Pinellas County History Day Project

Is there something you are good at?  Is there something you have always wanted to do?  Do you have a hobby or an interest?  Is there something you have always wanted to know more about?  Do you have someone in your family or your community who you find interesting? 

Well, I have good news for you.  Now you can study what you have always wanted to study AND get a good grade for it.

History Day projects are the way students in Mr. Kay’s class learn firsthand what history, community and research is all about.  Don’t let this scare you because the most important part of History Day  is that you enjoy learning about something you have chosen to learn about.

Just what exactly are you talking about?

Well, History Day in Mr. Kay’s class has two basic tenets:  learn something about American History and teach something.  You can learn WHATEVER you want that deals with Americans in the 20^th century?  This does not mean only the well known materials in your texts like battles, Presidents and major events.  You can learn about anything that has had any impact on America whether it is cultural, political, military, economic, etc…  Indeed, the more unique your project is the better because again, the second part of History Day is to teach us something.  We want to learn something new from you.  We want to know about our community or about our culture or about something we have not read in our textbook.

Do you mean I have to get up in front of the class?

Of course not.  You can teach us anyway you want.  You can write a paper or perform a play or create a computer demonstration or a video or build a 3 dimensional board.  Whatever you are good at, whatever will get your point across best is what we want from you.

O.K.  You have my interest now.  Can you give me some details?

Sure.  To begin with, look at the attached timeline of the assignments in this project.  You will notice that this is a year long project that will take lots of planning and reworking.  In the end, as you can see, you may even decide to enter your project into the National History Day contest we sponsor here in the county.

History Day Time-line

Task                                                    Due Date                                              Grade equivalent

Topic Chosen                           Sept. 2                                                             Quiz

Biblio and NoteCards                   October  17^th                                                   Test

Outline                                     November 11                                                  Homework

Rough Draft                              December 5^th                                                  Test                 

Final Draft                                Pinellas History Fair: Feb 7^th             Double Test Grade

**Whether you enter the contest or not, your project is due on the same day as the fair.

Wow!  This sounds like a lot of work.  Do I do it all on my own?  Are you going to help us?

You bet!  You will be given handouts at each stage of the project outlining how to choose a topic, how to write a bibliography and even how to design a project.  Class time will be spent answering questions and even going to the media center.  Finally, we even have a website written by Mr. Kay with guidelines, advice, resources, links and even advice from past History Day participants.  Check it out at

www.pinellashistoryday.org

Alright, so I can see this is a really big project.  It must count for a lot on the grade right?

Absolutely!  In fact, every due date above will count as a grade in the term that it is due.  At first, some students think this is unfair and don’t want to do the project.  However, once you get started, you will realize that the History Day project is a great way to boost your grade because as long as you do a good job and follow the criteria, you will get a good grade.

You’ve led me to my next question then.  How will I be graded?

As stated above, each due date is a different grade.  Now, if you look on the next page, you will see how your overall grade breaks down:

How Your Project will be Graded

Regardless of which project a student creates, the following principles of evaluation will be used in the grading of History Day entries.

Historical Quality  The most important aspect of a project is its historical quality, which determines 50% of the total evaluation. The evaluation will rest on the students' success at conducting historical research, interpreting their research, and drawing conclusions. A superior rating generally reflects positive responses to the following questions:

• Is the project historically accurate?
• Does the project provide analysis and interpretation of the historical data in addition to an accurate description? The project should not simply recount facts but interpret them.
• Does the project demonstrate an understanding of the historical context – the intellectual, physical, social, and cultural setting?
• Does the project reflect historical perspective – the causes and consequences of an event, for example, or the relationship of a local topic to larger events?

Primary Sources and Documents:  This is another critical part of the project that counts for 30% of the grade.  You MUST find primary sources such as documents, letters, newspaper articles written at the time, photographs and even interviews.  With today accessibility to the internet, primary sources are easy to find on archive and museum sites while interviews are even easier to locate than ever before.  This is one reason why we recommend local history projects as much as possible.  Grading will be based on the following questions:

• Does the annotated bibliography demonstrate solid research?
• Does the project demonstrate a balanced presentation of materials?
• Does the project use a variety of viewpoints (e.g., those who suffered as well as those who benefited, males, females, people from different racial or ethnic socioeconomic groups, as appropriate to the topic)?
• Does the project demonstrate the use of available primary sources and secondary sources?

Clarity of Presentation  Although historical quality is most important, entries must be presented in an effective manner. This section is worth 20% of the total evaluation. Do not be carried away by glitz; simpler is often –but not always-better. The following questions will be considered when looking at clarity of presentation:

• Is the project original, creative, well organized, and imaginative in subject and presentation?
• Is the project effective in communicating the significance of the topic?
• Is the written material clear, grammatical, and correctly spelled?
• In exhibits, are the title, sectional divisions, and main points easy to discern?
• Are photographs and images appropriate in terms of content and location?
• Is the overall project pleasing to the eye?
• In a documentary or performance, is the script clear?
• In a performance, do the students display stage presence?
• Is the visual material clear and appropriate for the type of project?
• Do the students display adequate familiarity with their equipment?
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What exactly are the different kinds of  History Day Projects?

Remember one of the major purposes of History Day, is for you to get a chance to show your skills in presentation.  Are you great with a computer or with public speaking?  Is writing your forte’?  Is design right up your alley?  Consider what you are good at as well as what will present your information the best.  Finally, don’t forget practicalities like availability of materials, cost and transporting your project.

Creating Exhibit Entries

Exhibits are designed to display visual and written information on topics in an attractive and understandable manner. They are similar to exhibits found in a museum. People walking by should be attracted to an exhibit's main idea and, therefore, stop to learn more about the topic. To be successful, an exhibit must create an effective balance between visual interest and historical explanation.

The most common form of exhibit project is a three-panel display. This style is the least complicated to design and build but is still a very effective way to present information.

Creating Documentary Entries

Constantly changing technology offers students limitless possibilities in developing media-based presentations for the documentary category. Students may create documentaries using slides, film, videos, or computers.   Web sites are not acceptable.

Creating Paper Entries

After a topic has been selected, a research paper involves three basic steps:

1. Collect information.
2. Organize the information.
3. Present it to the reader in a clear and interesting fashion.

The paper should consist of an introduction stating the thesis of the work, a main section addressing the theme, and a conclusion flowing logically from the thesis statement and body.

Creating Performance Entries

Performances can be one of the most exciting ways to participate in History Day, since it is the only category in which students present their research live. Projects in this category must have dramatic appeal, but not at the expense of historical information. Creativity is the key here, and students must make effective use of their 10-minute time allowance.