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History Education in a STEM World

Matt Durrett — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:35:00 -0400

: The History Center's 1913 exhibit features and assembly line where students work together to build relief bundles.

If you have followed politics and education trends over the past few years you have probably noticed the shift in focus toward a few key subjects, for this blog posts' sake, most notably the STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) initiative. There are many critics of STEM, both for and against, and all of their points are for a different blog post. What I want to talk about here is how we use STEM ideas for the newest You Are There Experience: 1913: A City Under Water. Whether you love it or hate it, STEM has serious influence in the education world today which only seems to grow with time.

First, some context: STEM supports many things, notably for our purposes, "a strong emphasis on learning environments on hands-on, experimental, inquiry-based and learner-centered student experiences and activities" and "integration of STEM-focused activities ... directed at learning environments outside the K-12 classroom." To me, the prior quote is a fancy way of saying that we as educators should not be presenting to or at the children, but involving them as active participants in our experiences and activities. And the latter, well, that's us. So, kinesthetic learning and establishing a culture where learning exists not solely in the classroom? Sign me up.

The 1913 experience puts visitors in Wulf's Hall, the second floor of a saloon-turned-relief-station in Indianapolis in the wake of a massive flood event. Our task as educators was to develop an activity that related to STEM subjects, met the ideas mentioned above while staying true to the people, the time and the event.

: Students interpret information on cards to determine the supplies and quantities needed to complete a task.

In this experience, students assemble relief bundles for flood sufferers who need supplies like bread, beans and rice. Upon entering the space, they receive relief cards with a family and the supplies requested. Students then work in teams to determine how much of each supply go into the bundles based on the number of adults and children in each household. This is an activity that occurred in the Wulf's Hall in 1913, staying authentic to the space, while the students work with math, fractions, problem-solving and teamwork skills. Ideally this activity will drive conversation with interpreters while changing the space itself, as students deposit their assembled bundles in an area for delivery. Another activity is the supply depot, where students measure and count bags of supplies that will go on the assembly line.

While environmental science seemed like the natural (pun intended) focus, it would have been difficult to include that in the context of the 1913 recovery inside the space. However, flood science is discussed in a supplemental content room and will be featured in an upcoming flood science cart. With the science cart, students will consider the story of the 1913 flood, a pre-human settlement flood, and what a similar event would look like today, using maps and experimenting with water saturation of different building materials from each time period.

We feel that all of these activities stay true to the history of the story while also integrating STEM subjects and principles. What STEM-related activities would you like to see in You Are There 1913: A City Under Water?

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Matt Durrett is coordinator, National History Day in Indiana. Usually laconic and reserved, he has recently acquired the nickname “The Quiet Storm” around the office for his rare yet tempest-like outbursts.

A Reintroduction to National History Day (in Indiana)

Matt Durrett — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0500

In her call for improving history education in the US, Cathy Gorn, executive director of National History Day argues, “The media, policy makers, and pundits are quick to point out the negative and report on what is not working. But where are the discussions on the demand for evidence-based, wide-ranging, effective, innovative approaches to teaching history?”[1]

Indeed, just as National History Day has been around since the 1970s, it has withstood the test of time and continues to serve as a valuable program for teachers and students across the nation, including more than 4,000 in Indiana. Here is why:

This spring, hundreds of those sixth- through 12th-grade students, teachers and families will gather on college campuses around the state to take part in the National History Day in Indiana program. Local district contests will take place at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame on February 23, IUPUI in Indianapolis on March 9 and Brown County High School in Nashville on April 6. Finalists from each contest will advance to the State Contest at Marian University in Indianapolis on April 27, where state winners will advance to the national contest in June.

National History Day students work in groups or as individuals with an annual theme on a topic of their choosing, whether it is ancient or modern, local, state, national or world history. This year’s theme is Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events. Students will present projects in the form of exhibits, documentaries, websites, papers and performances at each contest.

Through creating these projects, NHDI students will conduct primary and secondary research, analyze information and build projects reflecting their interpretations of history, and then defend their work through interviews with professionals. Students have the opportunity to study a topic of their choice, work with a medium of interest to them and practice and develop important 21st Century Learning skills through teamwork, academic research and analysis, time management and interviews.

National History Day has been endorsed by several national professional organizations including the American Association for State and Local History, Organization of American Historians and the National Council for the Social Studies. Arguing the importance of historical literacy for the modern job market, Norm Augustine, retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin even endorsed NHD, stating that the skills developed with History Day are “skills needed across a broad range of subjects and disciplines.”[2]

Because there are so many options with History Day, students who traditionally struggle in social studies and other classes often excel with NHD. Further, studies have shown that participating students perform better in social studies and other classes, on standardized tests and are better writers than their non-participating peers. The same students also show improved interest in academic subjects which may wane in high school.[3]

So if you are tired of hearing in the media about what doesn’t work in education, come be a part of what really does. Whether you are a teacher, student, history or education professional or just a history buff, we encourage you to get involved with this program. Teachers can tailor the program to meet the needs of their students, classroom, or history club and NHDI relies heavily on volunteer judges for contests.

National History Day in Indiana is sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society. For more information about the program, visit www.indianahistory.org/historyday or call (317) 233-9559.

This article appeared in the winter ICSS Viewpoints Newsletter.

[1] Cathy Gorn, “National History Day Works,” OAH Magazine of History 26, no. 3 (2012): 9-12.

[2] Norm Augustine, “The Education Our Economy Needs,” Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2011.

[3] National History Day Works: National Program Evaluation, http://www.nhd.org/nhdworks.htm

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Standardized Testing the Waters

Matt Durrett — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:10:00 -0400

There are few terms that invoke more fear, anger and emotion in the American education psyche than the words "standardized test." Its most modern Indiana incarnation, ISTEP+, meets the federal requirement of the No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President George W. Bush in 2001. See? I guarantee you had some internal response to that last sentence written as "unloaded" as I could. It is another Texan, however, the so-called "father of NCLB" who has unintentionally added fuel to the debate over standardized testing.

Sandy Kress, formerly a democrat on the Dallas school board called on by President Bush to help design NCLB, now lobbies the Texas legislature for Pearson Education, which has a $468 million contract to administer the STAAR test, Texas' version of ISTEP+. Kress caught some extra heat this summer when Jason Stanford, among others, began drawing attention to the fact that Kress sent his children to private schools which are exempt from the reach of NCLB and Pearson while Texas faced a $5.4 billion cut to its education budget. The back-and-forth between Kress and Stanford reveals some interesting perspective on both sides. On one hand, I will not blame Kress for wanting the best for his children and ensuring that they receive the best education. On the other hand, why is he still championing NCLB and its status quo?

Generally speaking, the gripe with standardized testing is not that it measures student performance against broader populations. Supporters point out that test scores can be used against previous years to show progress (and they do). The gripe, however, comes rather loudly when standardized testing is "high stakes" as it is under current law. That is when test scores are tied to teacher and school performance, and when people get fired and schools close. No doubt you heard about the state takeover of five schools in Gary and Indianapolis.

I am not saying that nobody should be fired or that schools should never start over, but consider first that the No. 1 predictor of how a student will perform on a standardized test is family income. Then take a look at 2012 ISTEP+ scores. So what is really being accomplished? Lawsuits, wasted resources and distractions from teaching are some accomplishments. When administrators are focused on those, they can't focus on the mission. When teachers are focused on testing, they can't focus on teaching. High stakes, experts argue, subverts the education mission when teachers are pressured to prepare students for the shallow exercise of taking a test rather than the content and skills associated with the class.

Maybe it's only because everything is bigger in Texas that Indiana grievances have not aired as publicly. In working with colleagues involved in history education around the country and state, it's clear to me that the Indiana education world is in its own unique place right now. Teacher evaluation being a DOE priority right now, the RISE model currently being promoted gives more control to local administrators but also requires teachers to use "the most standardized assessment they have available" when designing Student Learning Objectives. So, in the end, teachers, administrators and schools will still be measured by standardized test scores.

Will the ISTEP+ end up in the state archives someday, or is it here to stay?

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Last Minute Tips for Your National History Day Entry

Matt Durrett — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:05:00 -0500

So, National History Day contests are right around the corner and your project finally looks like it is all coming together. You've fought through paper cuts, delusional partners, sabotaging pets and other distractions. Your board stands up without duct tape, your bibliography is annotated, and your process paper is written. Now that you are seeing light at the end of the tunnel, here are some tips for avoiding a meltdown on History Day:

Websites

First and foremost: Make sure your website project is published and not password protected so the judges can see it!
Is your annotated bibliography and process paper on the website?

Papers

Make sure your paper entry arrives where it needs to be by the due date.
Have the content fresh in your mind on contest day – it may have been two weeks since you sent it in, so review before you interview.

Exhibits

Be prepared for things to fall apart. NHD in Indiana coordinators will have an emergency repair kit with tape, scissors, etc., but prepare by bringing anything you think you will need.
Don't forget your coat under the table! Be aware of valuables left around the exhibit. Remember the times you can get in and out of the exhibit area, and know when the public is allowed in to view.

Documentaries

Bring multiple copies of your DVD. Make sure the discs are not blank. Put a copy on a flash drive. Bring a laptop with the film saved on it. Make sure they work. Have a plan for making sure the film plays.
Be ready to go when your time comes up! Have your paperwork and hardware ready!

Performances

Be prepared for an audience. Depending on the contest, you may be in an empty classroom or a full auditorium. Be ready for an audience of both sizes.
Have your script memorized. Remember: No reading off scripts during the presentation.

All Projects

Do not forget your paperwork! Every project requires paperwork. Do not forget your annotated bibliographies or process papers. Make sure you have at least four copies. Heck, bring six! You will never be penalized for being over-prepared.
Did you follow all of the rules? Does your paper entry have a cover page?
Take every precaution to avoid someone forgetting something or some kind of software problem. Partner forgot the process paper? Good thing you have extra copies!
Do not freak out. Things will go wrong at some point. Problems will be fixed. Nobody gets disqualified from History Day in Indiana for a fixable problem.
Finally: Smile. Be confident. Practice a firm handshake. Look the judges in the eye. Have fun!

In summary, always take into account Murphy's Law: if something can go wrong, it will go wrong. While you may be able to convince coordinators to accept your late paper, to fix your unpublished website or that one copy of your bibliography is enough, it does not look good in front of the judges. Preparing for the unexpected problems and finding solutions, on the other hand, looks great!

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Win Scholarship Money to Indiana University at the NHDI State Contest!

Matt Durrett — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:40:00 -0500

Hot from the Development Office:

The Cole Porter Scholarship for Indiana Musical Heritage

Indiana’s past is filled with the stories of musical legends. From the jazz clubs of old Indiana Avenue to the contributions of greats like Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael, Indiana’s singers, songwriters and composers have made incredible contributions to the American music scene. Named after one of Indiana’s foremost composers, the Cole Porter Scholarship for Indiana Musical Heritage will recognize an outstanding senior category project at the state level in the National History Day in Indiana competition which explores Cole Porter and his impact on American music. Projects can explore any number of topics surrounding Cole Porter – his life, music and influence on other musicians and composers. One award will be given to a high school senior participating in one of the following categories: paper, exhibit, performance, documentary or website. Only one award will be given during the 2012 competition.

The Cole Porter Scholarship for Indiana Musical Heritage is open only to high school juniors and seniors. In 2012, the recipient will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to be applied toward his or her first year of tuition at Indiana University. The recipient must attend Indiana University in the fall of 2012 to receive the award.

Note that this scholarship is only available to 11th and 12th grade students. Projects must relate to Cole Porter in some way and must compete at the state contest to be eligible. Qualifying candidates for the scholarship award will be judged on their project and a short essay which will be due on the registration due date for the state contest, April 6, 2012. Good luck, students!

Three New Cash Prizes for History Day!

Matt Durrett — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:05:00 -0400

I am excited to announce that we have three brand-new awards secured for the 2012 National History Day in Indiana State Contest, and I have a feeling our students are going to be excited about these too! Here are the awards:

Thomas Krasean Prize for Indiana History will be awarded to the creator(s) of an outstanding project in Indiana history. This award is provided by John Herbst, president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society. The winner(s) of this award will receive a cash prize of $500.

John S. and Louise Reif Herbst Prize for an outstanding project in German-American history. This award is provided by John Herbst, president and CEO of the Indiana Historical Society. The winner(s) of this award will receive a cash prize of $200.

Rooker Family Foundation Award will be awarded to a student or students who have participated in National History Day in Indiana for multiple years. There will be a nomination process for this award prior to the state contest and it may or may not be divided into multiple awards. This award is sponsored by The Richard W. and Irene Rooker Family Foundation. The cash prize for this award is $500.

As you can see, the bar has been raised for prizes at the NHDI State Contest! We think that the competition for these prizes will rise as well. With the theme Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History, what topic will you choose this year?

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Indiana History Day Students go to Washington, D.C. (...and Bring Back Some Hardware)

Matt Durrett — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:10:00 -0400

: Students trade state buttons in the dining hall at University of Maryland

This year was my fifth year to attend the NHD national contest and it was probably the best so far. In addition to myself and other NHDI coordinators Sara Griffin and Becca Loofbourrow, we had a great group of 52 students and their teachers, parents and grandparents who came to take part in the week's events. Much of the group braved the University of Maryland dorms while others visited when we had meetings over ice cream and pizza. Soon after arrival, we found that we shared dorm floors with, among others, the Guam delegation, which possesses one of the most sought-after pins at National History Day.

The week started on Sunday with an ice cream social and opening meeting for the Indiana delegation at the Ellicott Hall fifth-floor lounge. It was the only air-conditioned room on the floor and when we packed 60 people into it, it felt like it was going to be a long week. It turned out, though, by the time the Opening Ceremony rolled around at 6 p.m., the weather was nice, and the temperature was moderate for the hottest day of the week. Button trading commenced in the dorms, dining hall and all around campus, and students prepared for the first day of competition on Monday. Indiana students also took on a photo-scavenger hunt where they were required to take pictures of themselves fulfilling various criteria around campus like reenacting a famous piece of art or imitating a Maryland Terrapin statue.

: Mason and Jake perform at National History Day

On Monday and Tuesday, students scattered around campus to present their work to judges at the highest level. The silliness that was the norm for most of the week immediately yielded to seriousness as students cleaned themselves up and wore their best for their presentations and interviews. Junior (middle school) students presented on Monday, and it was announced Monday evening that Meena Moorthy had made Junior Individual Documentary finals and would present Tuesday evening. Monday night many students attended a dance. On Tuesday, the Senior (high school) students presented their work to judges. In the end, five projects from Indiana made finals including two papers, an individual documentary and two group exhibits (see below for a list of Indiana finalists and award winners). Tuesday night, we watched Meena present her documentary in the final round and then celebrated all of the students and entries with pizza, watched and laughed at the photo scavenger hunt in which the students and coordinators participated and watched a screening of The Dew-over, a hilarious parody made by three students about their NHD experience and Mountain Dew, which plenty of other other pop-culture references.

: Kolton gets interviewed by Dr. Libby O'Connell of HISTORY Channel at the National Museum of American History

Early Wednesday morning, we moved as a group to downtown Washington, D.C., to meet Indiana Senators Lugar and Coats outside of their offices at the Capitol. Everyone was free in the afternoon to visit museums or sight-see, and in the evening we attended National History Night at the National Museum of American History in an event reserved for NHD attendees only. Read more about National History Night at the National Museum of American History's blog.

The week ended with the Awards Ceremony Thursday morning where Indiana students took home some hardware! Indiana award winners include Bradley Conn of Mishawaka who won the History in the Federal Government Award, Meena Moorthy of Indianapolis who won the Outstanding State Entry Award for the junior level and Kelly McCarthy, Jessica Maclean and Mikala Carpenter of Zionsville who won the Outstanding State Entry Award for the senior level.

Finally, in taking the most sought after and prestigious award in the National History Day program, Zack Rooker from Warsaw received The David Van Tassel Founder Award, a full-tuition four-year scholarship to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio!

: Zack with Cathy Gorn, Executive Director, National History Day

Congratulations, Zack!

For a full listing of Indiana finalists and award winners, see NHDI News & Notes. To see more photos and video of the general antics and fun had by the History Day students at nationals, see the NHDI Facebook page.

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NHDI Goes to the Indiana Fever Game

Matt Durrett — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:00:00 -0400

Every now and then it is fun to take advantage of what some of our special award donors have offered to the National History Day in Indiana program.

As sponsors of the Outstanding Women's Sports History Award at the National History Day in Indiana State Contest on April 16, the Indiana Fever have generously offered all participants discounted tickets to the team's season opener on June 4.

To join the group attending the game call Nathan at (317) 917-2805 or order tickets here. The password to get the group rate is "HISTORY".

In addition to the good deal on tickets, National History Day in Indiana will be recognized on the scoreboard at halftime.

The History Day staff plans on attending the game with our friends, and we hope you will join us! Wear your NHDI 2011 T-shirts and join us for some good summer Indiana basketball!

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Previewing the 2011 National History Day in Indiana State Contest

Matt Durrett — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:55:00 -0400

With district contests all wrapped up it is time to make our way down the home stretch in preparation for the big event of the year: the National History Day in Indiana State Contest. Marian University will be the home of the 2011 State Contest where district winners will present their work.

Out of the nearly 3,700 students who worked on National History Day projects in Indiana this year, approximately 350 are eligible for the state contest. Students will coming from 34 schools in 18 counties to join the event.

Junior and Senior entries from each category will be competing for a spot to represent Indiana at the 2011 Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest which takes place at the University of Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C. In addition to these winners, more than 15 Special Awards will be presented at the State Contest including Outstanding Project on the American Revolution, Outstanding Eastern European History Project and Outstanding Exhibit Design. These prizes range from cash prizes to museum memberships to books and gift packages donated by the sponsoring institutions.

The State Contest will require more than 60 volunteers, many of whom will serve as judges and come from history, education, web design or theater backgrounds to name a few. If you would like to volunteer for the State Contest, please fill out and return an NHDI Volunteer Registration Form.

Documentary and performance entries are open and available to the public. Web site, paper and exhibit entries will have a public viewing during the lunch hour. For more information, see the NHDI State Contest page.

We hope to see you there!

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National History Day Works

Matt Durrett — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:15:00 -0500

"NHD students are better writers, who write with a purpose and real voice, and marshal solid evidence to support their point of view."

"NHD Students outperform their non-NHD peers on state standardized tests, not only in social studies, but in reading, science and math as well."

"NHD students learn 21st century skills. They learn how to collaborate with team members, talk to experts, manage their time and persevere."

These are just some of the findings from the newly published evaluation report on the National History Day program. The study, which took place in four states across urban, suburban and rural demographics, concludes that NHD students are consistently better writers, develop stronger critical thinking skills and are more prepared for college and the real world upon high school graduation.

History Day also motivates students by challenging them to work beyond the traditional setting of textbook and test taking. Today's students are not interested in reading about topics on which they have no choice, in textbooks mandated to their teachers by the school district, written by a corporation which they have never heard or cared about. When learning becomes irrelevant to the student then we've lost their interest and all too often their potential for success. History Day is a way to bring them back. I see it all the time on school visits: "We have a guest speaker today? Aww man, I don't want to do a project." And then they see the pictures of the 1966 Texas Western Basketball exhibit, or the Marie Antoinette exhibit, or the NASA Challenger Explosion exhibit, or the Ryan White documentary, or the 1899 Newsboy Strike performance. That's when the questions change to "Can I do my project on Jackie Robinson? Anne Frank? My Vietnam veteran grandfather?"

NHD follows a project-based learning model shared by many emerging and successful programs today, like Edutopia and New Tech Schools; except History Day has been doing it since the 70s. NHD supersedes social studies and is proven to advance skills and improve grades in reading, math and science. It provides students with a choice on what topic they want to research and what skills they want to develop, be it Web design, film making, theatrical or writing. History Day Works because History Day students learn by doing work that historians actually do, and this study proves that on paper.

Will you help put it into practice?

View the independent evaluation firm Rockman et al's findings here.

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Understanding the 2011 NHD Theme – Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences

Matt Durrett — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:35:00 -0400

At first glance, the 2011 National History Day Theme, Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences, may appear somewhat difficult to wrap one’s head around. The theme is a brand-new addition to an otherwise rotating list of themes, and we are all looking forward to the creative ways students approach this theme. Let’s take a look at how we can use this theme and relate our interests to it.

The obvious topics include debates among legislations and international diplomacy. Some topics off the top of my head could be: United States Constitutional Congress, Battle of Tippecanoe, Indiana Constitutional Convention of 1851, and the Treaty of Versailles.

During my first school visit of the season last week – shout out to IPS School, Sidener Academy – the teacher followed up something I said with a comment of his own that I thought was interesting and a great way to look at it: “think of debate and diplomacy as a controversy – whenever there is a controversy, there is bound to be debate and/or diplomacy.” Thinking about controversies as a starting point, it opens many possibilities: Indiana Canals vs. Railroads, Indiana Eugenics Laws, Eminent Domain: Lake Monroe and Indiana University, and Jim Jones and the Failure of Debate and Diplomacy

There is debate and diplomacy going on all around us – in the media, around the world, between people like you and me. The challenge for History Day students will be to wade through the talking points of all sides of a debate, and to analyze the causes and outcomes of the controversy.

So with all of this in mind, let’s use “Mad Libs” to work on our topic: (debate and/or diplomacy) in (time period/era/year): (successes and/or failures) and (consequences).

Using an example from above: The Building of Lake Monroe in the 1960s: Maintaining a Major University and Displacing Small Towns.

Now, we’re off to a great start with our topic, relating it to the theme, and developing a thesis statement. For more topic ideas, see the 2011 theme sheet or ask to see your National History Day teacher’s theme book and Indiana topics list for sample topics.

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Live from the Dorms at National History Day!

Matt Durrett — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 23:30:00 -0400

It has been a fun and exhausting week at the History Day national contest at the University of Maryland, and there is still plenty more to do!

We had an ice cream social in the dorms, movie night, and have plans for a pizza and sign-making party and a dorm-decorating contest. On Monday, all Juniors presented their projects to judges, and Seniors presented on Tuesday. At least two Indiana Seniors made national finals and will present their projects Wednesday morning. Afterwards we are visiting Sen. Lugar at his office near the Capitol. It is an honor to represent the Indiana students at nationals and we have several high-quality projects this year. I have talked to several proud parents this week and as well they should be!

: Exhibit Hall Public Viewing at Nationals

On display this week at the Stamp Student Union is one of 26 original copies of the Declaration of Independence still in existence, on loan from TV producer and philanthropist Norman Lear. At the opening ceremony on Sunday, Cathy Gorn, executive director of National History Day, asked all participants to go see the document on display and reflect on what it means to each of us personally. As I stood in awe of the document, I considered the opportunities that all of these young people have as a result of the efforts of the people who drafted it. To me, it is opportunities like these for students – getting up close to exceptionally rare documents, private audiences with state senators, and competing at the highest level of a national contest – which truly make this program special.

: Original Copy of the Declaration of Independence at National History Day

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on the rest of our week. The week culminates at the Awards Ceremony on Thursday, which will be broadcast live on The History Channel's Web site. Log on to www.nhd.org Thursday morning for a link, and look for our tweets! The Awards Ceremony will start at 8:30 a.m.

Thanks for reading and go Indiana!

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Indiana History Day Students at the National Contest

Matt Durrett — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:45:00 -0400

Out of the more than 3,300 students who participated in National History Day in Indiana this year, 47 finalists will represent our state at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest June 13 through 17.

Some of these students are returning to nationals for the second or third time, but for most of them, it will be their first time to the national contest or even to Washington, D.C.. There are a lot of events planned, including opening and closing ceremonies, competitions, dorm decorating contests, ice cream socials, teacher workshops, pizza parties, and hopefully visits to meet our state senators at their offices in the nation's capitol.

Wait, dorms? That's right: the contest is held at the University of Maryland in College Park. We like that our program brings students to college campuses around Indiana – they may have come through Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis or St. Mary's College to get to the State Contest at the University of Indianapolis – but the national contest is a solid week of dorm life: non-air-conditioned, size-of-your-cubicle, big-school, bring-your-shower-sandals dorm life. At first mention, parents and teachers let out slight groans under their breath, but we know many of them secretly share the excitement of the students who have yet to experience the lifestyle. Of course, many will choose to stay in nearby hotels or with family; so while those students might not get the full treatment, they will still get a heavy dose of campus life through this large event at the University of Maryland.

Indiana students will meet peers from almost every state and territory in the United States. Guam, American Samoa, Department of Defense Schools in Europe, and even American schools in China will be represented. Every state or territory brings a button featuring their 2010 logo to trade with others in what is easily the best networking strategy I have ever witnessed. Many will trade buttons to meet new people, share their experiences, and maybe develop new friendships with students near and far, while our future economists will boast full sets on the first day of trading.

Look for us later this month for a blog post straight from the University of Maryland dorms, and good luck Indiana students!

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What the Heck is History Day … and What Day Is It?

Matt Durrett — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 15:35:00 -0400

Whenever I am traveling around the state talking with teachers and students about National History Day in Indiana, toward the end of our conversations I am almost always asked, “OK, so what day is it?”

The official answer was always “It’s not just a day, it’s an experience.” The truth is, while that answer is as correct as it is cliché, one cannot accurately explain National History Day in a simple blog post like this one. (It’s actually not just one day, but several competition days, which culminate in a State Contest where finalists represent the state of Indiana at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest in Washington, D.C. every year in June.) But as I thought about what I would say in my first blog post I wondered, “How else could History Day easily be explained?”

Well, in the past two weeks alone I have heard, “If people would just pay attention to things like this, they would not have such a low opinion of our youth!” from a retired teacher turned History Day judge and “I never thought education and school would be, you know … fun” from a middle school student who just showed his documentary to a panel of respected historians and educators. Over the weekend a parent asked, "Why don't more people do this?" adding, "My kids have never been this interested in school until History Day."

If you asked me, I would tell you it is a project-based learning program with a rubric and theme designed to build students’ thesis development, research, teamwork, communication and critical thinking skills. That students practice college-level research without even knowing it, guided by the rules, and that the program can match any Social Studies and Language Arts standard, among many others, in the book. I might suggest becoming a fan on Facebook or following us on Twitter, or, better yet, judging for a competition. I might even cite a study or two which show that students develop research and critical thinking skills, enjoy doing it, and have an increased interest in history and project building as a result of History Day.

Don’t take it from me though; see what Indiana teachers – the real experts – have to say about the program in the new National History Day in Indiana video!

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