Are you interested in an Aeronautics topic?

The Delaware Historical Society is partnering with the Air Mobility Command Museum (Dover Air Force Base) to bring you a great program! There will be representatives there from Bellanca Air Field, New Castle Army Air Base, Dover Air Force Base and ILC inc (the maker of the spacesuit). They will be talking about how each institution influenced travel and transportation of materials. This would be a great event to take notes, get new information, and to find some new sources for your project!

The program will be on Sunday, October 21st at 2pm. It is completely free to attend. You can RSVP at 302-295-2388 or at kpeterson@dehistory.org. I hope to see you there!

Air Mobility Command Museum

1301 Heritage Road

Dover Air Force Base, DE 19902

 

Just a reminder about Registration…

It’s hard to believe that it’s May already! The national contest is just around the corner!  Which means I want to remind everyone of the registration deadline, MAY 15.  Students and teachers must complete their registration, including payment, by midnight on Tuesday, May 15.  Students in the PAPER category must also have all materials in our office by this time.  As this is also the lock-out date for web sites, students in the WEB SITE category must have their sites completed and published before then.

If you have any questions about registration, please contact Ellen Rendle (erendle@dehistory.org) or Kathryne Peterson (kpeterson@dehistory.org).

Questions about the 2011 Theme

Yesterday, the team members of the National History Day program answered some questions related to the 2011 theme. Here are the questions and their answers!

Is there a minimal number of years the topic must be? 10 years old? 20 years old?
It depends on the topic, but the general rule of thumb is that a generation must have passed, or 25 years.

Is it okay for a student to focus on a person involved in a major revolution and reform?  Two years ago, students were encouraged NOT to focus on the innovator for the innovation theme.
The person who is a leader can be part of the research but the research should not have the person as the focal point. This year’s theme is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. The research should be on the event.

Would the discovery of the antibiotic penicillin fit in this theme?
Penicillin would be a good topic. Make sure you build the context of why the discovery of penicillin was discovered at this particular time and place in history. What was going on socially, politically, economically…? Think about how you will connect it to the theme.  Are you looking at the discovery of penicillin as a revolution, or a reaction or a reform?  Did it have an immediate impact and promote long term change?  

Is the theme on U.S. history or can it be world history?
Yes, you may certainly choose a world history topic. National History Day is about local, state, national and world history topics.

Can website projects add video clips?
Yes, web site entries can have video clips. Please review the NHD Rule Book, pages 19-21.
*During this discussion, we are focusing on the 2012 theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. Please refrain from asking unrelated questions at this time.*

Does the project have to be about a war or any other revolution, for example, the video game revolution?
Revolution does not mean just war- think about the food revolution, the fashion revolution, an economic revolution… Please encourage your students to look at all types of revolution.  A great research project always explores impact and change.  When we look at the video game revolution it is really too soon to see what long term change will occur because of video games.  A great research project has many secondary sources to support the primary sources. Historians have not written enough secondary resources on video games to make it a viable research topic yet.

I’d like to know if a battle, such as one of the many in the Civil War, could be counted as a topic. I have had some students ask me. I could see that the Civil War would be a revolution, although of course too big a topic, but what about the Battle of Gettysburg, etc.?
A battle is not a good topic for this theme unless new military tactics were used to reform the way war was fought. The Battle of Gettysburg would be a great one for next year’s theme; Turning Points in History.

It says on the “Theme Sheet,” that a project does not need to cover all three words of the theme equally. Is a project that mainly addresses “Revolution” and “Reaction” stronger than a project that mostly covers “Reaction” and “Reform?”
No word is weighted. The key to matching the topic to the theme is the articulation by the student. Make sure students are able to state why the research project fits the theme and provide the evidence.

What is the difference between a “revolution” and simply, a big change? Can something be a “revolution” if it is simply something new? Thus, is an innovation or invention a revolution?
Think about long term change. How many people did it impact and how significant was the change?

Can the “Revolution” be a “Reaction?”  ie. A revolution occurred as a reaction to…
Yes. Almost every Revolution begins with a reaction.

If something is “revolutionary,” such as an invention, does that make it inherently, a “revolution?”
Yes, an invention can be revolutionary. The key here is what is the long term impact and how did the invention change the course of history?

Should projects address all three parts of the theme?
No. Certain topics will lend themselves well to addressing all parts and others will be directly related to one word in the theme.  The judges will be listening for the how well the student(s) articulates why the research topic fits the theme.

What about the change in the US public educational system from being only for the wealthy or lucky to being available to all? What about smaller, more specific topics related to teaching, such as the change in language education from audio-lingual to content-based?
You will need to narrow the topic and think of a time that there was a revolution in education. For example, Title IX or when girls were allowed to enter higher education… is this a revolution or reform?  Why did the change take place at a certain time in history?

I have a student interest in the broad topic of Animal Rights. I am not sure if there is a sub-topic that fits the theme. I am wondering if I should re-direct to a different topic?
That is a very broad topic. The student should consider what aspect of, or event involving animal rights would be revolutionary, a reaction, or cause reform? What about the history of PETA or the humane society, as a reaction to animal cruelty.

I have a student interested in rocketry as a general topic. Would perhaps the space race or the invention of rocketry fit within the theme?
Perhaps the student could focus on some aspect of a reaction to an event in space history. For example, the U.S. reaction to the Soviet launch of Sputnik or safety reforms of the Space Shuttle program in the aftermath of the Challenger disaster.

What are your suggestions for a student that is interested in a topic with a pro-life theme?
If the student is interested and wants to be informed about the topic, and can find a strong connection with the theme, then it is a good topic for that student. My suggestion would be to thoroughly research both sides. The student should understand that National History Day is not a forum to convert peers, teachers and judges to one way of thinking about topics, but a rigorous research program.

 
As we work with students’ thesis statements, would you say that a topic is more effective if there is a direct link between the revolution, or reason for revolution, and the reform?  For example, the revolutionary group accomplishing what it set out to change would be stronger than the indirect outcomes?
Students are not required to address revolution, reaction AND reform. If they choose to do so, direct outcomes are certainly relevant to a topic about revolution, but indirect outcomes may be relevant as well and may provide additional context and address the significance and impact of the overall topic.

I have a student that is presently working with a person that has done several major reforms. Any suggestions on whether they should cover all the reforms or just one of them? If one reform, what ideas do you have to help them figure out the best one?
Yes, focus on one reform. I would ask the student which reform he/she is interested in?  Then have the student begin to think about how the reform fits with the theme.  How will the reform answer the questions about immediate impact and long term change? And I would check to make sure there are enough secondary sources on the specific reform to justify a full historical research project.

We want to focus on a project with the theme of special education. Would this be revolution, reaction, or reform?
The reform was likely caused by a reaction, but it depends on what your specific topic is and how you approach it.

Let’s say a student’s topic only addresses 2 aspects- i.e. Reaction and reform. How would you suggest they craft their Thesis statement? Would they then need to address in their process paper why the focus covered only 2 aspects?
Students are only required to address one part of the theme: revolution, reaction or reform. Some projects can be linked to more than one. Some cannot – and that’s fine. For the thesis statement, it is best to clearly state what the student is studying and how it links to the theme. “The 1960 sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina were an important reaction to civil injustice because they were organized at grassroots level, were non-violent, and gained national attention.”

In general, many students have a broad idea of topics. How do you advise helping narrow down and focus topics and supporting them to direct towards the theme?
I would have lots of time to discuss with the students what each word in the theme means.  Can a revolution be political? Can it be economic? Can it be cultural?  What are some examples of each? Have the students go on a hunt and make a list of all the possible topics they can find in the textbook under each word.  Use the sample topic list and the theme book. Assign five different topics to three students each class period.  The students need to reseach the topic on the internet just to say two or three words how it fits into the theme.  Have fun with topics!

Would the impact of Steve Jobs fit in this theme?  He was a man who revolutionized technology and he just passed away.  Would he also be considered as history?  
This question provides the opportunity to encourage topics that are not recent. Fifty years from now, a student might consider Steve Jobs as a topic for NHD.  For now, his contributions are too recent to allow historical perspective. It is difficult to step back in order to see the significance of the topic or the impact over time.  In general, good topics for NHD are those that are complete and 25 or more years old.
 
My topic is based on a person who has done many things in his lifetime. When I do my project do you have any suggestions on wether presenting all the things he has done or just touch on one thing and try to make it bigger and bolder than the other things he has done?
It is best to relate your project to the theme as closely as you can. So if your subject did many things, but they all fit one part of the theme, you can cover his or her entire life if you want to. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was best known for his Civil Rights work. So you could talk about Dr. King’s life as a reaction to the injustice he encountered in American society. Or, if you are researching someone like Benjamin Franklin, you might choose to focus on one aspect of his life (if you want to!). Franklin was an inventor, a diplomat, a scientist, and a philosopher, among other things. You could just focus on how Franklin’s scientific research produced revolutionary changes in society, or perhaps how Poor Richard’s Almanac was a reaction to American life.

Don’t miss out on this opporunity!!

Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom
The Albert H. Small Student/Teacher Institute
June 16-28, 2012

Summer Institute 2012

National History Day announces an exciting and unique summer institute for teachers and students. In June 2012, fifteen student/teacher teams will engage in a rigorous study of D-Day and World War II. Students and teachers will be immersed in lectures presented by leading World War II historians, participate in a scholarly study of the war memorials in the D.C. area and walk in the footsteps of history on the beaches of Normandy. Students will study about and make presentations on various aspects of the Normandy Campaign. The last day in Normandy will be a day of remembrance. The students will lay a wreath at the American Cemetery and present eulogies based on individual pre-institute research of a soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Institute participants will read eight books in the spring in addition to conducting a historical study of a soldier buried at the American Cemetery in Normandy.  Students and teachers should be prepared for at least ten hours of work per week in preparation for the summer institute.

Application Process for Teams of Albert H. Small Scholars

The teachers will be selected by the National History Day committee based on the following criteria:

• Teacher’s resume including full name, work title and institution; the applicant’s home and work addresses and phone numbers; and a work and home e-mail address.
• An essay explaining the applicants’ interest in the institute, stating the applicants’ philosophy of teaching, including how students are engaged in historical research in the classroom now and confirming the applicants’ willingness to make the two required presentations and other school based assignments. The presentations can be school-based, state or national.
• A letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor that attests to employment status in 2012-2013 and agrees to the applicant’s making two presentations at workshops or conferences and participate in National History Day beginning in the fall 2012.
• Student and teacher medical releases.
• A letter of introduction by the teacher of the selected student – who the student is academically and why this particular student was chosen to be the team member.

Students will be selected by the teacher.

Suggested process for selecting students:

• Inform the students about the Normandy Institute (sophomores or juniors only)
• Require a written essay from interested students about why they would be a good candidate and their dedication to the process.
• Form a small selection committee of colleagues
• Create a rubric of criteria for selection (grade point average, evidence of responsibility, dedication to learning opportunities..)
• Select the student

Expenses
Travel, room and board will be covered by the institute.

• The institute covers room and board (double occupancy) during the institute, field trips, international flights, books and materials. Teachers will room with other teachers/ students will room with students.
• Professional readings.

Participants will:

• Pay for the airline tickets and transportation costs to and from the University of Maryland
• And any other costs incurred for travel, e.g. passports, travel insurance…

Because of the physicality of the institute all participants must be able to stand for 45 minutes and walk for at least two miles. In addition, the complexity of the institute’s logistics does not allow for families to accompany the selected participants.

Deadline for Applications:

http://www.nhd.org/normandyinstitute.htm

Complete applications for the 2012 Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom must be received no later than December 1, 2011.  Please submit the applications electronically to Ann Claunch, ann@nhd.org or on-line below.

• Applicants selected for the 2012 institute will be notified by e-mail no later than January 15, 2012. Questions may be directed to Ann Claunch, ann@nhd.org.

Delaware History Day Date is Set!

Students, Teachers, & Parents!

The date for the 2012 Delaware History Day contest has been set! Mark your calendars and get ready for April 21, 2012. We can’t wait to see you all there. We know this year is going to be a great one!

-Kathryne

What is National History Day?

Article taken from the National History Day 2012 Theme Book

National History Day (NHD) is an opportunity for teachers and students to engage in real historical research. National History Day is not a predetermined by-the book program but an innovative curriculum framework in which students learn history by selecting topics of interest and launching into a year-long research project. The purpose of National History Day is to improve the teachign and learning of history in middle and high schools. NHD is a meaningful way for students to study historical issues, ideas, people and events by engaging in historical research. When studying history through historical research, students and teachers practice critical inquiry: asking question of significance, time and place. Through careful questioning, history students are immersed in a dective story too engaging  to stop reading.

Beginning in the fall, students choose a topic related to the annual theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research. After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, students then present their work in original papers, exhibits, performances, websites and documentaries. These projects are entered into competitions in the spring at local, state and national levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators. The program culminates with the nationalcompetition held each June at the University of Maryland at College Park.

Each year National History Day uses a theme to provide a lens through which students can examine history. The theme for 2012 is Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. These annual themes frame the research for both students and teachers. The theme is intentionally broad enough that students can select topics from any place (local, national or world) and any time period in history. Once students choose their topics, they investigate historical context,historical significance, and the topic’s relationship to the theme by conducting research inlibraries, archives and museums; through oral history interviews; and by visiting historic sites.

NHD benefits both teachers and students. For the student, NHD allows control of his or her own learning. Students select topics that meet their interests. Program expectations and guidelines are explicitly provided for students, but the research journey is created by the process and is unique to the historical research. Throughout the year students learn about their heritage and develop essential life skills by fostering academic achievement and intellectual curiosity. In addition, students develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that will help them manage and use information now and in the future.

The student’s greatest ally in the research process is the classroom teacher. NHD supports teachers by providing instructional materials and through workshops at the state and national levels. Many teachers find that incorporating the NHD theme into their regular classroom curriculum encourages students to watch for examples of the theme and to identify connections in their study of history across time.

History Day breathes life into the traditional history curriculum by engaging students and teachers in a hands-on and in-depth approach to studying the past. By focusing on a theme, students are introduced to a new organizational structure of learning history. Teachers are supported in introducing highly complex research strategies to students. When NHD is implemented in the classroom, students are involved in a life changing learning experience.

The debate about American education continues to focus on what is wrong with our schools—on poor student achievement and reports of ineffective teachers—but where in the discussion is the demand for evidence about programs that are working?

National History Day is one of these programs. It is fostering outstanding achievement for students in all subject areas, not just history. It is shaping students into well-rounded, collaborative, independently motivated leaders who are prepared to lead. And it is doing it now, in 50 states around the country and beyond.

In the ongoing rhetoric and quest for education reform, the focus on global competitiveness lies at the heart of the debate. But the crucial role of the social sciences in American education has been marginalized. Subjects like English, history, civics and the arts play a central part in developing a well-rounded understanding of our contemporary global community—and the study of these topics develops the imperative 21st century skills that lie at the heart of individual future success and an American workforce equipped to compete in the global marketplace.

Without history, without civics education, American students will not be prepared to build upon the foundations of the past to continue to strengthen the democracy and economy of the future. Without the college- and career-ready skills of collaboration, research, writing and entrepreneurial thinking that come from the study of history and civics, students will not be prepared to handle impending—and complicated — global challenges.

The need to demonstrate the evidence-based, wide-ranging effectiveness of innovative, successful modes of teaching history is at a pivotal point. According to the most recent federal study of American students’ academic ability in civics, the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the “nation’s report card,” revealed that only 27 percent of fourth-graders, 22 percent of eighth-graders and 24 percent of twelfth-graders scored proficient or higher in civics – meaning that millions of young Americans will be unprepared to be the informed and engaged citizens a healthy democracy requires. (The Nation’ Report Card Civics 2010)

Against this backdrop, the National History Day history education organization identified the need for an evaluation of the program to prove its effectiveness and validate what its leaders have known anecdotally for years: The historical-research training, skills and experience of the program transform young people into scholars. And further, the innovative instruction from National History Day is linked to academic success and skills development across ALL subjects, not just history. It is not a program only for students who are gifted academically, but for all students — and all teachers.

As we look toward the future, creating the educators and system that will carry the next generation further into the new millennium, we cannot afford to leave history education behind. The following section is the key findings of the study that highlights the power of National History Day for every classroom!

KEY FINDINGS

NHD students outperform their non-NHD peers on state standardized tests in multiple subjects, including reading, science and math, as well as social studies.

For example, in Texas, NHD students outperformed their non-NHD peers on TAKS tests in reading, science, math, and social studies. During four years of performance (2006- 2010), NHD students scored more than twice as well on TAKS tests as non-NHD students. An average of nearly two thirds of NHD students had commended performance each year, compared to an average of 19 percent of non- NHD students (see Chart A).

In 2008–2009, 87 percent of the NHD students achieved commended performance on the social studies assessment, compared with 37 percent of the comparison-group students; in 2009–2010, 73 percent of the NHD students received the highest rating, vs. 53 percent of the comparison group students (see Chart B).

NHD students in South Carolina outperformed their non-NHD peers on English and history assessments.

In the South Carolina school where students continued NHD participation from 8th grade to 9th grade and beyond, NHD high school students led their school district with a 61 percent passing rate in English 1 — 9 percentage points above a comparison site (see Chart C).

On the 2008-2009 South Carolina U.S. History and the Constitution end-of-course test, the NHD high school led the district with a 52 percent passing rate — 26 percentage points above the other (non- NHD) high school in the district, 14 points above the district rate, and 9 points above the state rate (see Chart D).

NHD students are better writers—they write with a purpose and real voice, and they marshal solid evidence to support their points of view. NHD students had more exemplary writing scores and fewer low scores than comparison students.

Overall, NHD students outscored comparison-group students on both pre- and post-writing assessments, receiving more exemplary scores (5s or 6s) on a 6-point scale (see Chart E).

NHD has a positive impact among students whose interests in academic subjects may wane in high school.

• Among Black and Hispanic students, NHD students outperform non-NHD students, posting higher performance assessment scores and levels of interest and skills.

• Compared with non-NHD boys and with all girls, boys participating in NHD reported significantly higher levels of interest in history, civic engagement, and confidence in research skills, on both preand post-surveys.

NHD students learn 21st century college- and career-ready skills. They learn to collaborate with team members, talk to experts, manage their time and persevere.

When asked about their confidence in a variety of career- and collegeready skills, NHD students have an edge over their peers. NHD students consistently express more confidence than students who do not participate in NHD, in research skills, public speaking, the ability to organize a report, knowledge of current events, work habits, evaluating sources, and writing skills (see Chart F).

NHD students are critical thinkers who can digest, analyze and synthesize information.

• Performance assessments show that NHD students were 18 percentage points better overall than their peers at interpreting historical information — an average of 79 percent correct vs. 61 percent correct.

For more information on National History Day please visit:

http://delawarehistoryday.org/default.aspx 

www.nationalhistoryday.org 

Or to see video highlights of the program, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/user/nationalhistory?feature=mhee#p/a/u/0/z91Ial4-D2A

NHD Merchandise!

It’s not too late to get your Delaware NHD merchandise. Visit our Cafepress store where you can pick up t-shirts, sweat shirts, bady & children clothes, things for you home and office and much, much more! Everything has the new Delaware NHD logo on it! Feel free to check it out and send us any feedback you have (including requests).

http://www.cafepress.com/nhdde

-Kathryne

Day 5–Medals, T-shirts, and Marching

 So here we are! The big show! It’s a brilliant parade of different color t-shirts, flags, signs, blow-up cactus, and smiling faces. It’s the National History Day Award Ceremony.

Every year the competition ends with one big ceremony in which finalist from every state dawn their state’s t-shirts (ours was white with blue lettering this year). It was an early morning (starting at 8:30 to be exact), with all the finalists marching around the field house to loud marching music being pumped out of the speakers. You could see representatives from every state in this parade. Some states like Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Guam only have a few representatives marching but other states like Texas, Minnesota, and Washington bring dozens of students to the competition. With that said though, when all the States got together (but not quite merge) it was just one big crowd excited and yelling on be hath of history. What a sight!

After Kathy, the director of the National History Day program, came to the podium and got all the students back to their seats, the ceremony began. It began with different people that are important to the program being introduced and some of which, gave speeches. Of course, all the students are sitting on the edge of their seats this whole time. They, of course, wanted the medal ceremony to begin.

After, all the introductions were done and speeches were given, Kathy began to announce the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place Junior and Senior winners in each category. Occasionally, Kathy switched to announce special prize for different subjects. Along with the medals and special prizes each state also received an outstanding finalist in the Junior and Senior categories. This year Delaware’s Junior outstanding finalist was Ben and Delaware’s Senior outstanding finalist was Camille. All the representatives from Delaware (students, parents, and siblings) gave both Ben and Camille a huge round of applause (once they were allowed). Congratulation Ben and Camille! Now back to the medals and special prizes!

Unfortunately, Delaware’s finalist did not get called up for any 3rd, 2nd, or 1st place medals but I am proud to announce that Sarah received a NHD special prize in the category of World War II history. Sarah did a Senior exhibit on the Women’s Corps during World War II. Once again, the Delaware representative were on their feet applauding as Sarah and her mom ran down to the field to receive her medal and special prize information.

Sarah’s was one of the last awards given that day and by 11:30 all the winners had been announced. Students and their parents, teachers, and coordinators began to file out of the field house to pack their things and begin their long (or short) journeys home.

Although Delaware did not go home with any medals in the categories there was a great sense of pride and accomplishment that resonated through all the contestants. They all knew that they had worked hard and did their best in their school, state, and national competitions. Even if they did not win a medal they knew they were competing against the best in the country. Not placing in a competition that includes over 4,000 of the country’s best could never be seen as a failure, but rather it speaks to the students accomplishments. To make it this far, with this amount of pride is something to be honored and respected.

I’m proud of all the student finalists that represented Delaware. They turned in excellent exhibits, documentaries and papers, they performed with great knowledge and passion, and they showed the world how technologically savvy they could be. Every day these students teach us that history is not just residing in the past and strictly for the aging, but rather it is for today and tomorrow and definitely for the young and the young at heart.

For now, Ellen and I will reflect on the contest, at the school, state and national levels and talk about things that could be improved and what we are already so proud to present. In a couple of months, the new school year will begin again and with it a whole new set of students that will research, write, cut, glue, code, and practice their entries for the nationals and we, the coordinators, the teachers, and the parents will be proud of them and behind them 100%. I can’t wait to see what this new year brings!

Signing Off,

-Kathryne

Day 3–Here Come the Seniors!

We are now three days into the big contest and I can tell you that the energy here can only be described as electrifying. There are a lot more students on the campus now. Many of the senior finalist just arrived today (including most of the Delaware Senior finalist). Day 3 of NHD is a lot like day 2. Senior finalists come out of the woodwork to present their papers, documentaries, performances, websites, and exhibits. Delaware had Senior finalist presenting in all five categories this year. Again, like the Junior finalist, our Seniors were spread all over the University of Maryland’s campus and while it was hard to get to all of them (especially because many of them were presenting at the same time) I was able to see quite a few students!

A Senior finalist’s perspective on NHD is a little different then the Junior finalists. This has something to do with an important part of NHD that I neglected to mention in yesterday’s post. Every state in the competition comes with a state button, some states have two, three, four or more designs! There are small ones and large ones, and even buttons with fur attached to them (Alaska). But the point I’m trying to make here is that these buttons are the hot thing here at NHD, especially with the Junior finalists. From the moment the Junior finalists arrive you can see them walking up to anyone around them to ask where they are from and if they want to trade buttons (I have to admit I’ve caught button fever as well, and I am very close to capturing all 50 states’ buttons this year!). The Senior finalists, on the other hand, are far less worried about buttons. Occasionally you’ll see Senior finalists with a collection and looking for those to trade with, but much more often they seem to be stoic and preparing for their presentation. That is, of course, until their judging time is over and they feel like they can let their hair down and relax (and maybe even trade a few buttons).

For a better idea of what this competition is like, I caught up with a few Senior finalists and asked them questions about their experiences.

The first Senior I ran into was Jordyn B. She was getting ready to present her website to the judges. I asked her about how she felt going into the competition and she simply replied, “Is there a stronger word then freaking out?” We both laughed but she did tell me that her favorite part of NHD was the Award Ceremony and of course, the buttons.

Kayla S. was the next Senior on the scene (it seems a large group of Delaware Senior finalist had decided to meet at the Stamp Student Center, the heart of the NHD competition). Kayla was presenting a paper today and I asked her how she felt her chances were in the competition. She told me, “Good I guess, I haven’t really thought about it. I read over my paper on the way over here to refresh myself.” When I asked Kayla what she thought the best part of NHD was, her eyes lit up and she said, “It’s the experience, you get college experience and it helps prepare you for college…”

After talking to Jordyn and Kayla for a little while longer I jetted off to a building across campus where Brandi B. and Tiara W. were giving their performance. I got there just in time to see the start of it. The girls were powerful and confident in their lines. After the performance I asked them how they thought it went. They both thought it went well and their performance was a lot stronger then the one they gave in the State competition. I asked them what their goal was for the competition, and with a smile, Brandi said, “To make it to the 2nd round.” Leaving the girls, I definitely felt they had a good chance to reaching that goal.

Next up was Sarah B. who was presenting an exhibit. I asked Sarah how she felt about being judged at Nationals and she replied, “I’m less nervous then I was for states because I did it before at the state contest. They can’t ask too different of questions.” She added that being at Nationals can be “overwhelming,” but as she walked into the exhibit hall she was all smiles.

The next set of Senior finalists I ran into were Avery W., Julianne L., and Monica D. All three girls were being judged at a later time but rode up together to enjoy the team spirit. As we stood around talking I asked Avery what she liked about NHD. She told me, “It’s the experience, seeing and experiencing everyone from different states, seeing different cultures and meeting everyone.” I asked Julianne if she was nervous at all and she said, “No, I think you just have to act confident in your answers. We know a lot about the topic and researched it a lot, so I think we are prepared.” Finally, I asked Monica if she would do NHD again. She thought about it for a moment before telling me, “It was a lot of work but I think I would do it again. It was hard balancing all my time…it takes a lot of time but I really loved learning about my topic.”

As Avery, Julianne, Monica and I were talking; they soon realized that they could take me to more Delaware Senior finalists. Victoria B. and Catherine H. were waiting for the girls downstairs in the food court area of the Stamp. I followed the girls down the stairs and we soon joined their families and the other two girls. After a quick introduction I asked Victoria and Catherine about what they thought the best part of NHD was and Victoria said, “Just the experience itself. This is our first time at State or Nationals.” Catherine quickly added, “We learned so much from one little project, especially time management.”

Speaking of time management, I was running late! I wished all the girls good luck and ran off to meet my final Seniors for the day. Kerianna F. and Camille F., now these are old pros! They both have been doing Delaware History Day and National History Day performances for a number of years. They both go to the same school, are in the same category and still both root for each other. Kerianna’s performance had been in the beginning of the day, which I unfortunately had missed, but she was here to support her friend Camille. Before going into Camille’s performance, I asked Kerianna how her performance went, she answered, “It went really well, I liked my judges and they asked me really good questions.” I asked her what her favorite part of doing performances in NHD is and she said, “It was just getting the experience of looking into other people’s lives and telling their stories.”

Before I could ask any other questions it was Camille’s time to go on. We all filed into the room and watched Camille set up her props. Camille seemed cool and confident as she waited for the judges to giver her, her cue to start. Soon after she started everyone in the room was transfixed by her characters and narratives. The judges really seemed to connect with Camille and her topic. After her performance I asked Camille how she thought it went, with a smile she said, “It went well, the judges smiled at me and asked lots of questions.”

Well that was the end of my day visiting Senior finalists. Unfortunately, I did not get to see Joshua J., Michael R., Lacey W., Ronald L., Mary Kate G., Merissa C., Nathaniel C., Spencer S., Danielle W., Megan L., Skyler S., Bethany G., or Abhishek R. Most of these students were in groups so I really only missed 5 presentations, but I do hope all of their judgings went well!

After all the Senior finalists were done, and a lot of our Delaware Seniors went back to Delaware, the NHD day was still not over! The Junior finalists in performances and documentaries which had been ranked first or second in their judging groups had to perform one more time for run off judges! Tonight went well into the 9 o’clock hour for some! For others their big hour came around 7pm when the Senior run off performances and documentaries were announced. Unfortunately, Delaware did not have any Junior performances or documentaries go to the run offs, but I am happy to announce that our very own Camille F. will be performing in the run offs tomorrow morning! Ellen and I couldn’t be more proud of her, and we are really looking forward to seeing her again tomorrow!

Well that’s it from me for tonight. I know this was a very long blog, but I wanted to give everyone equal time, they definitely deserved it! As always, if you have anything you would like to know about NHD, please just leave your questions in the comments below and I will answer them this week! Look for more updates tomorrow on Day 4, the Senior run off and our trip to the Smithsonian!

-Kathryne

Day 2–The Juniors’ Time to Shine!

It’s Day 2 at National History Day and the University of Maryland’s campus is filled with students from every state in our country and even ones from Washington D.C., Guam, American Samoa, the Department of Defense Schools of Europe, and International Schools of East Asia. There are so many students here! Over 5,000, the biggest turn out in NHD history! Competition and judging in taking place all over the University of Maryland Campus and getting from one student to another student is not always the easiest task! In some cases Delaware students might be spread from one end of campus to another, but I still managed to see most of them!

Today was all about the Juniors (students in grades 6-8). All Juniors competed in their first round today. Those who placed first or second in their judging group will move on to finals which will be judged tomorrow night. Delaware had Juniors competing in almost every category (papers, documentaries, exhibits and websites, we did not have any Juniors in performances this year). Some of the Juniors will know tonight if they will be moving on, others will have to wait until the award ceremony on Thursday to know if they were in the finals (and won!).

I wanted to share with all the readers what some of the Juniors experiences have been so far. I was able to ask almost everyone a few questions and take their pictures (pictures will be up later). Here is what they said!

Ben N. was one of the first people to be judged on papers today. When asked how he felt before going in he told me, “I feel nervous!” But after leaving the judging room, Ben related that, “[the] judges were really nice, I was able to answer everything.”

After leaving her judging room, I asked Judy M. what she thought of her experience at NHD, she told me, “It was fun and I really enjoyed it, and I would like to come back next year.” I also asked Judy’s mom what she thought of NHD and she said, “[the students] worked really hard and they enjoyed the experience.”

I caught up with Caroline A. and her father right before she went in to talk to the judges about her paper. I asked her how she is feeling right now, she said, “I feel a little nervous but I’m feeling good.”

Tim S. had a great website at the State competition and he was ready to show it off to the national judges. He seemed cool and confident when exiting his room. When asked how it went in there, Tim told me, “It was easy.” I also asked if he would do it again, and Time told me he would.

Lindsey P. and Anique M. were the first students from Delaware to be judged on an exhibit. When asked what they thought of their experience so far, they both replied that “It is fun.” But Lindsey did tell me that she was nervous about being judged.

Peter T. was not far behind Lindsey and Anique. He was the next Delaware student to be judged on an exhibit. He told me that he was nervous and this was his first time doing anything like this.

Elyssa R. and Kaitlyn S. were going in to be judged on their documentary when I caught up with them. I was lucky enough to be able to sit in on their presentations (observers may only be present for documentaries and performances). The girls had a little trouble finding the correct file in the beginning but it wasn’t long before they figured things out and got their presentation up and running. Afterward Elyssa gave me some very important advice, she said, “Be careful when your reading [your presentation], make sure your checking it over as you go.” She also told me that students that make it to the nationals shouldn’t, “be nervous, you made it this far.” Kaitlyn also had some advice to give me, she said, “Don’t procrastinate, it’s not worth it.”

The last group of students I spoke with today were Ryan B. and John W who also did a documentary (which I had the honor of viewing as well). With their parents in tow, they related to me that, “Things are going well, we’ve learned a lot and we enjoyed it.” They also told me they weren’t nervous as all about their judging.

Unfortunately, I did not get to speak with Seth H. who was also doing a documentary or Jordan D., Miriam F., and Gabi D., who presented their group exhibit. However, I’m sure they did great and would like to congratulate them as well.

Well, today has been an exciting and full day! Congratulations to all the Juniors that competed today, you have made your home state of Delaware every proud! I look forward to seeing all of you at the awards ceremony on Thursday!

Tomorrow, it’s all about the Seniors!

-Kathryne

For any of the Junior’s, family members, teachers, friends, or interested parties who can not make it to Thursday’s award’s ceremony, the History Channel will be streaming it live on their website. Simply visit: http://www.history.com/