National History Day guides students to a close inspection of history. The goal is to make students critical thinkers who can place current events into historical perspective. Students become careful thinkers, better communicators, and develop an awareness of the present. One of the vehicles that helps achieve this is the use of the annual theme. All History Day projects are required to meet the annual theme. In fact, 20% of a student’s evaluation depends on how well the project communicates the theme.
This year, the theme is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. This does not necessarily mean that a student in limited to a study of only the American Revolution, the French Revolution, or the Industrial Revolution. Students are welcome to study these topics, and our country would surely benefit from having our students look closely at the events of the American Revolution. Our country also benefits from our young people conducting a close inspection of cultural revolutions, economic revolutions, and international events. (more…)
Taming Warfare: The History of the Geneva Conventions produced by John Dean, Matthew Kaufman, and Sean Warner of St. Theodore Guerin High School in Noblesville, IN.
The documentary category for National History Day is growing in popularity as software such as Apple’s iMovie and Windows Movie Maker becomes commonplace on computers at home and school. In June, I served as a judge in the Junior Group Documentary category at the National History Day Contest and was amazed at the quality of work turned in by middle school students. The overall winner in the category, an excellent analysis of the Candy Bombers from the Berlin Airlift put together by two young ladies from Kansas, came from the preliminary round that I judged. Under the guidance of their teacher, the students did their own research, compiled images and video, and did all of the narration themselves.
The documentary category for NHD began in 1982 as “media presentation.” The name was later changed to documentary. The category has attracted quite a few fans, including Ken Burns, creator of epic documentaries Baseball, The War, and the newly released Prohibition. (more…)
This weekend, I had the chance to travel to the West Baton Rouge Museum’s 16th annual Sugar Fest to promote The National History Day program to students and parents in the Baton Rouge area. The West Baton Rouge Museum is one of four regional partners for National History Day in Louisiana, with the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport, the Chennault Aviation & Military Museum in Monroe, and the University of Louisiana Lafayette serving as the additional regional sponsors. As the program grows throughout Louisiana, our regional partners are vital in serving students and teachers in their regions.
The Sugar Fest was a celebration of South Louisiana history. Volunteers in dress from various periods were present throughout the grounds. (more…)
Museum partner National History Day has announced year two of Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom, an immersive two-week long institute that brings 15 teachers and 15 students onto the beaches of Normandy to appreciate and understand the sacrifices of the World War II generation. The institute begins in Washington, D.C. with lectures by leading WWII scholars, a study of WWII monuments in Washington, D.C., and research in the National Archives. Students will select a soldier from their state who is buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy and research that soldier’s life. The institute culminates in a day of remembrance with the students laying a wreath at the cemetery in honor of their chosen soldier.
Who Can Apply
Teachers of students in grades 10 or 11 who have participated in National History Day or are participating in National History Day for the first time this year are encouraged to apply. Fifteen teachers will be selected by the National History Day committee. Each of the selected teachers will select one student to participate in the institute. The teacher must commit to making two presentations at school, state, or national conferences.
Selection Criteria
Teacher’s resume including full name, work title and institution; the applicant’s home and work addresses and phone numbers; and a work and home e-mail address.
An essay explaining the applicants’ interest in the institute, stating the applicants’ philosophy of teaching, including how students are engaged in historical research in the classroom now and confirming the applicants’ willingness to make the two required presentations and other school based assignments. The presentations can be school-based, state or national.
A letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor that attests to employment status in 2011-12 and agrees to the applicant’s making two presentations at workshops or conferences.
A letter of introduction by the teacher of the selected student – who the student is academically and why this particular student was chosen to be the team member.
For information on participating in Louisiana History Day, sponsored by The National WWII Museum visit http://louisianahistoryday.org.
For questions concerning the Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom Institute, visit http://nhd.org.
This post by Louisiana History Day Coordinator Nathan Huegen.
In the Wednesday, September 20, 2011 edition of the Wall Street Journal, former Lockheed Martin CEO put forth the notion that studying history can boost our literacy in science, math, politics, and business. He specifically mentions the National History Day program as a leader in creative history education that emphasizes critical thinking and research skills. He then cites findings that show that students who participate in the History Day program consistently outperform their peers not only in history, but in reading, math, and science as well.
In January of this year, the findings of an independent evaluation on the impact of the National History Day program were released. The evaluation looked at schools in a wide variety of geographic regions and parental income levels. The school districts participating in the study included Aldine Unified School District in Texas, Paterson School District in New Jersey, Chesterfield County Schools in South Carolina, and a large urban/suburban district in Colorado. At all of these schools, students participating in NHD outperformed their peers in standardized tests, classroom performance, and independent writing assessments. Locally, two students from Metairie, LA scored Mastery on their LEAP test despite being English as Second Language students who have been in the United States for less than 4 years. Download reports that give a full overview of the NHD Evaluation methodology.
The National WWII Museum serves as the state sponsor for National History Day in Louisiana. This academically proven program places students in the role of professional historians as they develop a research topic and browse archives, museums, and libraries looking for sources. Museums, archives, and libraries lend their support to students participating in the program. In fact, the Society of American Archivists recently developed a website to support archivists and students with the National History Day program.
The 2011-2012 school year has begun for students, and the National History Day program is making its appearance in classrooms in Louisiana and all around the country. All fifty states participate in this program which culminates in a National Contest at the University of Maryland. This year’s theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History offers many possibilities. As I’ve made a few rounds to classrooms around Louisiana, I’ve encountered many topics that demonstrate the creativity of our students.
One group of 7th grade students has decided to focus on the revolutionary Po-Boy sandwich. The students are planning on attending the New Orleans Po-Boy Preservation Festival to listen to the lectures and panel discussions that accompany the festival. Changes in popular music or clothing seem to be appealing topics this year. Students in several parishes have mentioned these. Studying these changes will lead students to analyzing changes in American society in the 1920s and 1960s.
As always, World War II projects will have a significant presence at all History Day contests this year. Students that I’ve heard from are looking at the transformation of Germany from Weimar Republic into Nazi totalitarianism. Others are looking at the development of nuclear weapons and how their presence has revolutionized diplomacy and military strategy. Higgins Boats as a topic has been an intriguing topic by students in the past, usually after a visit to the National WWII Museum.
National History Day is an academically proven program that reaches more than 600,000 students a year. Students can research any topic they chose in any area of history. They produce papers, documentaries, exhibits, dramatic performances, and web sites. The National WWII Museum is proud to serve as Louisiana’s official state sponsor and offer guidance to students from all across the country on WWII-themed projects. Students can access the Museum’s resources through the Museum’s NHD Assistance Page and receive guidance from Museum educators on their topic.
This year’s NHD theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, offers students a range of options for WWII topics. Sample topics listed on our web site include major changes to the Olympics made by the planners of the 1936 Games in Berlin and the changes to warfare enabled by the Higgins Boats. In addition, students could choose to look at how naval battles were forever changed with the use of aircraft carriers in the Pacific. A student less interested in battles could focus on revolutionary changes in American industry during the war or FDR’s Executive Order 8802 which forbade discrimination in industries with defense contracts.
