a bracket of 8 New Deal programs. I have chosen these programs and seed them myself, but students certainly could if they wish. The students advance the programs of their choosing and must explain why they chose the top two programs. Finally, they must explain why they chose their winner in at least 2-3 sentences.
I always get a wide range of winners. It is interesting to see some students pick Social Security because of longevity, while others pick the FDIC because of banks, while some others choose the PWA due to the sheer size of it.
Here is the document that I give them: New Deal Programs – Elite 8