1. Designed Especially for Students

2. Educational program in which students become historians:
Become A Historian!
More than half a million students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide, participate yearly.  
Educational program in which students become historians:
Analyze and interpret their findings
Draw conclusions about the significance of their topics in history
Create final projects to present their work.  

3. NHD Overview

4. History Day in a Nutshell
Select a topic that relates to the annual theme.
Research the topic using primary and secondary sources to develop a bibliography.
Write a thesis that they support with their research.
Develop presentation from one of five possible categories: Exhibit, Documentary, Performance, Historical Paper, or Web Site.
Choose to work alone or in a group.

5. Competition
Projects are entered into competitions at the county, state, and national levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators.
● Individual Historical Paper ● Individual & Group Documentary ● Individual & Group Exhibit ● Individual & Group Performance ● Individual & Group Website

6. Level Date Location School TBD by School Individual Schools County
Important Dates
Level
Date
Location
School
TBD by School
Individual Schools
County
March 5– 8, 2018
Excel Academy
*PLEASE change this in your notebooks!
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Historical Papers &
Websites
Documentaries
Exhibits
Performances
Region
Saturday, March 24, 2018
**Full registration with submission of links
for websites and historical papers is due the week following our contest.
Clayton State College
Morrow, Georgia
State
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Mercer University
Macon, Georgia
National
June 10 – 14, 2018
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland

7. Revolution, Reaction & Reform Rights & Responsibilities
Theme
Triumph & Tragedy
Revolution, Reaction & Reform
Rights & Responsibilities
Turning Points
Communication
Leadership & Legacy
Taking a Stand
Trade & Industry
Migration
Choose a historical topic related to the annual theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. 

8. 2018 Theme

9. Topic Selection Select a topic related to the annual theme.
Brainstorm ideas and look through the historical books to begin thinking about potential topics.
For ideas on theme connection and topic selection, please see the NHD annual theme book.

10. Topic Selection
Topic can be world, U.S., state, or local history topics.
Do preliminary research to determine amount
of sources available.
Topics must relate to the theme!

12. Conflict & Compromise… in History
Compromise can sometimes prevent a conflict, but what happens when it does not?
If a conflict occurs, how can compromise help to end the conflict?
What happens if a failed compromise leads to an even larger conflict?
Conflict & Compromise
What happens when an attempt at compromise brings about a conflict?
How has compromise been used to end conflict throughout history?
Examine the significance of your topic in history AND show development over time.
In History

13. The “So What” Factor Consider:
● Time and Place ● Cause and Effect
● Change over Time ● Impact and Significance
Do more than just describe what happened.
Draw conclusions about how the topic affected:
● Individuals ● Communities
● Nations ● The World

14. The Historical Method But Different… It’s Sort of Like the
Scientific Method
But Different…
Preliminary Research
Form a Research Question or a Hypothesis
Design an experiment to test the Question or Hypothesis
Conclusion:
Was the Research Question Answered?
Was the Hypothesis Proven?
Preliminary Research
Begin with Tertiary Sources (i.e. encyclopedias, etc.)
Then, start looking at Secondary Sources
Design and Complete a Research Plan
Form Questions about your Topic
Look for Answers in both Secondary and Primary Sources
Form a Final Thesis Statement
Conclusion: Was the thesis proven?

15. Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Primary Source
Secondary Source
Created after the historical time period being studied by people that did not live through the time period being studied.
Include histories, text books, biographies, journal articles, photographs, newspaper articles, interviews, etc.
Created during the
historical time period that is being studied or created by people that lived during the time period being studied.
Include letters, autobiographies, government forms and reports, photographs newspaper articles, interviews, etc.

16. NARA Sample Suggested Topics

17. NARA Online Primary Sources
National Archives Online Public Access
Docsteach.org

18. Gathering & Recording Information
To be responsible researchers, you must credit sources from which you gathered information.
To begin the process, however, it is important for that you collect the critical information from each source as you read:
Author's Name
Title
Publisher
Date of Publication
Page Number for Quotes

19. Analyzing & Interpreting Sources
Historians do more than describe events; they analyze and interpret information gathered from their sources to draw conclusions about a topic's significance in history.
Asking yourself questions
about your topic and research:
Identify elements of change and continuity
Examine historical context: economic, political,
social and cultural atmosphere of the time period
Interrogate their sources:
Who created the source?
When was the source created?
What was the intent or purpose of the source?

20. Developing a Thesis
Thesis = usually one sentence that presents an argument about the topic.
A strong thesis statement:
● Addresses the topic
● Relates to the theme
● Expresses the impact of the topic
The body of the paper or website, the script of the performance or documentary, the headings and captions in an exhibit then are used to support the thesis using evidence from the research.

22. National History Day: What's your point? - YouTube
Thesis
Topic + Theme + Impact
National History Day: What's your point? - YouTube

23. Matching the Theme to the Thesis Statement
Title of Thesis Statement
Theme
Jacqueline Cochran – Flying Towards the Future
Leadership & Legacy in History
To Learn or to Earn? The National Child Labor Committee
Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History
The Nuremberg Trials
Turning Points in History
On the Brink of Disunion: The Election of 1860
Rights & Responsibilities
Title IX: Empowerment though Education
(**One Theme is used twice.)

24. Project Categories Description & Examples

25. Exhibit Word Limit Like a Museum Exhibit 500 Student-composed Words
Maximum Size
6 ft. x 40 in. x 30 in.
Word Limit
500 Student-composed Words
The Challenge:
To Blend Graphic Design with Written Script
The 5-paragraph essay becomes the 6-part exhibit (Introduction, Background, Beginning, Middle, End, and Conclusion)

26. Compare Exhibit (6 Parts) 5 Paragraph Essay Introduction Introduction
Background
Historical Context
Body of Argument
Beginning
Middle
End
Conclusion
5 Paragraph Essay
Introduction
Body of Argument
Beginning
Middle
End
Conclusion

27. Introductory paragraph with thesis statement
Exhibit = 6 Parts
Background
Beginning of Argument
Introductory paragraph with thesis statement
Middle of Argument
End of Argument
Conclusion

33. Documentary Like watching the History Channel 10 Minutes or less
Video, Power Point, Imovie, Movie Maker, Slide presentation, etc.
Can mix programs
Photo Story 3 with Movie Maker
The Challenge: Blending historic images (still and moving) with narrations and background music)
YouTube - National History Day Documentary Finalist 2009

35. Performance A Dramatic Portrayal 10 Minutes or Less
Students Write Script
Find Props/Costuming
The Challenge: Fill up the 10 minutes with solid history and good theatrical presence
YouTube - The Walker Sisters vs. The Great Smoky Mountains
The Turning Point That Made America Free Forever – YouTube
101st Airborne -
The Golden Age of Radio: Turning Points in American Culture – YouTube

36. Historical Paper 1,500 to 2,500 Words 6 to 10 Pages Double-Spaced
Traditional or Creative Writing
The Challenge: Writing to Prove a Point
Organization
Verb Tense
National History Day Contest | Student Project Examples

37. Web Site The Challenge:
Present Historic Content in a Blending of Category Mediums
Student will use aspects of the Historical Paper, the Exhibit, and Documentary Categories
"The Emancipation Proclamation for the Disabled" – Title
The Voting Rights Act of 1965: One Vote,One Voice. - Title
Original productions constructed using the NHD web site editor
Maximum of 1,200 Visible Words
Entire site may use no more than 100MB of file space.
No Outside Links: Students may not use embedded material hosted elsewhere
site must be viewable in a recent version of a standard web browser

39. A Guide to Research & Creating the Knockout Bibliography
Impressing the Judges
A Guide to Research
&
Creating the Knockout Bibliography

40. Requirements Annotated Bibliography Process Paper
MLA or Turabian format
Divide into Primary and Secondary Sources
Annotation describes how the student used the source
With web sites, tell who put out the site in the annotation
Have students develop bibliography as they work on their project
Process Paper
500 words or less
All categories except Historical Papers
Not a historical essay
Students answer four simple questions
Why they chose their topic?
How they did their research?
How they developed their entry?
How their topic relates to the theme?

41. Bibliographies
Every scholarly work needs a bibliography (a list of sources used during the research process).
Which bibliography style will I use? (Historians use Turabian; English teachers use MLA.)
NHD bibliographies are annotated (Either tells how the source was used in the final product or how it was used to bring a complete understanding of the topic).
Review requirements and examples of annotated bibliographies:

42. How will my project be judged?

43. 60% Historical Quality Is historically accurate
Judged in the project but the accuracy is built
around secondary source research
Shows analysis and interpretation
Meaning: NHD projects are NOT Reports
Have a thesis, stay focused on it, and use the data in the sources to support the thesis
Judged in the project
Places topic in historical context
Understands the time and place (the setting) of the topic
Judged in the project but built off secondary (and primary sources)
60%

44. Historical Quality Continued
Shows wide research
Judged by reading the Bibliography (and Process Paper)
Meaning: Students used a variety of sources and not
just the internet, visited more than just the school media
center, and looked at different “types” of sources (letters, newspapers, interviews, etc.)
Uses available primary sources
Students are not expected to travel to exotic research facilities around the world but should visit appropriate local facilities.
It is fine to use the internet for primary source research
Research is balanced
Judged by reading the bibliography
Students looked at a variety of historical interpretations (secondary)
Students looked at multiple sides of the event (primary)
60%

45. 20% Relation to Theme Clearly relates topic to theme
Judged from the project
Have the theme central to the thesis and prove thesis
Demonstrates significance of topic in history and draws conclusions
The “So What” Factor
20%

46. 20% Clarity of Presentation
Presentation, written material is original, clear, appropriate, organized, articulate
(Category specific)
More than bells and whistles
High quality
Substance over Style
20%

47. Resources Student Clayton State University Summer Academy –
Clayton State University Summer Academy – OR

49. Access the Theme Book