Exploration,
Encounter, Exchange in History
Resources
at the LBJ Library and Museum for National History Day Projects, 2004
CenTex Region History Day Competition
The CenTex Region History Day competition will be held at the Lyndon Baines
Johnson Library and Museum on Saturday, February 21, 2004.
What is National
History Day?
National History Day is an exciting way for students to study and learn
about historical issues, ideas, people and events. This year-long educational
program fosters academic achievement and intellectual growth. In addition
to acquiring useful historical knowledge and perspective while developing
entries and competing in a series of district, state and national contests,
students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills that will
help them manage and use information now and in the future.
National History Day
is not just a day, but every day! The National History Day program is
a year-long education program that culminates in a national contest every
June. It engages students in grades 6-12 in the process of discovery and
interpretation of historical topics. Students produce dramatic performances,
imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries and research papers based
on research related to an annual theme. These projects are then evaluated
at local, state, and national competitions.
The program begins
at the start of the school year. Curriculum and contest materials are
distributed to History Day coordinators and teachers throughout the country.
The theme for 2004 is Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History. In
many states and districts, teachers are invited to workshops where they
share ideas about how the year’s theme can be most effectively addressed
and also receive bibliographies and other resources. Teachers then introduce
the program to their students who, in turn, choose topics and begin their
research. Students are encouraged to choose any topic in local, national
or world history and investigate its historical significance and relationship
to the theme by conducting extensive primary and secondary research. After
analyzing and interpreting their information, students present their findings
in papers, exhibits, performances, and documentaries that are evaluated
by historians and educators.
National History Day
has two divisions: the junior division (grades 6–8) and the senior
division (grades 9–12). Students can enter one of the following
seven categories: individual paper, individual or group exhibit (similar
to a museum exhibit), individual or group performance (a dramatic portrayal
of the topic), individual or group documentary (usually a slide show,
a video, or a non-interactive computer program). Groups may consist of
two to five students. District History Day contests are usually held in
February or March. District winners then prepare for and compete at the
state contests, usually held in April or early May. The top two finishers
in each category at the state contest become eligible to advance to the
national contest held in June at the University of Maryland at College
Park. Go to www.nationalhistoryday.com for additional information.
Students, show your
creativity by making history come alive in an exhibit, documentary, paper,
or performance. By producing one of these projects, you have opportunities
to win awards and scholarships, as well as learn about your history. If
you are in grades 6-12, you may enter the contest in either the junior
(grades 6-8) or senior (grades 9-12) divisions. You may participate individually,
or as part of a group of up to five students. Public, private and home
schools are welcome to participate.
Topics
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum provides rich primary source
documentation for your National History Day project. Visiting the Library
to conduct your research would obviously provide the most information
and documentation. However, many oral histories, a selection of telephone
recordings, photographs, selections from the President’s Daily Diary,
streaming media, and more are available online.
The theme, Exploration,
Encounter, Exchange in History is a broad one so topics should be carefully
selected and developed in ways that best use students' talents and abilities.
Whether a topic is a well-known event in world history or focuses on a
little-known individual from a small community, students should be careful
to place their topics into historical perspective, examine the significance
of their topics in history, and show development over time. Studies should
include an investigation into available primary and secondary sources,
analysis of the evidence, and a clear explanation of the relationship
of the topic to the theme. Then, students may develop papers, performances,
documentaries, and exhibits for entry into National History Day competitions.
There are several
guides students and teachers can use to create a project. Go to http://nationalhistoryday.org/02_contest/02.html to access forms, worksheets, tips, and more.
Numerous topics can be developed using resources from the LBJ Library
and Museum. Some suggestions include:
-
Exploration of
Space: The Decision to Go to the Moon
-
Encountering New
Frontiers in Space: US reaction to Sputnik
-
Encountering a
New Role of the Federal Government in Education: Elementary and Secondary
Education Act, 1965
-
Encountering Medicare:
Health Benefits for the Aged Guaranteed
-
Exchanging Grey
Skies for Blue: The Clean Air Act
-
Encountering Beauty
in Washington, D. C.: The Work of the First Lady's Committee for a More
Beautiful Capital
-
Exchanging Blight
for Beautification: The Highway Beautification Act of 1965
-
Encountering Tragedy:
The Transition of Power following the Assassination of President John
F. Kennedy
-
Encountering Tragedy
and Strife: The Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and its Aftermath
-
Encountering Civil
Rights: The March from Selma to Montgomery
-
Encountering Civil
Rights: The Civil Rights Act of 1964
-
Encountering Civil
Rights: The Voting Rights Act of 1965
-
Encountering Violence:
The 1967 Detroit Riots
-
Exploring Support
for the Arts: The Establishment of the National Endowments for Arts
and Humanities
-
Exploring Presidential
Succession: The Ratification of the 25th Amendment
-
Encounter of the
Great Powers: The Role of the US and the USSR in the Six-Day War
-
Encounter in the
Middle East: The Attack on the USS Liberty
-
Encounter in Vietnam:
The Attacks in the Gulf of Tonkin and the Resulting Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
-
Exchanging Nuclear
Security: The Negotiation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
-
Encountering Change:
The Appointment of Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court
-
Exchanging Poverty
for Opportunity: The War on Poverty
-
Encounter With
North Korea: The Capture of the USS Pueblo
-
Exchanging the
Dark for Light: Bringing Electricity to the Texas Hill Country
-
Exploring Solutions
to Famine: Food Aid to India
Related Links
National Archives and Records Administration
www.nara.gov/education/historyday/history.html
Meeting Educational Standards in the Classroom
http://nationalhistoryday.org/02_contest/02.html
For Program Rules
and Information, contact:
National History Day
0119 Cecil Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
(301) 314-9739
national.history.day@umail.umd.edu
www.NationalHistoryDay.org
National Contest: June 13-17th at the University of Maryland
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