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You Watched the Spelling Bee, Now Watch NHD

Matt Durrett — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 01:40:00 -0400

Did anyone else catch the Scripp's Spelling Bee on ESPN last week? My wife and I caught the last half of the final contest, and since we both work with kids of varying ages, we love watching the personalities and "quirks" of the students. I was also impressed that ESPN, the "Worldwide Leader in Sports," was carrying the contest. How cool is it for them to give those students a stage like that? I will also add that I did spell one word right somewhere in the final10. It was pure luck and I went about 1-for-74.

The spelling bee is a classic, but National History Day is a program that is just as exciting and, we would argue, more analytical for students. Indiana's NHD State Contest took place at Marian University on April 27 and we are sending 57 very bright students to the national contest. You can see a list of our medalists heading to D.C. here and a list of special award winners here.

With many of us staying in the University of Maryland dorms, we have a busy schedule next week including two full days of presentations and competition, student parties and dances, congressional visits, opening and closing ceremonies, and a swanky night at the National Museum of American History for NHD attendees only. I have done the math, and it looks like I will have 3.5 hours total to explore 38 museums and monuments this year. Can't wait.

If you want to follow us from home, check out our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @NHDIndiana. You can also watch the awards ceremony on the morning of Thursday, June 13 when it is webcasted by HISTORY (see NHD.org Thursday morning starting at 8:30 a.m.).

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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.

Collaboration Conversation

Becca Beck — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:00:00 -0400

In March, I wrote a blog post about our collaboration with Decatur Middle School and Valley Mills Elementary School on an activity for our upcoming Indiana Bicentennial Train project. I met with this group of bright young people last week and wanted to share their idea.

The team chose a 1907 railroad map from our collection as the basis for a game visitors can play when they visit the Train this fall. Emma Key, one of the 8th graders on the team, said her objective was to make it active. "We wanted something active with competition, and that's when we got the idea for a game," she says.

Using the railroad routes and stops on the map, visitors will engage in a race to travel across the map. Miniature depot icons will mark where players need to stop and answer a question in order to move forward. The questions will focus on the locations with some broader Indiana history to make connections to the academic standards.

The next step is for the team to write a few questions for each depot site and for the IHS team to figure out the best way to fabricate the map so it is large enough and holds up in the elements. We are excited to work with Decatur Township learners and are looking forward to featuring this activity at the Train!

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Becca Beck is the assistant director of education and communication engagement at IHS. She loves making Indiana history fun for students.

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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Let's Put Our Heads Together

Becca Beck — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:45:00 -0500

The Indiana Bicentennial Train will make its debut this fall in northern Indiana. An exhibit on the train will look at pieces of Indiana's 200 years of history while tents outside the train will contain hands-on activities, a first-person interpreter, and a community art space. It will be free to visit, and school groups are encouraged to make a reservation and attend.

While brainstorming activities for the tent, we hit a road block. We knew we wanted to use maps from our library's vast collection but struggled to come up with a way to get young people engaged on site. Our solution was to go straight to the source: collaborate with a school.

Luckily for us, Decatur Township Schools on the southwest side of Indianapolis were already doing project-based learning with their kids. They present learners (students are called learners in this environment) with real-world problems so they can work on solutions that are relevant and usable. Corporate and organizational partners are used as much as possible. Each learner has a netbook and is encouraged to use Twitter to communicate. (Follow them @ApexNTCommunity.)

I met with a small group of bright 6th and 8th graders yesterday and was impressed with their professionalism. I gave them an overview of the train project, a list of suggested maps from our collection and sent them on their way. We regroup in a few weeks to see what ideas they have come up with. I am so excited to work with this group and can't wait to hear their ideas.

Often in our "adult" world, we try to create things we think kids would like. Then, we evaluate our ideas after they have been completed. I challenge my colleagues in the museum world and beyond to think of young people first and get their ideas in the brainstorming phase. Kids are smart – let's treat them that way.

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Becca Beck is the assistant director of education and communication engagement at IHS. She loves making Indiana history fun for students.

Online Games of Today = Secret Societies of the Last Century?

Stacy Klingler — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0500

At a recent In Your Neighborhood meeting, Erin Kelley (our director of Education and Community Engagement) noticed an interesting collection of costumes and props from a secret society on display at the Dearborn County Historical Society. She compared the way people would dress up and take on a role in those secret societies to what today's online gamers do in creating an avatar or virtual character and playing a role within the game.

Her observation really made me think. When I've read about historical secret societies (like The Supreme Tribe of Ben Hur), they've seemed so foreign to me. How strange to imagine grown men dressing in costume or performing rituals. And there is also the darker side of many of these groups which frequently excluded people of color, non-Protestants, and women when they were formed. While it was clear that the appeal of "being a member of the club" was compelling, I just couldn't see the attraction.

But I know lots of people who really enjoy creating avatars and interacting with each other. In the gaming world, you have the chance to be whatever kind of person (or creature, for that matter) you want to be. You can do things you wouldn't normally do in your regular life. And you belong to a community.

Now when I imagine a secret society functioning in the same way, I get it. Erin's comparison suddenly opened up a new way for me to connect to an unfamiliar piece of the past. That is what all good historians, storytellers, docents and teachers do.

I shouldn't have been surprised that Erin might make this kind of observation, because she is often thinking about ties between popular culture and history. We always benefit from stealing some time from other IHS staff members to talk with local history organizations. I can't wait to see how her summer program, which includes public health response to disease outbreaks (like polio), disaster response (like that to the Flood of 1913), zombies, and oral history turns out!

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Stacy Klingler is assistant director of Local History Services at IHS. Along with the other LHS team members, she travels the state assisting local history organizations. She loves her job because it’s never the same thing twice, unless she has to make a U-turn at Main Street.

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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How Small Is Too Small?

Becca Beck — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 14:00:00 -0500

Last week I traveled to Carthage Elementary School in Rush County to present a Civil War program to fourth grade history club students. I have visited this school every year for the past eight years and always find myself looking forward to stopping in the less-than-1,000-people town. The people are friendly and the students are excited and attentive. This year, the club has five members, a slight decline from previous years.

Presenting to a small student audience allows me to answer every question asked, go over something again if one student does not understand and personalize my presentation style. During the activity portion of my program, students are divided into teams and read through excerpts of Hoosier soldiers' Civil War letters. They encounter challenging handwriting and grammar but usually pick up the process after a few hints. The Carthage kids worked together as a group of five and helped each other along the way. It was great to see them get so involved in looking at something from the past.

I left Carthage with a bit of sadness because times are changing. How we do outreach has to be redesigned to increase sustainability. In this tough economic climate, it is harder to justify the time and money it takes to serve small groups. But how do we define "small"? And how does the number of students affect the quality of the program? Does outreach need to involve a staff person driving to each school to present or should we focus on digital options? As we approach Indiana's Bicentennial, we hope to find a balance that will keep kids engaged and not break the bank.

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Becca Beck is the assistant director of education and communication engagement at IHS. She loves making Indiana history fun for students.

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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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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NHD – Perfect for Language Arts Curriculum

Guest Blogger — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 11:00:00 -0400

National History Day is widely and normally seen as a great way to teach history. After all, “History” is its middle name. BUT. It’s even better in the English/Language Arts classroom. Here’s why.

Seven core standards exist at every grade level in the Language Arts curriculum—three reading, three writing, one listening and speaking. When students participate in NHD, they immerse themselves in all seven. Want proof? Take a look:

Reading Researching an NHD topic in depth requires students to read, understand and respond to a variety of writing that meets and exceeds grade-level achievement. One way – certainly not the only way, but one way – to think of researching for NHD is to expect students to read a few books on their topic to gain depth of understanding. Students can start by reading broad and general information on their topic. They may even start far below their grade level reading. Quick, general, foundational information may be achieved by starting either with the lowest level books on the topic (even early elementary picture books) or with encyclopedia entries. Then it’s on to more complex books that increasingly challenge the student by going into greater length, greater depth, greater understanding and greater appreciation.

Consider some aspect of Abraham Lincoln’s life as a topic. Students might start by quickly reading a David Adler, Barbara Cary or Russell Freedman elementary-level work and might finish by reading David Herbert Donald, Harold Holzer, James McPherson or Carl Sandberg.

The same is true for any topic be it the Wright Brothers, the Black Plague or Pearl Harbor. By starting easy and moving toward the most scholarly works written on the topic, the student will grow in every reading standard from vocabulary in context that real writers use in the real world to analyzing differences in authors’ conclusions.

Writing Whether the student chooses performance, documentary, Web site, exhibit or research paper, preparing for NHD requires navigating through every writing standard in the book. NHD students plan, write, edit, revise and finalize their work. Narrative, expository, persuasive and descriptive writing will be part of the journey. Developing a strong thesis statement is central to NHD projects. Standard conventions are required for success. From journaling about their topics to composing a script, from editing for purposes of falling within a maximum word count or time limit to considering mood and emotional appeal, from checking spelling to re-reading for clarity, NHD gives students both purpose and audience to their writing.

Speaking Often the most ignored of the standards because it is not tested, speaking is central to success in NHD and in life. In all categories, students are expected to be able to respond to unanticipated questions from adults (judges) in cogent ways. To do this, they must prepare. Performance and documentary categories require 10-minute scripts that students must rehearse and perform to be of high quality. Presenting the project in a pleasing way and orally defending it upon judges’ examination require two different and valuable speaking skills that build confidence and prepare students for the adult world.

NHD in an English classroom puts positive pressure on students to:

research well
collaborate with others
communicate knowledge
create a learning experience for others
become more expert in a topic
compete like athletes in an academic setting

It accomplishes all this while having fun. Hmm. Depth of learning. Exceeding standards. Success. Fun. These are the reasons why National History Day should find its way into your English classroom.

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Dick Rooker is a retired Language Arts and History Day teacher and parent. He and his wife Nancy continue to actively support History Day in their community by sponsoring students in Warsaw.