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

 

Some Turnign Points in History: People, Ideas, Events

• Reign of Terror: Radicalization of the French Revolution
• The Treaty of Versailles in 1918 and its Consequences
• Valley Forge and the Development of the Continental Army
• The Continental Association and the Coming of the American Revolution
• John Maynard and Keynes and the influence of Keynesian Economics
• Brown v. Board of Education and the integration of American schools
• Federal Power and the Case of McCulloch v. Maryland
• Plessy v. Ferguson and the Growth of Jim Crow
• Eleanor of Aquitaine’s Pivotal Role in the High Middle Ages
• Ronald Reagan and the Resurgence of Conservatism in America
• The Effects of the Fall of Constantinople
• William the Conqueror and the Course of English History
• The Interstate Highway Act of 1956 and the Growth of Suburban America
• Martin Luther’s 95 Theses and the Coming of the Protestant Reformation
• Turning Points of the Korean War: China’s Entry
• The International Women’s Day Strike in Petrograd: Spark of the Russian Revolution
• The Impact of Buddha’s Teaching on India
• Ptolemy’s Conquest of Egypt and the Growth of Kushite Civilization
• Consequences of the Recapture of Jerusalem by Salah ad Din
• Television in the 1950s and the Transformation of American Entertainment
• Invention of the Spinning Jenny and the Rise of the Textile Industry
• The Great Migration of African-Americans to the North and its Consequences
• First Victory of the Women’s Suffrage Movement: Norwegian Women Gain the Right to Vote
• The Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Decline of the Soviet Empire
• Effects of the Crusades on Medieval Europe
• Ms.Magazine and the growth of the Feminist Movement
• Irish Potato Famine and the Irish Diaspora
• Walter Reed and the Conquest of Yellow Fever
• The Impact of the Erie Canal
• Changing Middle East Politics: The Rise of OPEC
• The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and the American Labor Movement
• Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse: A Cultural Transformation
• The Beatles and the British Invasion
• Roger Williams and the Separation of Church and State
• Watergate and the Weakening of the Presidency
• breaking the Barrier: Jackie Robinson
• Birth of a Sugar-Plainting Colony: The Dutch Occupation of Brazil
• The Homestead Act and the Settlement of the West
• Henry Ford: Changing the Production Model
• Sears Roebuck Catalogue and the Rise of Mass Consumerism
• The Impact of Sigmund Freud on Psychiatric Practice
• Harry Truman: Changing the Way We Fight War and the Dropping of the Bomb
• Curt Flood and Free Agency Baseball
• Rachael Carson’s Silent Spring and the Growth of the Environmental Movement
• Midway: Turning the Tide in the Pacific War

Finding the right topic

I have an idea for a topic, now what? Narrow down the topic and connect it to the theme…

Selecting a National History Day topic is a process of gradually narrowing down the area of history (period or event) that interests you to a manageable subject. For example, if you’re interested in Native Americans and the theme is Rights and Responsibilities in History, a natural topic would be treaty rights. Now from there, you would consider the resources you have available to you—perhaps your local historical society—and possibly choose a Native American/U.S. treaty based in your state’s history. Your process might look something like this:

Theme: Rights and Responsibilities in History
Interest: Native Americans
Topic: Treaty Rights
Issue: 1788 Fort Schuyler Treaty

Or, if you’re interested in Women’s Rights and the theme is the Individual in History, you might choose voting rights. Next, consider where you might find further information on voting rights like a public library. After a library search and reading several texts about the era, you identify the women’s suffrage movement as a topic, and then a leader in the struggle for the vote, Alice Paul. In this case, your process looks like this:

Theme: Individual in History
Interest: Women’s Rights
Topic: Suffrage Movement
Issue/Individual: Alice Paul

Or what if you are interested in The Civil War and the theme is Turning Points in History? You might read about the different battles. Utilizing the internet, you can take virtual tours and learn about different battles through the National Park Service. For instance, http://www.nps.gov/gett takes you to The Battle of Gettysburg or http://www.nps.gov/mana will take you to the battle of Bull Run. Pay close attention to other recommended resources as you read. They may point you to further reading on your topic. After reading the websites, you decide the turning point in The Civil War is The Battle of Gettysburg. The process looks like this:

Theme: Turning Points in History
Interest: The Civil War
Topic: Battles
Issue/Events: The Battle of Gettysburg

Or what if you are interested in science and the theme is Innovation in History? You might research medical discoveries that changed the world like the discovery of penicillin or isolating DNA. Look for resources in libraries, excellent web sites and history of science museums. The process for narrowing your topic and connecting with the theme might follow this sequence:

Theme: Innovation in History
Interest: Science
Topic: Medical Discoveries
Issue/Discovery: Penicillin

Sometimes just looking through the local paper can give you a great idea for a topic! Check out today’s Headline from The New Journal, can you come up with a topic from this article? Leave your idea in the comment section below!

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120928/NEWS/309280032/Pa-refinery-gets-new-life-fracking-gas-facility

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.

Here are Some Sample Topics to get You Thinking!

• John Brown’s Revolt Against Slavery

• The U.S. Constitution: Reform or Counter-Revolution?

• Dorothea Dix and the Asylum Movement

• Simon Bolivar and Latin American Independence

• The Coercive or Intolerable Acts: Britain’s Reaction to the Boston Tea Party

• The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and Alcohol in America

• From Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) to Nixon: The Revolution of Presidential

Press Coverage

• The Copernican Revolution: Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler

• Television: A Cultural Revolution

• The Boxer Rebellion: China’s Fight Against Foreign Powers

• The Glorious Revolution and Britain’s Bill of Rights

• The Edict of Nantes: A New Approach to Religious Dissent

• Jose Marti and Cuba’s War of Independence

• The Black Panthers: Reforming Student Lunch Programs

• Canals and Railroads: The 19th Century Reforms in Transportation

• Bismarck’s Reforms in Germany

• Classical Music: Reaction to the Baroque Era

• Confucius and Civil Service Reform in China

• Emilio Aguinaldo and the Philippine Uprising

• Jonas Savimbi: Angolan Revolutionary

• The Wesley Brothers and Methodist Reforms of the Church of England

• Hawks and Doves: American Reaction to the Vietnam War

• The Airplane: Revolution in Warfare

• Sit-ins and Freedom Rides: Reformers in Action

• Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation

• The Reforms of Sosthenes

• William Wallace: Rebel Against English Oppression

• The Model T: Henry Ford Revolutionizes the Auto Industry

• King Phillip’s War: Reaction to Puritan Expansion

• The “Red Scare”: American Reaction to Communism

• Germ Theory: Revolution in Medicine

• Vatican II: The Modern Reformation of the Catholic Church

• Pablo Picasso: Revolution in Art

• “Hush, Hush”: Reaction to Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

• Virginia Woolf and the Birth of Modern Feminism

• Curt Flood and Free Agency in Baseball

National History Day 2012 Theme: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History

Taken from the National History Day 2012 Theme Book

Welcome to National History Day! You are about to become a better student! It doesn’t matter if you are planning on becoming a doctor, a historian, a marine biologist, or a teacher: whatever your career path, National History Day will help. Besides being a fun experience, NHD will improve your reading and writing skills and help you become a better researcher, all while you are learning about a topic of your choice!

 During the 2011-2012 school year National History Day invites students to research topics related to the theme, “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History.” The theme is broad enough for you to select a local, state, national or world history topic. To understand the historical importance of your topics, you must ask questions of time and place, cause and effect, change over time, impact and significance. You must ask questions about why events happened and what impact the events had. What factors contributed to a revolution? Why was there a need to reform at the particular time? Why did this event cause a reaction? Regardless of the topic selected, you must do more than describe what happened. You must draw conclusions, based on evidence, about how the topic affected individuals, communities, nations and the world. Studies should include an investigation into available primary and secondary sources, analysis of the evidence, and a clear explanation of the relationship of the topic to the theme.

 As you investigate this year’s theme think of the theme in broad terms, as the distinction among revolutions, reactions and reforms may be blurred. Never be too literal. Revolutions and reforms are often reactions to particular situations or events, which may inspire reactions. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the word revolution means “the overthrow of one government and its replacement with another” or a “sudden or momentous change in a situation.” Whether revolutionary or gradual, such changes often inspire opposition, as some people seek to slow or even reverse them. Consequently, some topics will focus on revolution, reaction, AND reform, while other topics may allow you to focus on just one or two aspects of the theme.

 For many Americans, the word revolution conjures up images of the Fourth of July, celebrating our revolutionary heritage; for others, it brings to mind gun-toting guerrillas in wars we do not understand. Political and social revolutions such as those in America in the 1770s and the communist revolutions of the 20th century are complex events, which provide a plethora of potential possibilities for NHD research projects but not in their entirety. Rather than attempting to analyze and document an entire political revolution, you should look for more manageable topics such as ideas emerging from a particular revolution, specific events or factions within a revolution, or individuals who affected or were affected by a revolution. A paper could illuminate the role that the Stamp Act of 1765 played in the coming of the American Revolution. The role of women in the French Revolution might be illustrated through a performance focusing on the bread riots of 1789, while Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership of India’s revolt against British rule would make a compelling topic for a documentary or website. Political revolutions provoke reactions far beyond the borders of a single nation. How did other revolutions inspire slaves in Saint Domingue to stage their own revolution in 1791?

How did American fear of the spread of communism affect the Cold War? A website could focus on the Marshall Plan or the Truman Doctrine as manifestations of this fear, while a performance might look at U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. A website could examine the consequences of the student revolts in France in 1968.

Failed revolutions and rebellions also provide excellent topics for student entries. A paper could appraise the Sepoy Rebellion in India in 1857 and how it affected British colonial policy. An exhibit could examine the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, which helped fuel Chinese nationalism and the rise of Sun Yat-sen. What was the reaction throughout the Southern United States to Nat Turner’s rebellion in Virginia in 1831? Can Reconstruction be considered a failed revolution?

Wide-ranging reform programs sometimes can spur changes as great as those caused by revolutions. The effects of the reforms of Solon and Cleisthenes on Athens in the 6^th century BCE would be a suitable topic for a paper. How did the Meiji Restoration (1868- 1912) affect Tokugawa Japan? A performance might focus on Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of Glasnost and Perestroika in the Soviet Union during the last years of the Cold War. A documentary could examine the impact of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. How did the New Deal revolutionize the role of government in American life in the 1930’s?

Individual reforms and reform movements also deserve attention. The work of anti-slavery advocates such as Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison supplies dramatic material for performances. Any of the reforms of the Progressive movement of the early 20^th century in the United States would make good topics. An exhibit might explain the role of muckraking journalists in agitating for reform. How was the settlement house movement an attempt at social reform? What role did Jane Addams play?

Court cases frequently can be classified as reactions, while their outcomes may lead to reforms or even revolutions. A performance might explore the role of the British Court of Star Chamber in leading English Puritans to revolt in the 1630s. How could the 1896 case, Plessy v. Ferguson, be considered a reaction? How did the U.S. Supreme Court’s Miranda v. Arizona decision in 1966 reform the treatment of those accused of crimes?

 While less frequent than political revolutions or reforms, economic revolutions may have an even broader impact. The commercial revolution of the 1500s involved Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century eventually affected the entire world. Students should focus on a specific fairly limited aspect of an economic revolution rather than try to master such a revolution in its entirety. The spice trade between Europe and Asia would be an excellent topic for an exhibit, as would the role of sugar in creating plantation economies in the Caribbean. A documentary could assess the experience of female workers in the Lowell Massachusetts mills of the 1830s. How did the Luddites represent a reaction to the Industrial Revolution?

 Consumers also have experienced revolutions. How did tea play a role in stimulating a consumer revolution in the 18th century? What impact did it have politically? Students could create documentaries analyzing revolutions in shopping such as the development of department stores or the Montgomery Ward and Sears catalogues in the late 19th century, while a paper could explore the significance of installment buying in the early 20th century.

Economic revolutions often result from technological innovations, which sometimes led to tremendous social change as well. How did the cotton gin have an impact on slavery in the antebellum South? In what ways did the typewriter provide new opportunities for women in late 19th century offices? How was this revolutionary? The adoption of the stirrup in 8th century Europe and its effects on warfare and society could be the subject of a paper, while a documentary could portray the effects of automobiles on dating. How could other transportation innovations such as steamships, canals, railroads, and airplanes be considered revolutionary?

 Advances in human thinking and knowledge made the technology described possible. What was revolutionary about Isaac Newton’s work in the 1600s? How did Galileo Galilei’s trial before the Inquisition in 1633 represent a reaction to the Scientific Revolution? The impact of Marie Curie’s work on Radiation in the early 1900s would make an interesting documentary, while a performance might examine her contemporary Sigmund Freud’s study of human psychology. Alternatively, students could investigate any of the revolutions in medical care of the 20th century.

 You may find many topics in local history which are suitable. The local consequences of industrialization, or revolutions in transportation, would make good topics. If you live in Eastern United States, you could study local experiences during the American Revolution, while those in the South could focus on Reconstruction. If you live in an agricultural area, you might look at the history of the Populists in your state. The work of Progressive reformers or civil rights activists in your states also would be good topics. Or you may find reform movements or “revolutions” unique to your own community.

 The theme is a broad one, so topics should be carefully selected and developed in ways that best use your talents and abilities. Whether a topic is a well-known event in world history or focuses on a little known individual from a small community, you should place your topic into historical perspective, examine the significance of your topic in history, and show development over time. Have fun this year and we will see you in College Park, MD next June!

Need Some Topic Inspiration?

Happy New Year!!!

The state History Day contest is just four months away.  For those of you who are still scrambling for topic ideas – check out the Student Guide that the Hagley librarians put together for NHD.  It is a fabulous guide and includes topic ideas broken down by innovation.  The list (and the primary sources included in the list) are sure to help inspire you!

http://www.hagley.org/library/about/historyday2010_digitalguide.html

-Andrea, Delaware Historical Society

NHD Online Theme Discussion

NHD Online Discussion Theme – Innovation in History: Impact and Change

When: Wednesday, December 2 3:00 – 5:00 pm EST

Where: Logon to the NHD website, http://www.nhd.org. The exact location and instructions will be announced very soon!

Who: All NHD participants. Students and teachers are especially encouraged to send us their questions! They will be answered by staff here at the NHD national office.

How: Email your web site category questions to info@nhd.org starting on Monday, November 30, with “online discussion question” in the subject line. We will post answers to these on Wednesday at the start of the online discussion. From 3 – 5, you can participate in a live online discussion by sending questions to the same email, info@nhd.org and watch the answers post on our website. Remember – this online discussion is all about the annual theme, Innovation in History: Impact and Change

Choosing a Topic

I feel like this component is the most important part about a History Day project, the topic.  I mean, you will basically be spending all your time on this one particular thing so I hope that it interests you, that it fits the theme well, and that it is narrow in focus.  History Day themes are usually broad enough to allow you to pick an array of topics.  However, sometimes your interests don’t match up with the year’s theme.  For example, if you are interested in Japanese-interment camps and the theme is “Science and Technology in History”, I don’t think that is going to work.  But don’t get discouraged.  Go search around on the internet or talk to someone who is knowledgeable, I am sure you can find something that would interest you as well as meet the year’s theme.  Narrowing your focus may seem like something you will never achieve, but just give it time and I promise you will eventually get there.  Most research topics begin about big topics with big questions.  As you start to gather more and more information about your topic, it will be easier for you to focus on one thing.

Here’s a tip about narrowing your focus, if you pick a state or local issue, usually it is already narrowed in its focus.

There are two things that I would stay away from when choosing a topic: a recent topic and a topic that is too complex.  If the topic is recent, such as the election of President Obama, it may be hard to find primary sources.  Also, recent topics do not allow you to see the entire impact and significance because its impact is not necessarily finished yet.  A good way to tell if a topic is too recent is if it happened in the last 20 years, then it is relatively recent and I would choose a different one.  Resources on complex topics can be hard to understand, for example the creation of certain chemicals.  I know personally, the periodic table scares me.  Even though it maybe a good topic, it may not be good for me.  Also keep in mind, if you are doing a project that relies heavily on visual aides (in other words you people doing exhibits and documentaries) it maybe hard to do a topic that happened before the 1850s due to the fact that the camera was not invented yet.

-Ali

Innovation in History: Impact and Change

This year’s National History Day theme is Innovation in History: Impact and Change. I don’t know about you but when I first hear the word innovation I quickly think of science and technology such as the creation of the airplane or the polio vaccine. But the more I thought about the theme, I began to think about innovations that I take for granted in my daily life. Take for example, my clothes. Who first created the button on my shirt? What do the letters YKK mean on my zipper? Who exactly is Levi and why is there a picture of him on the back of my jeans? Or the things I can’t live without my phone, or my ipod, or my computer; these products definitely made an impact not only on my life but impacted the lives of people all over the world.

I also love to drive in my car and listen to the radio. How did all these highways (for example I-95) and bridges (the Delaware Memorial Bridge) develop? Was there a lot of planning or were they just built where there was room? All different types of innovations have impacted the history of the world. An innovation doesn’t even have to be a tangible thing for example, the creation of the national park service. It will be interesting to see all the different topics the students do at states. I’m excited!

“History is not the facts from the past. History is the historian’s understanding of the past derived in many ways from those facts.” I just read this quote in an article by Lee W. Formwalt who is an executive director of The Organization of American Historians. For some reason this quote really stayed with me. It just proves that history is more than just facts and dates. It is about understanding the facts and seeing the bigger picture. This reminds me of History Day and especially next year’s theme: Innovation in History: Impact and Change.

The innovation that a student chooses needs to demonstrate how it impacted or changed people’s lives in one way or another. An innovation isn’t really that important unless it left some type of legacy, right? I mean how many new innovations are created each year that the public never even hears about them or are only effective for a certain amount of time and no one even speaks of them again. Only a certain number of innovations can stand the test of time or can change the course of history.

-Ali