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1. Student Introduction to
National History Day
Creating Student Historians
Presented by Your Name from
the Your Organization

2. Why History? Why NHD?
History is the original reality series.
With NHD, you can research real people, living
real lives, having real experiences.

3. What if you could research what
YOU wanted to?
National History Day allows you to explore
endless topic possibilities!!

4. Everything has a history.
Politics, Fashion, Science, Media, Sports, Music...
Social Movements, Technology, War/Peace, Art...

5. Why do National History Day?
“NHD is not about memorizing
dates but more about doing
research and expressing what
you have learned. These skills
are more important after school
in the real world.”
“[History Day] ROCKS! Not
only do I actually pay attention
in history class... I actually
want to learn more!"

6. How does NHD work?
• Work alone or in a group
• Select a topic connected to annual theme
• Complete your own research
• Analyze the significance
of topic in history
• Present your ideas
through a creative
project
• Compete in series
of regional, state, and
national competitions
(optional)

7. 2011 Theme:
Debate & Diplomacy in History:
Success, Consequences, Failures

8. What is debate?
A discussion involving opposing
points; an argument.
Deliberation; consideration
What is diplomacy?
The art or practice of conducting
international relations, as in
negotiating alliances, treaties,
and agreements.
Tact and skill in dealing with people.

9. Topic Brainstorm
What topics can you think of related to
Debate and Diplomacy?
• Actual debates?
• Debates over issues or ideas?
• Social movements?
• Foreign relations?
• Military history?
• Politics or government?

10. Is your topic too new?
Avoid current event topics...
Contemporary debates over immigration
to the United States.

11. ...but delve into a part of the history.
1924 Immigration Quota and the American Debate of Who is
American

12. Is your topic too broad?
Narrow in by time period, people affected,
event, or geographic area...
The entire history of the United Nations

13. ....and look at something specific
related to the broad topic.
A New Path to Diplomacy: The Forming of the United Nations

14. Find a topic that's just right!
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the Debate over Slavery
The best NHD topics will fit the theme, be narrow in scope,
have available research, and be INTERESTING for you to
study.

15. The NHD Process
Research Analyze Present
The Three Hats of
the Historian

16. Getting Started
• Once you pick a topic, you need to find information
• The research process can be:
o Exciting
o Confusing
o Mysterious
o Frusterating
o All of the above!
• Where do you look?
• What can you find?
• How do you find it?

17. Imagine: You are the Topic!
It is 2010, a historian is going to write a
biography about your life. Write down
anything the historian could use to find
information about you! What sources could
the historian use?

18. Imagine: You are the Topic!
It is 2010, a historian is going to write a
biography about your life. Write down
anything the historian could use to find
information about you! What sources could
the historian use?
• Yearbooks
• Newspaper
articles
• Birth Certificate
• Interviews
• Report Cards
• Diary
• Journal
• Photographs
• Videos
• Sound recordings
• Letters/e-mails

19. Imagine: You are the Historian!
Imagine you're researching Susan B.
Anthony. What types of information might
you find about her?

20. Imagine: You are the Historian!
All these sources fall into two big categories of information:
primary or secondary sources.
Imagine you're researching Susan B.
Anthony. What types of information might
you find about her?
• Letters
• Books
• Web pages
• Diary
• Newspaper
Articles
• Magazine
• Photographs
• Biographies
• Auto-biography
• TV documentary
• Oral histories
• Journal

21. Primary vs. Secondary Sources
Secondary Sources
Created after the fact and analyzes
primary sources to create a historical
narrative.
Primary Sources
Created at the time of the event or by
someone who witnessed the event.

22. Where can you find information?
• Visit a library: School, public, university or
college
• Look in an archives (online or in real life)
• Conduct an interview with an expert or
participant
• Look on the Internet (and evaluate each
source you find)
• Visit a historical society or museum

23. Search Smarter
Create a web of search terms

24. What do you do with all this
information?
• Read it
• Analyze and think
about it
• Make an argument
(your thesis)

25. Primary source to analyze with
students. Use different sources
for different grade levels or
different audiences

27. Research Questions
Begin by thinking of research questions:
• A question to guide your research and define your
topic.
Sample Questions
• How did the television debate between Nixon and
Kennedy change political campaigns in the United
State?
• What are were the long term consequences of the
3/5 compromise at the 1787 Constitutional
Convention?

28. What is a thesis statement?
A Thesis Statement is one sentence that:
o States the writer’s main idea;
o Forms the backbone of the project;
o Ties all your project information
together

29. The Thesis Statement
Key Facts  Theme Relation Importance in history

30. Evaluating Your Thesis
Thesis 1: The debate over slavery during the
1787 Constitutional Convention was a failure.

31. Thesis 1: The debate over slavery during the 1787
Constitutional Convention was a failure.
Thesis 2: During the 1787 Constitutional
Convention, the debate over slavery had
consequences that led to years of further
debate in the new nation.
Evaluating Your Thesis

32. Thesis 1: The debate over slavery during the 1787
Constitutional Convention was a failure.
Thesis 2: During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the
debate over slavery had consequences that led to years of
further debate in the new nation.
Thesis 3: The slavery debate during the 1787
Constitutional Convention ended in a
compromise that had significant consequences
in politics and policies from that time through the
Civil War.
Evaluating Your Thesis

33. How do you tell the world?
• Paper (Individual Only)
• Performance
• Documentary
• Exhibit
• Web Site

34. Paper
• 1500-2500 word essay about historical topic
• Includes cover page, annotated bibliography,
sometimes illustrations or images
• Include YOUR conclusion
• Great category for
aspiring writers
• Individuals only -
no group entries

35. Performance
• Up to 10-minute original
performance
• Uses sets, props, music,
costumes, blocking….
• Includes process paper and
annotated bibliography
• Great category for any type
of performer: Singers,
dancers, actors...

36. Documentary
• Up to 10-minute media
presentation
• Similar to something you’d
see on the History Channel
• Includes process paper and
annotated bibliography
• Best for topics with available
media, images or interviews

37. Exhibit
• Similar to a Science
Fair project
• Up to 6-feet tall
• Uses text, images,
interactives, objects,
and graphics to make
an argument
• 500 student-composed
words maximum

38. Exhibit: A Closer Look

39. Web Site
• Web-based project
• Uses images, text, graphics,
video, sound
• 1200 visible student
composed words
• 100MB of file space
• Created ONLY with
NHD Web Editor
• Available free online

40. NHD Competitions
• At a competition you will:
o Share your project
o Be interviewed by judges
o Get feedback on your work
• You can advance between levels:
o School Event
o State Event
o National Contest

41. Judging and Evaluation
The same criteria are used at all levels of
NHD competitions:
• 60% Historical Quality: Accuracy, analysis,
interpretation, historical context, and the quality of
research.
• 20% Connection to Theme: Have you connected the
topic to the theme in the project itself?
• 20% Clarity of Presentation: How clearly have you used
the project to convey your argument and evidence?
Includes spelling, organization, etc.
• Rules Compliance: Have you violated any major rules
for the category or NHD?

42. School History Day
Pictures and information about
school level events

43. Beyond School
• State
• National

44. Due Dates
• Major milestones for your state/school
program.

45. Sample Projects
• Example Paper (Internet required)
• Example Performance 1 (Internet, flash required)
• Example Documentary 1 (Internet, flash required)
Example Documentary 2 (Internet, YouTube)
• Example Website (Internet required)

46. Questions?
Find NHD on the web:
• www.nhd.org
• statewebsite
Talk to:
• Your teacher
• Your librarian
• Me!
o Email
o Phone Number