The anticipation and excitement with March Madness coming up is not solely prevalent in the world of sports. AP Environmental Science (APES) teacher, Karl Kruz, is able to integrate the tournament’s fun, electric atmosphere into his classroom at Costa.
13 years ago, Arizona State University (ASU) wanted to find a way to make the study of environmental science even more engaging and captivating for students. Inspired by the annual NCAA college basketball tournament every March, they created March Mammal Madness (MMM), which is implemented by countless teachers in schools across the country.
Participants complete thoughtful scientific research and attempt to predict the outcome of various “battles” between different animal species. “I allow my class one day of researching all the animals, there are 65,” Kurz said. “On their own they have to fill out the bracket and rank the teams.”
Students compose a bracket, in which they use their background knowledge and data collected about different mammals, in order to determine which species will be the ultimate victor. This year’s bracket was released to the public on Feb. 20 and can be accessed on the ASU Library website.
“We do it for fun and whoever wins gets extra credit. I give the top three winners prizes and it’s more about bragging rights than anything,” Kurz said. “I have never won in all the years that we have done it, and Dr. Dale and Dr. Gerger have also participated in previous years.”
The theme of this year’s competition is celebrating the tree of life. This theme is especially relevant this year, as 2025 marks the tenth year since ASU Regents Professor Anne Stone launched the Genetics Team within MMM. It also promotes the teaching of evolution in high schools and emphasizes its importance.
“This game promotes conservation efforts, and students care more about preserving animals as they research and learn about them,” Kurz said. “If you are learning then you are winning.”
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