March Music Tournaments for Spanish Class

It’s coming. March Madness – or in my classes, often the season of “hiding our phones under our desks because THE GAME PROFE”. Sigh. I don’t follow basketball at all, but it seems like in March there’s YEARS of basketball games happening. A March Music Tournament for Spanish Class are a great way to co-opt that energy for our classes! It’s time to channel that bracket buzz into something fun, cultural, and packed with language learning. I love using music in my classroom, so a tournament-style competition of hit Spanish songs is the perfect way to grab your students’ attention, introduce them to authentic music, and sneak in some vocabulary and culture while you’re at it.

It’s definitely time to take some of the madness for Spanish class! I love using music in my classroom, so a tournament style competition of hit Spanish songs is a great option to include culture and snag some of that bracket-fever for the classroom!

Music Brackets

You can set up a bracket of your own for just your classes or school if you’d like! Last year, my awesome co-worker took all of the songs we had listened to for Música Miércoles and created a mini bracket just for us! It was great!

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????Continuamos con Mania Musical de Marzo ?y ¡hoy empieza <<Las Ocho Orgullosas>>! ??¿Quién va a ganar? ***** ?? We’re continuing with Musical March Madness? and today starts the “Elite Eight”! ?? Who is going to win?

Una publicación compartida de Kate O (@fitkateo) el 13 Mar, 2019 a las 8:02 PDT

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There are also several brackets available online. Allison from Mis Clases Locas has a bracket for younger classes, Señor Ashby does a Locura de Marzo tournament, and Spanish Plans has their March Music Madness! There are also ready-made brackets available online. Check out these awesome options:

• Allison from Mis Clases Locas has a bracket designed for younger learners.
• Señor Ashby hosts his famous Locura de Marzo tournament.
• Spanish Plans offers a March Music Madness bracket with current songs, and even national voting.

Each option brings its own vibe, so pick the one that best matches your students and teaching style. Or get creative and make your own playlist!

Each of these can be great depending on your audience, so look at them and see what works best for you!

Why I Chose the Spanish Plans Bracket

This year, I decided to go with the bracket from Spanish Plans because it features a fresh lineup of songs from the past year. I love that it includes artists and genres my students don’t already know, which keeps it interesting. It is also fun to see them discover new favorites, get emotionally invested in the matchups, and even start friendly debates about the best picks.

The national voting component is another huge win. My students are going to love seeing how their choices compare with others across the country. It makes them feel like they’re part of something bigger, which is a big deal when you’re trying to build community in the classroom.

March Music Madness

This year, I decided to go with the bracket from Spanish Plans! I love that it includes a variety of music from just this past year. Other brackets had great songs, but they were songs my students know! I wanted something new. I’m excited about the songs, and I can tell that a bunch of them are going to turn into new favorites!

I also love that this bracket includes nation-wide voting. I think my students will really enjoy seeing how their picks fare as we move through the tournament!

For the duration of the tournament, I will essentially be replacing my usual daily routine to begin class with talking about the songs! I will loosely follow my Música Miércoles, but we might get into some more vocabulary to discuss our opinions of the songs. If you’re not sure if this activity is worthwhile for your class time, consider this post from Spanish Plans about CI During March Music Madness.

The language we use to TALK ABOUT the songs and talk about the voting process is just as important as listening to the songs themselves.

Spanish Plans, CI during MMM

I’m going to try doing a quick, short reflection after each song. They’re used to saying, “Me gusta” or “No me gusta”, so I want to expand on those reactions using a simple form. It has space for 16 songs total (the same number as in the tournament) and a short spot to write their favorite at the end!

Daily Routine with a Musical Twist

During the tournament, we pause our usual warm-ups and shift our start-of-class routine to focus on the music. I’ll still follow the spirit of Música Miércoles, but we’ll dive deeper into opinions, vocabulary, and conversations around the songs. I’m planning to use short written reflections after each matchup where students share their reactions and explain why they preferred one song over another. It is a simple way to expand their output without overwhelming them.

I created a fun response sheet where they’ll rate the songs, jot down short thoughts, and vote each day. It gives them ownership and reinforces language skills in a fun, low-pressure way.

Bringing the Bracket to Life

To take things up a notch, we’re hanging the tournament bracket in the school hallway so the whole building can follow along. I’m encouraging students to talk about the songs outside of class, get their friends involved, and maybe even convince their other teachers to play a round or two. It’s such a great opportunity to build school-wide excitement around Spanish class and show off the fun and cultural side of what we do.

The tournament will also build our department and community in our school, because we’re hanging the bracket in the school hallway for everyone to see! I’m hoping my students share the songs they like with their classmates and other students. I really want them to share those connections with their friends!

Ready to Try March Music Tournaments in Spanish Class?

If you’ve never done March Music Tournaments for Spanish Class before, I totally recommend giving it a shot. It’s easy to adapt to your level, your time, and your vibe. You can keep it simple with listening and voting, or build out full lessons around the songs. However you do it, your students are going to LOVE it. Do you do a March music tournament in your Spanish classes? What kinds of activities do you do?

More Resources for Music in Spanish Class

• 33 Appropriate Spanish Songs for High School
• Música Miércoles
• Listening Activities for Spanish Class