What is Kentucky History Day?

What is Kentucky History Day?• History Day is a project-

based education program that engages your students in the process of discovery and interpretation of historical topics.

• Students learn skills that help them in all subjects; not just history/social studies.

Competition Categories• Junior (6-8 graders) and Senior

(9-12 graders) Divisions– Exhibit– Documentary– Paper (individual only)– Performance– Website

• Youth Division (4th and 5th graders)• Exhibit• Documentary• Website

The History Day Process

1. Question & Research 2. Analyze & Interpret 3. Present

Annual Theme• Themes are broad and change

from year to year. • This year the theme is “Rights and

Responsibilities in History.”

Requirements• Each category has rules associated with it.• All PROJECTS must have an annotated

bibliography with separated secondary and primary sources.

• All PROJECTS (except Paper) must have a Process Paper.

Student Interview• Students are briefly

interviewed by judges at the contests.

• Judges ask students questions like:– Why did you pick this topic?– How did you do your research?– Why is your topic significant?– What was your best primary

source?

Your Students’ History Day Project• It is not a book report. Your students

will have to critically think about their topic, ask questions, find answers in their sources, and develop their own conclusions.

• They get to choose their own topic and project category allowing them to work in a way that best suits their learning style.

Helping students select A Topic• Students should choose a topic that…

– INTERESTS them– Relates to the THEME– Has a NARROWED FOCUS

• Topics can be…– Local, State, U.S. History, or World History

– Encourage students to pick a topic that is at least 25 years old.

Topic BrainstormWhat topics can you think of related to

“Rights and Responsibilities?”

Healthcare?Science?Transportation?Communications?Military history?Politics or government?

Sports?Religion?Education?Exploration?

Is Their Topic Too New?It is suggested that students avoid current event

topics, but look for historically related topics.

A project on some aspect of the Egyptian Revolution is probably too current.

The Iranian Revolution happened longenough ago for there to be good sources.

Is Their Topic Too Broad?

Civil Rights Movement = too broadMartin Luther King’s 1964 March on Frankfort = better

Doing the Research• Direct students to:

– Libraries – Historical societies and/or

museums– Contact college professors– Archival Collections at

organizations (i.e. corporations, YMCA, etc.)

– Reputable internet sources (LOC, NARA, Gilder Lehrman, etc.)

Primary & Secondary Sources• Primary sources are

materials directly related to a topic by time or participation. Letters Speeches Diaries Newspaper or magazine articles

from the time Oral History Interviews Manuscripts/Paper collections Songs and Hymns Photographs and artifacts Court Proceedings and Records Government records, including

census data

Secondary sources are not created first-hand.

History Textbook Encyclopedias Books or articles written by

scholars about a topic

Going Beyond the Book Report• NHD projects have a thesis statement. • Have students ask questions like:

– Why is my topic significant? – Has my topic influenced anything else of

historical importance? – What changed as a result of my topic?– What causes led up to my topic?

Be sure that students make it clear why their topic is historically important!

Skills learned4th-5th Grade

• Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text.

• Refer to and quote accurately details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says and when drawing inferences from the text.

• Distinguish their own point of view, analyze multiple accounts of the same topic, and integrate that information in order to write or speak about the topic knowledgeably.

6th-8th Grade

• Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

• Determine the central ideas in primary and secondary sources and summarize them independent of prior knowledge or opinions.

• Analyze the relationship between primary and secondary sources on the same topic.

Skills Learned 9th-12th Grade• Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary

sources, paying attention to the date and origin of the information.

• Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.

• Analyze the central ideas in primary and secondary sources and understand how your topic fits within the historical context.

• Integrate information from multiple sources into a coherent understanding of the topic, using the sources to support your argument.

Participation Benefits Them & You!!!• NHD students learn 21st century

college and career-ready skills. – NHD students are critical thinkers who

can digest, analyze and synthesize information.

– They learn to collaborate with team members, approach a topic critically and make an argument that supports their opinion, talk to experts, manage their time.

• Let’s them be creative.

• Encourages students to use their community’s resources.