25th Annual Siskiyou County History Day 2009

1. 25th Annual Siskiyou County History Day 2009 The Individual in History: Actions and Legacies

2. Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Siskiyou County Office of Education 609 S. Gold Street, Yreka, CA

3. What is History Day? • History Day provides an exciting, history-based learning experience for students to learn about issues, ideas, people and events in history, and apply what they have learned through creative and original productions.

4. Every student who enters History Day… • Has the chance to use and showcase his/her unique talents - writing, drama, art, design, technology, and more - to explore a topic and to share publicly, what has been learned. • Has an opportunity to be interviewed and judged by community members and educators, and to receive recognition for his/her accomplishments. • Will be eligible to receive awards and a chance to become part of the Siskiyou County History Day State Team!

5. What is the ‘History’ of History Day? • History Day started in 1974 in Ohio. The next year six other states joined the competition. • California began competing in History Day in 1984. • Siskiyou County began competing in History Day in 1985. • More than 10 million students have competed in History Day! • Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia now participate!

6. History Day Skills are Life Skills Creating a History Day project involves... • Conceptualizing an idea • Planning and organizing all the steps • Doing research - reading, interviewing, recording • Developing skill in the presentation mode • Working with others • Presenting oneself

7. A Good Reason to Participate In History Day: • Meeting State Standards - Producing a successful History Day project does take lots of time, but multiple standards from English-language arts, history-social science, information literacy, technology, visual and performing arts, and even math and science can be addressed with a single History Day project.

8. History Day Teaches History-Social Science Analysis Standards Historical Interpretation • Students summarize the key events of the era and explain historical contexts. • Students explain the central issues and problems… • Students understand and distinguish cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events… • Students explain the sources of historical continuity and how the combination of ideas and events explains the emergence of new patterns. • Students recognize that interpretations of history are subject to change as new information is uncovered.

9. History Day Teaches History-Social Science Analysis Standards • Historical Research, Evidence, and • Point of View: • Students frame questions that can be answered by • historical study and research. • Students distinguish fact from opinion… • Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant • information… • Students assess the credibility of • primary/secondary • sources and draw sound conclusions from them… • Students detect the different historical points of • view...

10. History Day Teaches History-Social Science Analysis Standards • Chronological and Spatial Thinking: • Students explain how major events are related • to one another in time. • Students apply terms related to time correctly, • including past, present, future, decade, century, and • generation. • Students construct various time lines of key • events, people, and periods of the historical • era they are studying. • Students compare the present with the past, evaluating the consequences of past events and decisions and determining the lessons learned.

11. History Day Teaches Reading-Language Arts Standards • Writing Organization and Focus • Research and Technology • Revising and Evaluating Writing • Research Reports that... • Define thesis • Record important ideas • Use variety of sources

12. Who may enter? • Any student in Siskiyou County in Grades 4-12 may enter one of the following divisions…

13. The Divisions: • 4th/5th Grade (Posters only) • Junior Division - grades 6-8 • Senior Division - grades 9-12

14. How Does a Student Begin? • Decide whether you will create an individual entry or if you will work with partners. (Groups can be 2-5 students.) • This may be the most important decision you make! • Get approval from parents and teacher before you start working as a group.

15. What’s Next? • Choose a topic that is related to the themeandthat you, and your partner(s), find interesting! • If possible, choose a topic that expands upon something relating to what you are studying in class. • Limit the scope of your topic so that it is manageable and so that you can research it thoroughly. • Decide what category you will be entering: • Choose a category that works well with your topic • Choose a category that matches your talents and interests

16. The Categories • Historical Papers • Exhibits • Performances • Documentaries • Historical Web sites (Now eligible for National History Day.) • Posters (California Only/ 4th & 5th graders only!)

17. HISTORICAL PAPERS • A traditional research paper which requires three basic steps: • Collection of information • Organization of information • Presentation of the topic in an interesting way • This category may be entered by individuals only (no groups). The Individual in History

18. HISTORICAL PAPERS • Must be 1500-2500 words in length - approximately 6-10 typed pages double-spaced. • This category requires footnotes in the following three situations: • Quoting a Primary Source • Quoting a Secondary Source • Paraphrasing a Secondary Source (Make sure to check a guide to learn how to properly include footnotes.)

19. Historical Web Site Use the computer to create a web site that communicates a significant topic in History.

20. HISTORICAL WEBSITES • An Internet display of graphics and information. • May be entered individually or in groups of 2-5 students. • No more than 1200 visible, student-composed words are allowed. • The entire site, including all multimedia, may not use more than 100 MB of file space; multimedia clips may not last more than 45 seconds. (No narration.) • 4 CD-Rs with just the web site. 4 copies of process paper and annotated bibliography stapled together. One printout of entire site. • All non-student audio/visuals must be properly credited. Audio/visuals may be credited directly on each web page, rather than on a separate “Credits” page.

21. HISTORICAL WEBSITES • Entries eligible for the State competition will be required to upload their final web site entry along with links to their process paper and annotated bibliography by the established contest deadline. • It is highly recommended that students bring a hard copy of their final web site with them to both the county and state competition. • At the state level, only the top individual entry and top group entry in each division will move on to the national level.

22. Exhibits History Day exhibits are similar to museum exhibits. Exhibits balance visual interest & historical explanation.

23. EXHIBITS • A museum-type, three-dimensional, exhibit. • May be entered individually, or in a group of 2-5 students. • Must stay within the size limit of 40” x 30” x 72.” • May include a 3-minute media device. • No more than 500 student-composed words may be displayed on the exhibit including words written for media. • All photos and other visuals posted on the exhibit, must be credited directly on the exhibit board. These photo credits do not count toward the student’s 500 word limit.

24. Poster This category is for 4th and 5th grade students only. History Day posters are flat (30” x 40”) museum type exhibits.

25. If you’re doing an Exhibit or a Poster remember these three important characteristics of a good display: • ORIENTATION: 1) Make sure the title and subtitle of the exhibit are prominent features of the design. 2) Make the main idea or thesis clear to the viewer. • SEGMENTATION: 1) Organize the exhibit into subtopics. 2) Use design elements to make subtopics clear to the viewer. • EXPLANATION: Use clear, concise captions and text to 1) Identify pictures, objects, or documents,2) Interpret information for the viewer.

26. STATE HISTORY DAY

27. EXHIBITS

35. POSTERS

40. Performance • 10-minute historical dramatizations that translates theme into action • The script includes quotations and excerpts from real events

41. PERFORMANCES • A dramatic presentation (historical play) by an individual or a group of 2-5 students. • Must have dramatic appeal - but not at the expense of historical information! • Props and costumes are recommended • May not be longer than 10 minutes. Five minutes are allowed for set-up and take-down of the set.

42. PERFORMANCES • Some tips for performers: • Do good research first; content is the most important factor. • When writing your script, be sure to reference historical evidence. • Don’t get carried away with props, but do use them to help emphasize key concepts. • Good costumes help make your performance more convincing; make sure costumes are historically accurate. • Leave enough time to rehearse - A LOT!

43. Documentary • Slide Show • Video • PowerPoint • • HyperStudio • • I Movie

44. DOCUMENTARIES • A production presented through visual technology such as video, slides, or computers. • May be entered individually or in a group of 2- 5 students. • Students must operate all equipment themselves. • The documentary may not be longer than10 minutes.

45. DOCUMENTARIES • Some tips for documentary producers: • Make a storyboard of the images you want to use. • Collect a large number of images to avoid repetition. • Write your script or narrative first and then add images. • Preview early, edit, and make sure you can operate all equipment • See recommendations for DVD entries provided in Student Rulebook.

46. DOCUMENTARIES More tips for documentary producers… A good History Day documentary is similar to a documentary on TV. If possible, include all of the following: • Narration • Interviews (“Talking Heads”) • Still shots from books • Location shots • Film clips • Music!

47. Every student entering History Day must include a title page which shows only: • The title • Name(s) of student(s) • The division • The category • A good title will quickly introduce your topic, but it will also add wording that helps the viewer understand your point of view.

48. Amelia Earhart: At the Frontier of Women in Aviation by Jane Smith Junior Division Individual Exhibit

49. Every student entering History Day, except those entering the Historical Paper category, must write a process paper which includes: • How the topic was chosen • How the research was done • Steps to completion • Successes and failures (optional) • What was learned - how the topic related to the theme • 500 words or less

50. Bibliographies/Work Cited • Every student entering History Day must include an annotated bibliography which is divided between primary and secondary sources.