NATIONAL HISTORY DAY RESEARCH PROJECT 2015-2016
This Year's Theme: Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History
Each year more than half a million students just like you participate in the National History Day program. You will choose a historical topic related to the theme, and then conduct primary and secondary research. You will look through libraries, archives and museums, conduct oral history interviews, and visit historic sites. After you have analyzed and interpreted your sources, and have drawn a conclusion about the significance of your topic, you will then be able to present your work in the form of a website, museum style exhibit, documentary video, dramatic performance, or research paper.
Your Goal: To create a website, documentary video, museum style exhibit, a dramatic performance, or write a research paper to demonstrate the findings of your research.
The Process: We will be taking a step by step approach to this project. Each new step will be introduced, and modeled at NHD meetings. However, the completion of each step will require that students work on the project at home. Therefore, please be aware of the various steps involved in the project. Due dates will be assigned only after each preceding step has been completed. So… do not worry about the end product, or the final due date. Just take care of each individual task or step as they are assigned by Mr. O'Mara.
Here is an overview of the steps involved in this project:
Step #1: Topic Selection: Choosing possible topics that you would be interested researching
Step #2: “Pre-Search”: Collecting basic background information to become more familiar with your topic
Step #3: Development of a Research Question: You will develop a specific question that will help you narrow and focus your research. The goal of your research will be to collect evidence that will help you answer your research question.
Step #4: Focused Research: Using books, primary source documents, data bases, and select online sources you will collect facts, data, and evidence to answer your research question. This step will require the proper use of electronic/online resources. Specific note-taking forms and methods will also be used.
Step #5: Development of a Thesis Statement: This statement will essentially be an answer to your research question, and will be based on the findings of your research.
Step #6: The Final Product: Create a website, documentary, exhibit, dramatic performance, or write a research paper to demonstrate the findings of your research, and to prove your thesis statement.
The Process: We will be taking a step by step approach to this project. Each new step will be introduced, and modeled at NHD meetings. However, the completion of each step will require that students work on the project at home. Therefore, please be aware of the various steps involved in the project. Due dates will be assigned only after each preceding step has been completed. So… do not worry about the end product, or the final due date. Just take care of each individual task or step as they are assigned by Mr. O'Mara.
Here is an overview of the steps involved in this project:
Step #1: Topic Selection: Choosing possible topics that you would be interested researching
Step #2: “Pre-Search”: Collecting basic background information to become more familiar with your topic
Step #3: Development of a Research Question: You will develop a specific question that will help you narrow and focus your research. The goal of your research will be to collect evidence that will help you answer your research question.
Step #4: Focused Research: Using books, primary source documents, data bases, and select online sources you will collect facts, data, and evidence to answer your research question. This step will require the proper use of electronic/online resources. Specific note-taking forms and methods will also be used.
Step #5: Development of a Thesis Statement: This statement will essentially be an answer to your research question, and will be based on the findings of your research.
Step #6: The Final Product: Create a website, documentary, exhibit, dramatic performance, or write a research paper to demonstrate the findings of your research, and to prove your thesis statement.