Your
Topics - Choose your own topic, based on
United States History. Students select a topic that interests them and
relate it to the annual theme which this year is:
National History Day
Get involved in hands-on research!
Beyond simply memorizing names and dates, students conduct in-depth
research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history
interviews to draw their own conclusions about the topic's significance
in history.
Choose a format that highlights your
talents! Students can showcase their research and creativity through
one of five formats -
Source: Maryland
Humanities Council website
1. Historical Research Papers,
(single only)
2. Exhibits (single and group)
3. Original Live Performances (single
and group)
4. Multimedia Documentaries (single
and group)
5. Historical web sites (single and
group)
Timetable for Research
1. National History Day
How to Start, also Maryland
History
Day Standards and How to Start and Resources
for Students
White
House History Day Link
2. September, 2025 - Choose
options for History Day project
a. Single or partner
b. Presentation
c. Beginning topic
3. September, 2025
- Refined topic and format
4. September, 2025 -
Topic, format and team members finalized
5. October, 2025 - Find at least 10 sources
Develop bibliography
using MyBib
MLA Guide
Turn in bibliography
6. October 2025 -
Edit sources
Separate primary
sources from secondary sources
Rough Draft of
Annotated
Bibliography due
7. November
2025
- Activity
- Convert Bibliography to Word,
will be checked at the end of the period
Activity - Outline (research paper option), Board
layout (display option),
Scene descriptions (Video performance), Script rough draft (website and
documentary options) planning.
8.
December 2025 - History Day Rough Drafts 3 (Three) III copies, no
matter what format!
All copies must incude works cited/bibliography!
9. December 2025 - Revisions due; Websites and
documentaries must be complete. Performances must be totally scripted.
9. January
2026
- Process
papers due
10. February
1, 2026 - Judging
by faculty, finalists chosen
11. February 2026 - Winners submitted
12. March - County winners announced
13. May - State competition, UMBC
14. Second week in June 2026 - National competition, University
of Md. College Park
All members of a group developing
a perfomance, a website, or a documentary are responsible for all due
dates. The absence of one member is NOT an acceptable excuse for being
unprepared.
All students must complete a
research project as part of their grade. If you do not want to
participate in History Day, you must complete a research paper and meet
all the deadlines.
Research
Options, Choose 1
Remainder of schedule to be
posted. This semester we will be participating in the Maryland History
Day as our Research component.
All members of a group developing
a perfomance, a website, or a documentary are responsible for all due
dates. The absence of one member is NOT an acceptable excuse for being
unprepared.
All students must complete a research project as part of their
grade. If you do not want to participate in History Day, you must
complete a research paper and meet all the deadlines.
General Research Resources
Updated 9/15/2025
St.
Vincent Pallotti High
School
-Laurel
Md.-