What is National History Day Contest?
Every year National History Day (NHD) provides an exciting way for students throughout the country to study and learn about historical issues, ideas, people, and events. NHD was started in 1974 and the first National Contest was held in 1980. For many years, it has been a yearlong national education program that fosters academic achievement and intellectual growth in the youth of this country. NHD also offers curriculum materials and workshops for teachers designed to facilitate excellence in the teaching of history in U.S. Schools.
As students research historical subjects, create entries, and compete in district, state and national contests, they acquire useful historical knowledge and perspective and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that will help them analyze information and make effective decisions in the future professional and personal lives.
How does the National History Day Contest Work?
The NHD program-year begins in the summer, when NHD Coordinators and teachers begin to get curriculum and contest materials for the next school year. Teachers then introduce the program to their students, who, in turn, choose and start researching their topics for local contests in the spring. Each year, National History Day uses a new theme; the 2012 theme is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. The intentional selection of the theme for National History Day is to provide an opportunity for students to push past the antiquated view of history as mere facts and dates and drill down into historical content to develop perspective and understanding by conducting extensive primary and secondary research.
Students may enter in one of five categories: paper, exhibit, performance, documentary or web site; entries in all categories except papers can be by individuals or groups of 2-5 students. Projects are judged on historical quality, relation to theme, clarity of presentation, and rules compliance. Top winners from the Northeast Georgia National History Day may advance to the state-level competition in Macon, Georgia on May 28, 2012. Winners at the state level may advance to the national competition in College Park, Maryland, on June 10-14, 2012.
Information for Teachers
1) The National Archive has provided samples of lessons and original sources. 2) History teachers can apply for the Albert H. Small Student/Teacher Institute in Normandy, to be held June 16-28, 2012.
Application Deadline
Monday, January 23, 2012
$10
Students interested in performing their own historical research. The competition has two divisions. Junior Division includes grades 6-8; Senior Division includes grades 9-12.