History Day

Your Topics - Choose your own topic, based on the course you are taking. Students select a topic that interests them and relate it to the annual theme which this year is:

From local history to world history, from ancient to contemporary history, from politics to music - there are unlimited possibilities for topic choice!

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 -

1. 9/19 - History Day Research Paper Workshop
Activity - Finding topics
Activity - Citations worksheet
History Day Standards and Instructions

2. 9/26 - Choose options for History Day project
a. Single or partner
b. Presentation
c. Topic

3. 10/14 - Rough Draft of Annotated Bibliography due

4. 10/24 - Final Topic and Thesis statement due

5. 11/3 - Rough draft of text narrative, History Day Standards and Instrucions Guide

6. 11/21 - 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.

7. 12/15 - History Day Rough Drafts 3 (Three) III copies, no matter what format! All copies must incude works cited/bibliography!

8. 1/16 - Revisions due; Websites and documentaries must be complete. Performances must be totally scripted.

9. 1/16 - Process papers due, Instructions Here!!

10. beginning 2/15 - Judging by faculty, finalists chosen

11. 2/24 - Winners submitted

12. Mid March - Baltimore City History Day Fair

13. April 29 - Maryland History Day Fair, UMBC

14. June 11 - 15 - National History Day - UM 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

1. Research Paper - Rough draft, 1500 to 2500 words. Must include bibliography and title page. Please see History Day Research Paper Website for information.

Clarification: Paper must be typed, double spaced, 12 font or smaller, 1 inch margins
                       No bullets
                       All copies must include works cited/ bibliography

2. Exhibit/ Display - Diagram or board, and all materials displayed. Rough draft of all text with bibliography. 500 word limit. Must include bibliography.

Please see History Day Exhibit Website for information.

Clarification: Bullets are NOT permitted, the statement must be supported in the text
                      Example: "Washington and his army spent the winter of 1776-1777 in Valley Forge, it was cold and there were many casualties" would be a bullet, but it is not complete. This would be the first sentence of a paragraph explaining where Valley Forge was, why Washington's armies were there, and including support such as a first person statement of someone who was there. Citations must be included in text.

You may be creative with fonts and text!

Works cited must be in text, bibliography must be part of the display.

Full text is due on all due dates, as well as a drawing for each panel and sources for all pictures or display components.

3. Perfomance - Diagram of stage, description of setting and costumes. Rough draft of script with bibliography. 10 minute limit.
Please see History Day Performance Website for information.

Clarification: Complete script is due on all due dates. Script must be in 12 font or smaller, 1 inch margins. Figure 1 page per minute.

Script must contain citations, the performance should not unless it is needed for the dialog.

4. Documentary - Description of documentary, script, and layout of each page including visual, film, or text. Rough draft of script with bibliography. 10 minute limit.
Please see History Day Documentary Website for information.

Clarification: Complete script is due, script must be in 12 font or smaller, 1 inch margins. Figure 1 page per minute.

Script must contain citations. A layout for each section or panel of the documentary is due, all works must be cited.

5. Website - Description of documentary, script, and layout of each page including visual, film, or text. Rough draft of script with bibliography. 10 minute limit.

DO NOT go directly to Weebly to set up your account, there is a fee. Go to National History Day Weebly Setup. Several people did not read this or follow this instruction last year! DO NOT GO DIRECTLY TO WEEBLY!!!! Follow This Instruction!

Please see History Day Website Development Website for information.

Clarification: Complete script is due, script must be in 12 font or smaller, 1 inch margins. Figure 1 page per minute.

Script must contain citations. A layout for each section or panel of the website is due. All works must be cited.

Remainder of schedule to be posted. This semester we will be participating in the Maryland History Day as our Research component.

National History Day Research Central

MLA Guide

Son of Citation Machine Correctly formats citations

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.

History Day Website for Maryland Participation