Welcome to History Day

2007-2008 Theme is

History Day  (April 11, 2008)

Holy Martyrs Ferrahian High School's History Day program is sponsored by the Social Studies Department in conjunction with National

History Day. History Day is a history-based learning experience for students from 6-12^th grades.  Students learn about issues, ideas people and events in history, and apply what they have learned through creative and original productions.  Students also develop invaluable research and analytical skills as they process the information gathered through intensive research and draw their own conclusions about their topic’s significance in history.

History Day provides students an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned through authentic assessment in student-outcome products, which can easily be integrated into the everyday classroom curriculum. The History Day process challenges students to develop higher-order thinking skills.

Selecting a Topic and Creating a Research Plan

Students begin  work on a History Day entry by choosing a topic. They must make sure that their topic is related to the annual theme and that they can explain its significance in history.  After choosing a topic students develop a research plan. They must form hypotheses and create thesis statements of questions to guide their research.

Researching the History Day Entry

While  researching their History Day entries, students become empowered, engaged, and excited learners. They may conduct oral history interviews with participants in the events they are studying.

Exhibits

Students must have exhibits.

An Exhibit is a visual representation of students’ research and interpretation of their topic’s significance in history, much like a small museum exhibit. The analysis and interpretation of student topics must be clear and evident to the viewer. Labels and captions should be used creatively with visual images and objects to enhance the message of the exhibit.

There should be a 500 word-limit that applies to all text created by the student that appears on or as part of an exhibit entry. This includes the text students write for titles, subtitles, captions, graphs, timelines, media devices, or supplemental materials where they use their own words.

Themes

Students may select a topic on any aspect of local, regional, national, or world history. Regardless of the

topic chosen, student presentation, research, and conclusion must clearly relate to the general theme:

Conflict and Compromise in History.

Topics should be narrowed to focus on an issue that can be explained and interpreted within an exhibit

(poster board).

Each entry must have a title that is clearly visible on the board.

Topics

Exhibits not only describe an event or a development, they also analyze it and place it in its historical context. The following questions must be asked about a topic:

Individual Exhibits

11th & 12th Graders

Group Exhibits

6th-10th Graders

Construction of Exhibits

Students are responsible for the research, design, and creation of their entry. They may receive help and advice from teachers and parents on the mechanical aspects of creating their entry.