Basic Information, 3-4 Getting Started, 5-6 Developing a thesis, 7-8 Doing Research, 9-13 Creating a Bibliography, 14-17 Creating a Process Paper, 18 Developing Your Project, 19-22 Narrative v. Analysis, 23 Categories, 24 Papers, 25-26 Web Sites, 27-29 Documentaries, 30-32 Performances, 33-34 Exhibits, 35-40 Judging, 41-45 Key Terms, 46-48 Contacts, 49 Contents

Basic Information • Students will compete in either the junior or the senior division • Junior Division is grades 6 through 8 • Senior Division is grades 9 through 12 • In all categories except historical papers, which is only for individuals, you may choose to participate as an individual or in a group of 2 to 5 people • Students from different grades may work together, but they must be in the same division

Basic InformationWorking in Groups • If you decide to work in a group, you need to think about whether those you are considering working with have the same work ethic and similar study/work habits. (For example: some students like to be ready way in advance while others prefer working right to the deadline.) • Make sure potential teammates have the same vision for the project. Will everyone want to continue to work on the project as long as it advances to another level or will they quit when the basic requirements are met?

Getting Started • Begin by reading the rules for all categories. You may download them at www.nationalhistoryday.org/images/uploads/2009rulebook.pdf • With approval of your teacher, you may choose a topic from world, national, state, or local history • Your topic needs to relate to the annual theme. You may find theme information at http://www.nchistoryday.org/themes.html • As you explore topics, make a list of how they may relate to the theme

Getting Started • Begin by doing preliminary research on a topic that interests you • As an example we will use the Wright Brothers flight • Examine some secondary sources* such as a book about the Wrights or about aviation • *Secondary sources are ones that were written or created by someone who was not present at the event. They are important because they provide context and varied opinions of the event.

Developing a Thesis • You need to develop a main idea that will serve as the point or points you will prove in your project. The rest of your project will support your thesis statement. • Your thesis may begin as a question: for example, why was the first flight so significant? • Eventually this question will be made into a statement—your thesis statement

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright accomplished the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Even though it lasted only 12-seconds, it was the foundation for the development of aviation as we know it today. Sample Statement

Doing Research • Use both primary* and secondary sources • Use a wide variety of sources—not just the internet • There is no minimum or maximum number of sources required. You should use as many as you need to prove your thesis statement and present various viewpoints. It is important to have some good primary sources. • *Primary sources are ones that were created or in use during the period being studied. They may include diaries, documents, oral interviews, published speeches, photographs, maps, music, newspapers, magazines, etc.

Doing Research • There are many good sources on the internet as well, but be sure to use reliable sites, such as those from government (.gov), university (.edu) or reputable organizations (.org) • Evaluate all web sites, as well as all other sources, as to their reliability or their bias • Do not rely on unsupervised sites like Wikipedia

Doing Research • As you examine your sources, keep track of them in a notebook or on note cards • Record the information you will need to create a bibliographic entry • Note whether it is a primary or secondary source • Write down what important things you learn from the source

Doing Research • Write down questions it raises for you • Ex: Does the author have a bias or a particular point of view? Does it contradict another source you’ve seen? • Write down quotations or main thoughts you might use in your project, and be sure to include page numbers • In secondary sources, check the bibliography to see what other sources the author used that you might also examine

Doing Research—Places to Look • School, public, or college libraries • Archives • Museums • Historic Sites • Local, State, or National Organizations • Personal Papers or Photographs • Personal Interviews

Creating a Bibliography • You will create an annotated bibliography using either MLA or Turabian style guide • Divide your bibliography into primary and secondary sources • Create an annotation for each source—the annotation should tell how that source was useful in understanding your project • It should not be an overview of everything in the source

Sample bibliography entries Primary Sources Edmonston, Catherine. Diary of a Secesh Lady: The Diary of Catherine Ann Devereaux Edmonston. Raleigh: North Carolina Division of Archives and History, 1979. From this source I learned how Mrs. Edmonston viewed slaves on her plantation. It helped me see how they were viewed as property rather than people. Secondary Sources Franklin, John Hope. From Slavery to Freedom. New York: A.A. Knopf, 1947. This provided me with a good overview of the history of African Americans.

Creating a Bibliography • Tips • Provide a complete citation. Someone reading your bibliography should know where to go and find that source based on the information you give. • If you pull a primary source document from a secondary source, the main source should be listed under secondary sources. Use your annotation to explain that it included some primary source items. • Do not list single photographs in your bibliography. List the source or website where the photo was found. If you have many instances of using a single photo and nothing else of substance from a source, create a separate section of the bibliography entitled “Photo Sources” and list them there.

Creating a Bibliography • Tips—sample photo bibliographic entry • “The Nineteenth Century in Print.” American Memory, Library of Congress. Online collection. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/moahtml/mnchome.html This source provided a number of primary source images about 19th- century life that I was able to use in my documentary. • Photo Sources • “Ku Klux Klan Parade,” 1926http://www.flickr.com/photos/32912172 • “We Serve Whites Only,” http://blog.joehuffman.org/content/binary/WhitesOnly.gif

Creating a Process Paper • Your process paper should be stapled to your bibliography. It should not exceed 500 words and it should tell: • How you chose your topic • Where you did your research (in general terms). You might say “I started at my school library and went to a university library, looked on the internet, etc.” • How you put your project together: some basic facts like how you made your exhibit board, how you designed your props, what editing program you used, etc. • How your topic relates to the theme

Developing Your Project • When you have a good grasp of your subject, and a sufficient number of good sources, you will choose how to present that information • You may choose one of 5 categories: historical paper, exhibit, performance, documentary, web site • In all categories except historical papers, you may choose to participate as an individual or in a group of 2 to 5 people. Papers are individuals only.

Developing Your Project • Create an introduction that includes your thesis statement • The body of your project should include the main ideas that you learned from your research and that support your thesis • Demonstrating historical significance requires you to show change over time • Include context (what the situation was before the event), describe the event itself, and explain how history was changed because of the event

Developing Your Project • Demonstrate that you have considered different views, including opinions that may differ from your own, about this event. Indicate why you think they are right or wrong. • Remember to make the connection to the theme wherever you can without overdoing it. It is not good enough to mention it only in the introduction. • Draw a conclusion that re-states the main ideas from your thesis statement

Developing Your Project • Create an interesting title, preferably one that indicates the connection to the theme • If needed, use a subtitle to further clarify your idea • Use the body of your project to show the evidence that supports your thesis

Narrative vs. Analytical • Your project must show analysis. It is not sufficient to just tell that things happen. You must explain why they are important. • Narrative: On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. • Analytical: On December 7, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which brought the United States into the conflict and changed the outcome of the war.

Categories • Tips • In choosing a category, think about your own strengths and interests; but also think about which category best suits your topic. For example, if your topic does not lend itself to many images, you might want to think about a historical paper or performance, which do not need images, rather than documentary, which needs many. • Once you decide upon a category, read the rules for that category periodically to make sure you are following them. Knowing and following the rules is your responsibility.

Individual Category--Papers • Historical papers are for individual participation only • The title page should have only the title, the student name(s), and the category and division • Do not put art or other things on the title page, and do not use a binder

Individual Category--Papers • Be sure to include footnotes or citations within your paper to give credit to the ideas of others • The paper must be no less than 1,500 words and no more than 2,500 words • Tips • Proof, proof, proof your paper. Ask others to read it. • Try reading it out loud to see how it sounds to you • Be consistent in the tenses you use. Do not switch between past and present. • See sample: http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/CategoryPaper.htm

Individual and Group Categories—Web Sites • May contain no more than 1200 student composed words • Quotations, illustrations, charts, etc. not created by the student are not included in the word count • Create the web site using the web site editor accessed at the NHD web site • Home page should include student name(s), title, category, division, and a menu that directs the viewer to other parts of the project

Individual and Group Categories—Web Sites • All pages must be connected with hypertext links; automatic redirects are not permitted • The bibliography must be included on the web site but will not be included in the word count • It may contain multimedia clips • No clip should be longer than 45 seconds • Clips should not contain student composed words

Individual and Group Categories—Web Sites • Tips • Be sure that the project contains all of the elements of any good History Day project—thesis statement, body, conclusion • Use images, charts, interviews, etc. to illustrate the points you will make using your 1200 words • Organize your web site so people may go to any of the tabs and still understand your point—in other words, they don’t have to go in a particular order to understand it • See sample: http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/CategoryWebsite.htm

Individual and Group Categories—Documentaries • Documentaries may be no longer than 10 minutes • Your thesis statement should be obvious in the presentation. It should also have all the elements of any good History Day project. • Include a brief list of sources at the end of the project • Tips • Create a story board that shows what illustrations will be used with each part of your script

Individual and Group Categories—Documentaries • Tips • The strongest documentaries will have a voice narration and will make good use of documentary photographs and film clips (like those documentaries you see on PBS or History Channel) • It is good to incorporate interviews with people who experienced the event or with experts • However, use only as much of a clip as you need to support your point. The judges want to know what you know. • Use all the time allotted to you. A 10-min documentary will have more info than an 8-min one • See sample:http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/CategoryDocumentary.htm

Sample Story Board

Individual and Group Categories—Performances • Performances may not be longer than 10 minutes in length • Students are responsible for writing the script and creating any backdrops • Tips • Plan movements for each part of your play. Know where you will be standing, sitting or stooping for each part of the script. Think about facial expressions and gestures. You may want to use a story board similar to the one for documentaries to track these things.

Individual and Group Categories—Performances • Tips • Keep sets (backdrops, props) as simple as possible. Remember you must be able to set them up and take them down by yourself. • Costumes can be simple as well. For instance, if you change characters within your play, you might use just a hat or a shawl to indicate a new character. Transitions should be as quick as possible. • To be successful in performance you must act. Project your words and show emotion! • See sample:http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/CategoryPerformance.htm

Individual and Group Categories—Exhibits • Exhibits may be no more than 6 ft. high, 40 inches wide, and 30 inches deep. Circular exhibits may be 30 inches in diameter. • They may not have any more than 500 student-generated words • Brief citations citing sources and direct quotations from others do not count in the 500-word limit

Individual and Group Categories—Exhibits • Tips • Begin by writing five 100-word paragraphs that describe the significance of your topic. One should be your thesis statement, another your conclusion. The other words can be distributed among your labels to interpret your project. • Do not use excessive quotations in your exhibit. Use only those items that will help you make your point.

Individual and Group Categories—Exhibits • Tips • Do not use large blocks of text. An exhibit is a visual category, so you use a minimum of words and good illustrations. • Make sure your exhibit is organized logically to make it easy to follow

Individual and Group Categories—Exhibits • Tips • Choose words and illustrations carefully. Your board should not look cluttered. • While tri-fold designs are most often used, you may use other designs as long as they do not exceed size limits. • Use all the space allotted to you. A 6-ft exhibit will allow for more information in an attractive layout than will a 4-ft board.

Sample Exhibit Layout(Tri-fold design)

Judging Projects • Projects will be reviewed by qualified judges at each level of competition. Their primary purpose is to help you continue to learn from your experience. • They will read your paperwork and view your project • The judges will ask you questions about your project. They may ask specific questions about your topic or they may ask questions such as “What was your most useful source?” • The judges will provide feedback to suggest ways to improve your project

Judging Projects • Your project will be judged on the following criteria: • Historical Quality—60% of the score • The project must demonstrate: • Historical Accuracy and Historical Significance • Analysis and Interpretation • Historical Context and Perspective • Balance • Solid Research using both primary and secondary sources

Judging Projects • Clarity of Presentation—20% • Original, creative, well organized, interesting • Written material is clear and grammatically correct • Meets criteria for individual categories • Adherence to theme—20% • Clearly demonstrates a relationship to the theme throughout the project

Judging Projects • Tips • Know your topic well. If you do, you should be prepared to answer judges’ questions; however, the project should be able to stand on its own. Judges should be able to get all the essential information by looking at your project without you explaining it to them.

Judging Projects • Tips • Participants in groups should be sure to contribute equally to the discussion. Don’t let just one group member dominate the conversation. Judges want to know that all members participated and learned from the project. • Know the rules and follow them. Points may be deducted for rules violations. For a copy of the rules see http://www.nationalhistoryday.org/images/uploads/2009rulebook.pdf

Key Terms • Historical Significance—demonstrates change over time. In order to know if something is significant in history, enough time must have passed for people to evaluate its significance. • Primary Source—a source that was created or in use during the time period being studied • Secondary Source—a source created by someone who did not experience an event first-hand

Key Terms • Bibliography—a list of source materials that are used to research your project. • Annotation—an explanatory note that describes how each source in the bibliography was useful in learning about your topic. (Note: it should not be a description of the content of the source.) • Thesis Statement—declares what you believe and what you intend to prove • Plagiarism—using the works of others without proper attribution

Key Terms • Bias—a particular way of looking at things that prevents unprejudiced consideration. • Perspective—a particular point of view. Historical works should attempt to look at multiple perspectives. • Context—background information; what things were like before the event took place • Student Composed—text the student has created to explain the project. Includes titles, subtitles, captions, etc. It does not include brief citations showing where an illustation came from or direct quotations.

Need Assistance?Contacts • If you have questions about rules or topics or need help finding sources, feel free to contact the state coordinator Jo Ann Williford at joann.williford@ncdcr.gov or by calling 919 807 7284 • Additional information may be found at: www.nchistoryday.org www.nhd.org

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