National History Day National History Day information and research help. National History Day 2016 Theme: Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History

Essential Question: How does a story shape history? Guiding Question: What story do I want to share with others?

National History Day Topics for research are everywhere! Think about a time in history or individuals or events that are interesting to you. Start a list. Read books, newspapers or other sources of information and add to your list. Talk with relatives, neighbors, or people you know who have lived through a particular time in history that interests you and add more ideas. Keep thinking, reading and talking to people until you have many ideas that are interesting.

National History Day For example, if you’re interested in Native Americans and the theme is Leadership and Legacy in History, a natural topic would be treaty rights. Now from there, you would consider the resources you have available to you—perhaps your local historical society—and possibly choose a Native American/U.S. treaty based in your affiliate’s history. Your process might look something like this:  Theme: Leadership and Legacy  Interest: presidential power  Topic: Andrew Jackson and the removal of the Cherokee Nation  Issue: the refusal of a president to enforce a Supreme Court ruling

Suggested Topics  day/Atlanta_Exploration_Encounter_Exchange.pdf day/Atlanta_Exploration_Encounter_Exchange.pdf

National History Day 

6 th Graders You may choose to do an exhibit or performance task only for the History Day Competition.

Hook the reader or listener in  Examples of hooks

Paper Example 

Exhibit Example  june-10-sent-to-Website-August-31.pdf june-10-sent-to-Website-August-31.pdf  Process Paper

Documentary   Paper   Video

Performance Examples   The Brothers Grimm: How Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Led the Movement to Preserve Culture Through   Terrible Beauty is Born: The Leadership of James Connolly and Patrick Pearse and the Controversial   Hard Times: How the Work of Charles Dickens Created a Legacy of Literacy and Social Reform

Website Examples   Jacqueline Cochran: Flying towards the future   The Seeing Eye The Leadership and Legacy of Morris Frank The Seeing Eye   Alan Turing’s Mechanical Brain

National History Day Each year more than half a million students just like you participate. You will choose a historical topic related to the annual theme, and then conduct primary and secondary research. You will look through libraries, archives and museums, conduct oral history interviews, and visit historic sites. After you have analyzed and interpreted your sources, and have drawn a conclusion about the significance of your topic, you will then be able to present your work in one of five ways: as a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a website. Questions about performances, websites, exhibits, papers, or documentaries? Watch the NHD Google+ Hangouts about your category.Watch the NHD Google+ Hangouts about your category.

Getting Started  Read the rules  Before you begin work on an entry for competition, you, your teacher, and your parents should carefully read the Contest Rule Book / Contest Rule Book in Spanish. Contact your regional or affiliate coordinator to learn if any rules have been revised since the publication of this rule book, and for more information on topics, sources, and deadlines. Find your affiliate coordinator. Contest Rule BookContest Rule Book in SpanishFind your affiliate coordinator

Getting Started Understand the Theme Each year your research must connect to the NHD theme. The theme changes each year so if you do NHD every year, you will not repeat a theme. The themes are chosen to be broad enough to encourage investigation of topics ranging from local history to world history, and from ancient time to the recent past. To understand the historical importance of your topic you need to ask questions about time, place and context; cause and effect; change over time; and impact and significance. You must consider not only when and where events happened, but also why they occurred and what factors contributed to their development.NHD theme

Theme Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History

Thesis  A Thesis is a strong statement that you can prove with evidence. The main idea of your entire project. It can also be thought of as the angle or point of view from which you present your material.  You will develop a thesis statement about your research topic, after you have written a Statement of Purpose and done some actual research into the topic.  Thesis statement will be presented in your introduction, prove it with evidence in the body of your paper, project, or presentation, and finally restate it along with a summary of your evidence in your conclusion.

Thesis Statement of PurposePossible Thesis Statement “I want to learn about what has influenced the music of 50 Cent.” The music of 50 Cent has been heavily influenced by …….. “I want to find out some ways to stop teen gang activity.” Teen gang activity in the United States can be stopped by a combined approach which consists of supervised youth programs, more job availability, and closer family relationships. “I want to find out about how school can help students obtain a higher degree while attending public schools.” i

Thesis Lesson Which example fits the rule? Rule #1: A good thesis statement is short and simple: it should be no longer than one sentence. Example: Success is a result of doing the right things consistently. Example: In a world full of success experts and books about success, it becomes more important to define the one trait that ultimately decides success: doing the right things consistently. Rule #2: A good thesis statement is limited to a main idea. Example: The key to successful dieting is focusing on a specific goal, which is also the key to successfully running a business and coaching a football team. Example: The key to successful dieting is focusing on a specific goal.

Which example is a good thesis statement for Rule 3? Rule #3: A good thesis statement is a declarative sentence- no mights, maybes, perhaps, etc. Example: Lebron James' ability to score, pass, and rebound make him the league's most valuable player. Example: Does Lebron James' ability to score, pass, and rebound make him the league's most valuable player? Example: Lebron James' ability to score, pass, and rebound just might make him the league's most valuable player. Rule #4: A good thesis statement appears at the end of an introduction paragraph.

Getting Started  Choosing a Topic  Topics for research are everywhere! Think about a time in history or individuals or events that are interesting to you. Start a list. Read books, newspapers or other sources of information and add to your list. Talk with relatives, neighbors, or people you know who have lived through a particular time in history that interests you and add more ideas. Keep thinking, reading and talking to people until you have many ideas that are interesting. Now go back through the list and circle the ideas that connect with the theme. From the ideas that you circled, select one to begin your research. Keep your list because you might need it again. Selecting a National History Day topic is a process of gradually narrowing down the area of history (period or event) that interests you to a manageable subject. For example, if you’re interested in Native Americans and the theme is Leadership and Legacy in History, a natural topic would be treaty rights. Now from there, you would consider the resources you have available to you—perhaps your local historical society—and possibly choose a Native American/U.S. treaty based in your affiliate’s history. Your process might look something like this:  Theme: Leadership and Legacy  Interest: presidential power  Topic: Andrew Jackson and the removal of the Cherokee Nation  Issue: the refusal of a president to enforce a Supreme Court ruling

Conducting Research Nothing in history happens in a vacuum. To understand the connections between your topic and the time period, begin reading about the time period and as you read ask yourself questions:  Why did my topic happen at this particular time and in this particular place?  What were the events or the influences that came before my topic?  How was my topic influenced by and how did it influence the economic, social, political, and cultural climate of the time period? All of these questions will help you to build the story of your topic and grasp the historical significance. This will also help you begin thinking about your thesis.

Conducting Research  Develop a Thesis Statement NHD projects should do more than just tell a story. Every exhibit, performance, documentary, paper and website should make a point about its topic. To do this, you must develop your own argument of the historical impact of the person, event, pattern or idea you are studying. The point you make is called a thesis statement. A thesis statement is not the same as a topic. Your thesis statement explains what you believe to be the impact and significance of your topic in history. Example:  Topic: Battle of Gettysburg Thesis Statement: The battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point of the Civil War. It turned the tide of the war from the South to the North, pushing back Lee’s army that would never fight again on Northern soil and bringing confidence to the Union army.

Conducting Research Primary Sources A primary source is a piece of information about a historical event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts and the intentions of the past. Primary sources help you to interpret what happened and why it happened. Examples of primary sources include: documents, artifacts, historic sites, songs, or other written and tangible items created during the historical period you are studying.

Conducting Research Secondary Sources A secondary source is a source that was not created first-hand by someone who participated in the historical era. Secondary sources are usually created by historians, but based on the historian’s reading of primary sources. Secondary sources are usually written decades, if not centuries, after the event occurred by people who did not live through or participate in the event or issue. The purpose of a secondary source is to help build the story of your research from multiple perspectives and to give your research historical context. An example of a secondary source is Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson, published in They are a great starting point in helping you see the big picture. Understanding the context of your topic will help you make sense of the primary sources that you find. The primary and secondary sources McPherson used are listed in the bibliography. Another researcher might consult these same primary sources and reach a different conclusion.

Conducting Research Citations/Bibliographies To record the information the two acceptable styles of writing for NHD projects are Turabian and MLA. Historians use Turabian but we know that many classes in middle school and high school teach the MLA style. It does not matter which of these two styles you use, but it is important to be consistent. For help with questions about citations, you can check out Turabian or MLA guides from your local library.

Conducting Research Annotated Bibliographies An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. The annotation for each source must explain how the source was used and how it helped you understand your topic. You should also use the annotation to explain why you categorized a particular source as primary or secondary. Sources of visual materials and oral interviews, if used, must also be included. List only those sources that you used to develop your entry. An annotation normally should be only 1-3 sentences long. Click here to visit our Annotated Bibliography Resource page for more information.Click here to visit our Annotated Bibliography Resource page for more information.

Conducting Research NoodleTools: NHD and NoodleTools partner together to bring teachers and students the opportunity NT_200 to organize their research. Teachers can sign up and receive account access for all of their students to help complete their NHD projects. Noodle Tools can help students track their sources, take notes, organize their ideas, and create their annotated bibliographies. The program allows the teacher to see the progress the students have made and offer direct electronic feedback.

Creating an Entry Now that you understand the rules and the theme for National History Day, and have chosen your historical topic, it is time to choose how you want to present your work. But what are the categories? And how are they different? Here are the five possible categories. Categories  Documentary Documentary  Exhibit Exhibit  Paper Paper  Performance Performance  Website Website

Creating an Entry Process Paper A process paper is a description of how you conducted your research, developed your topic idea, and created your entry. The process paper must also explain the relationship of your topic to the contest theme. For more information on the Process Paper and other rules, review the Contest Rule Book / Contest Rule Book in Spanish.Contest Rule BookContest Rule Book in Spanish

12345 Thesis Statement & Project Focus There is no thesis statement. Thesis statement is insignificant or does not have strong relationship to the theme. Thesis statement is original, strong, and relates to theme. Historical Accuracy & Context Major inaccuracies are present and plentiful. Demonstrates no understanding of historical conditions or setting. A few inaccuracies are present but most of project is accurate. Shows basic understanding of historical conditions and setting. No inaccuracies are present and demonstrates strong understanding of historical conditions and setting. Analysis & Interpretation Own ideas about topic are not present. Doesn’t explain how topic changed course of history. Shows surface attempt at analysis & interpretation and is more than a mere report. Explains how topic changed course of history. Analysis and interpretation is in- depth, shows original thought based on research. Theme Relationship Displays no theme relationship. Theme relationship is secondary to research and analysis. Theme relationship is basis for analysis and interpretation. Argument & Conclusion No argument present, draws no conclusion. Argument and conclusion does not support thesis. Argument and conclusion strongly supports conclusion and is based on research. Process Paper Does not answer the required prompts or does not focus on the process. Gives a general look at the process with some mention of each prompt. Provides a clear, insightful look at the process, including all prompts. Bibliography (MLA) and Annotations Citations incomplete and incorrect with few sources. Annotations are very general. Citations and annotations are satisfactory with minor flaws. Annotations attempt to show how the source was used. Citations superbly done, annotations are complete. Wide and Balanced Research with Primary and Secondary Sources No clear distinction between primary & secondary sources; Student does not know differences between the two. Three or fewer sources, mostly basic web sources and encyclopedias. Most sources are correctly identified but a few are incorrect. Seven to nine sources, shows three or four different types of sources: books, newspapers, letters, etc. All sources are correctly identified. Twelve or more sources, shows a variety of primary and secondary sources from more than one perspective. Organization of Presentation No obvious organization. Displays introduction, background, body, and conclusion. Organization is clear and designed to make an impact and support conclusion. Quality of Presentation with Attention to Editing Presentation could be a lot neater. Presentation is appropriate but shows little originality or creativity. Presentation is of high quality and demonstrates a high caliber of originality, creativity, and excellence. Total Calculations # of 1___ x 6=___ # of 2 ___x7=___ # of 3 ____x8=____ # of 4___x9=___ # of 5 ___x 10=____ NHD FINAL PROJECT RUBRIC TOTAL _______/100

NamesAnalysis and Creativity Effort and Participation Attitude, Teamwork, and Respect OVERALL GRADE NameJustification for Score In the following boxes, explain in a couple sentences why the person deserves the overall grade you gave them above. REFLECTION and EVALUATION of YOUR GROUP Reflect on your group’s work on this year’s NHD project. In the chart below, evaluate your efforts and those of your group members using percentages in each of the listed categories. Please be honest. Don’t just provide anyone with good scores because you like them. This sheet will be kept confidential.

 Note : For purposes of this resource, we are using Chicago style footnotes.  When writing an NHD paper, you have two options on how to cite your sources. This section will address creating footnotes. Please note that it is also appropriate to use the parenthetical references described in the website section as well. Either is appropriate, but choose one way and be consistent with that method.  Most historians use footnotes when they write a paper, article, or book. Footnotes allow you to keep track of your sources without interrupting the flow of the paper. If my paper about Theodore Roosevelt and his foreign policy regarding Germany contains the text:  Roosevelt “has seen the crisis coming for eleven months.”[1] He feared that Germany might invade Venezuela if they did not pay off their debts.[1]  Tip: Allow your word processor to insert the footnote for you. It will do it automatically, and if you insert one into the middle of the paper, it will automatically renumber it for you. You can find the “insert footnote” button in the reference section of the menu. If you need step-by-step directions, just go to the help menu and type in “insert footnotes.”  The FIRST time that I use this source (in this case it is a book) in a footnote, my full footnote would look like this (see footnote number one below). The footnote tells us the author, the title of the book, the basic publishing information, as well as the page (or range of pages) where my quote can be found. It is similar to your citation in your bibliography, but not exactly the same.  If you use this source again later in your paper, it is much easier. Assume that later in my paper I write the sentence:  Roosevelt knew that he had to take a strong stand and argued for “crude force” to keep the Germans out of Latin America.[2][2]  As you can see in footnote 2 below, I just need to include a shortened footnote with the author’s last name, the title of the book, and the page number or page range where I found my information.  See the next page for examples of how to footnote the most common types of sources that you will use in your NHD paper. NoodleTools will provide you with a full and shortened footnote for each source. ________________________________NoodleTools  [1] Edmund Morris, Theodore Rex (New York: Modern Library, 2001), 177. [1]