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KISJ National History Day Resources
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Theme for 2023-24
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National History Day® (NHD) is a contest that does not take place on a field or in a gym. You do not have to memorize words or mathematical formulas. You do not have to design new vaccines or make volcanoes that explode, although that sounds like fun. No, NHD is all about digging, but not for bones or fossils in the dirt. You will dig through the events of the past. You might find something that few people know about or, even better, discover something new about a topic you already know. NHD is exciting. It is fun. It is different because you are in control. You make all the decisions as long as you follow the rules. Yes, there are rules. Like every other contest, it just means that everyone plays the same game. (From FINDING, ANALYZING, AND CONSTRUCTING HISTORY: A RESEARCH GUIDE FOR STUDENTS - Funded by LOC and NHD)
NHD began in 1974 with 129 students to an organization today with over 500,000 participating students from around the world. Today, students compete in a series of regional contests with top entries advancing to state/affiliate contests. The top two entries in each category and division are invited to compete at the National Contest which is held at the University of Maryland.
Information for Students, Teachers, and Judges
Each spring, across the country and around the world, students gather for NHD contests. Most students enter their projects first at a school or regional contest. Students gather and present their work to a panel of two or three judges. Judges serve two purposes. First, they give all students feedback on their work. Second, they select projects to advance to the next level of the competition.1 Students selected to advance to the next level earn the opportunity to compete at the affiliate (state, territory, or country) contest. They are allowed (and encouraged) to revise their project based on what they have learned and the judges’ feedback. Students can make any revisions that they want, but they need to keep the same historical topic and remain in the same category (for example, a performance cannot be turned into a website). Traditionally, the top two entries in each category at the a"liate contests are invited to attend the NHD National Contest. Here, 3,000 students from across the country and overseas compete each June at the University of Maryland, College Park. The NHD National Contest is a great opportunity to meet and make friends with students just like you from across the country and around the world. (From FINDING, ANALYZING, AND CONSTRUCTING HISTORY: A RESEARCH GUIDE FOR STUDENTS - Funded by LOC and NHD)
