Thank you to Sara Romeyn, Ph.D., who allowed MHC to reprint her most recent blog post.  Ms. Romeyn is a teacher at Bullis School in Montgomery County.  You can read more of Sara’s posts at her site, Romeynwindow.

This Saturday, I will take 15 high school juniors to University of Maryland, Baltimore County for the state level competition of National History Day.  This is the third year Bullis has had students make it to states, and while the novelty has worn off a bit I am as excited and nervous as I was in 2010, when we began participating in NHD.

At the start, I was a little reluctant to integrate NHD into our 11th grade US History curriculum.  I especially worried that there wasn’t time in my AP classes for a major research project.  My colleague, Lisa, sold me on the potential benefits and we have had a program ever since.  With a little bit of creative scheduling (students covered much of Colonial America as part of a summer assignment, and I now make podcasts of lectures that students can view at home), we’ve managed to prepare fully for the AP exam AND engage deeply in research.  The students are better for it, and I am a better teacher.

So, what is NHD?  Briefly, it is a nationwide competition where students conduct research related to an annual theme, and present their findings in the form of a website, documentary, paper, performance, or exhibit.  Visit www.nhd.org for all the details and rules.

Our first year out, we had students craft websites related to the 2010 theme, “Innovation in History.”  I was thrilled when two of my students made it to the state competition,  Catherine for her website on the Brooklyn Bridge and Kamar for his work on the Brownie Camera. I was ecstatic when Catharine made it to Nationals.  I was awestruck when she won a $5,000 prize from the History Channel for best entry on a historic site!  And I was hooked.  Watch Catherine winning the History Channel Prize on YouTube.

Kamar, Sara, and Catherine

In 2011, the theme was “Diplomacy and Debate,” and Lisa and I began to fine tune the process.  Students began by exploring topics and conducting secondary research.  They drafted thesis statements and outlines.  They dug deep into primary documents.  They interviewed professors.  And they revised, revised again, and revised some more.  We expanded the choice of formats and sent nine students to states in the websites and performance categories.  Of those, five continued to Nationals and two won major prizes:  Kane was a finalist for his website on the Iran Hostage Crisis  and Cami won a college scholarship for her work on the Bay of Pigs Invasion . They were recently recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for their accomplishments.

Cami receives an award at the State Senate

This year, we pulled out all the stops.  The buzz about the program is growing, and students began brainstorming in the fall.  Every junior taking US History selected a topic relating to the theme “Revolution, Reaction, and Reform.”  We had an awesome Bullis History Night where our students displayed their projects for family, friends, teachers, and other classmates. View our History Night video on YouTube.
We pushed our students intellectually, asking them to dig a little deeper, provide additional evidence, and strengthen their arguments.   After selecting the top students to compete at the county level, we have 15 students heading to states…with representation in all categories, including documentaries, exhibits, and a research paper.
I don’t know what the outcome will be on Saturday–hopefully a few students will have the opportunity to continue on.  Regardless, the true victory has been in the process.  We’ve nurtured scholars who have gained ownership over a historical topic and are proud to share their work.  We’ve highlighted academic success and created a culture at our school where top history scholars are honored and celebrated.

Why NHD? Why NOT?

The MHC would like to thank Washington College for allowing us to share this article from their spring 2012 issue. The article contains a preface by MHC Board Member, Adam Goodheart.

“…we thought it would be a good idea to remind politicians and citizens of every party persuasion to mind their manners.” CLICK HERE to read on… -Washington College Magazine

Adam Goodheart’s book, 1861: The Civil War Awakening, is now available in paperback. 1861: The Civil War Awakening remains on the New York Times Best Seller List and was recently announced as a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize.

Interested in buying 1861: The Civil War Awakening by Adam Goodheart?  Click through our site to barnesandnoble.com and they’ll donate a portion of your purchase to MHC—at no additional cost to you!

Each year, thousands of students statewide work diligently with their dedicated social studies teachers on projects for the Maryland History Day Competition. Often we hear from students, parents, and teachers, about the positive effect History Day has in the classroom and in student’s lives, teaching them important skills needed later in life and fostering discipline and critical thinking skills. As a result, many kids get a boost of self-confidence by completing a long-term, challenging task.

On March 26^th, we received this lovely thank you note from RaeLynne Snyder, a teacher at Patterson Park Public Charter School, who was recognized with the Central District History Day Teacher of the Year Award. We think her account easily demonstrates the power of History Day.

Thank you, RaeLynne, for allowing us to share your letter of thanks. Do you have a History Day story to share?  Please share your thoughts by commenting below, or send us an email at info@mdhc.org.  We’d love to hear from you.

Hello All-

I just wanted to take a moment to express my appreciation for all that you do to make History Day happen.  I want to share with you how much this competition has meant for me and my students.

It all started for these current eighth graders at the end of the 2011 school year. I sent home with their final report cards an invitation to the 2012 History Day competition. They received the theme and were asked to think about a topic they might be interested in for the fall.

When the students returned in September we walked over to the southeast anchor branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system. They received a tour and database training by the youth librarian. The students learned how to look up books that pertained to their topics. Some topics were eliminated very quickly when the students saw how few books were available.  Some students found many books and hurriedly rushed out into the library holding the paper where they had scribbled down the name of the books that they were looking to find. They found out very quickly that it was actually that strange group of numbers that was going to be their ticket to success in the library. They came away from that day knowing how to go to the shelves and find a book using the system created by the Library of Congress.

Eventually it was our time to make it down to the main branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. We had a tour and a training in the Periodical section. This was a hard day for the kids. How were these huge, dusty, green books (The Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature) going to be of any help to them? The print was small, they had to decipher strange abbreviations and they were forced to rely on the librarian to be able to find the material for them.  I came away from this day disheartened, until I found out later that a group had become quite obsessed with the Periodical department and had asked their parents to take them back there several times since our training.

It was the second trip back to the main branch where I really saw the difference in my students.  They had used the EPFL database from my classroom to look up books on their topics, so when we went to the library they already knew what they were looking to find in the shelves. The librarians were ready for us and we were ready for them. The students were set free, lists in hand to find the books they had looked up before coming. We took over the second floor, my class, all sitting peacefully, surround by dozens of books. They were combing through them, deciding which ones to keep and which ones to leave. The librarians were astonished. These are eighth graders? We were told that we were invited back anytime. Everybody felt accomplished that day, teachers, students and librarians. Every group came away with a stack of books.

A few days later the language arts teacher stops me in the hallway- “I just wanted you to know that during silent reading today- Jason was reading a book on Joseph McCarthy- I assume that has something to do with you.”

There were so many amazing moments along the way. Brandi contacted a professor from Georgetown University, on her own, and the professor agreed to meet her at our school for an interview.  Brandi conducted the interview and used it in her paper. Brandi now knows how to contact people in a professional manner, has conducted an important interview, has learned how to cite and use that interview in a paper. Does it get any better than that?

In a time when social studies instruction is being marginalized and treated like it is an unworthy child in the education system- it is very validating to see how much the children learn from this History Day process.  I not only know how important social studies instruction is, I can prove it. I have thirty children who have completed projects that rival anything that they have done in their middle school career. And, yes, they did it with their social studies teacher. Marquel stopped me on the way out of class one day. He said “Ms. Snyder, this project has been a pain in the butt, but man did I learn a lot.” And Brandi said on the day of the competition “Ms. Snyder, I had no idea how much fun today was going to be. This whole experience has been totally epic.”

I agree Brandi. I agree.

I feel I would be remiss if I did not mention my award before I go. I cannot possibly articulate how much it meant to be recognized in front of my students and my peers.  Thank you so much. It is deeply, deeply appreciated.

Sincerely,

RaeLynne Snyder
Middle School Social Studies
Patterson Park Public Charter School

My student won at the county level and is advancing to the state contest – what do I do now?

The Maryland History Day staff is often asked this question.  Review our five tips below about how to help your student improve his or her project before the state competition.

As a teacher or mentor for History Day, your involvement with your student doesn’t have to stop.  Your student needs your guidance and assistance to improve their project at each stage in the competition.

Take advantage of electronic review. Let your students know that they can take advantage of the electronic review process offered by John Willard, Maryland History Day’s Outreach Coordinator, by sending an electronic copy of the project to jwillard@mdhc.org along with the process paper and bibliography.  John and his team of UMBC students will review projects as quickly as possible and give extensive critical comments on a first-come, first-served basis.  We cannot guarantee, however, that every submission will be reviewed.

Comments are there for a reason. You and your student should go over the judges’ comments from the district contest to find helpful feedback.  Focus on those things that need improvement, but also expand on what worked well. You and your student should review the rule book carefully to make sure that the project complies with all the rules – word limit, time limit, and required materials such as annotated bibliography, process paper.

Resources reflect research. Help your student find more and better resources by going to institutions such as historical societies, archives, museums; talking with experts; contacting people who lived the history; or by finding more print resources.  Take some of the good secondary resources and convert them to primary sources by hunting down original citations.  Connect your student with a librarian who can help with conducting an academic database search that can reinforce and build a greater understanding of the student’s topic.

Questions make the answer. Make sure that your student’s project has sufficient narrative qualities (Who? What? Where? When?), but more importantly, make sure your student analyzes and interprets the history (How? Why? Significance? Impact? Relevance to today?). The student’s final product should include this analysis, and they should be able to demonstrate it when being interviewed by the judges. TIP:  If your student is nervous about talking to the judges, have them hold a mock interview with another teacher in the school.

Be Prepared!  Make sure your student is prepared on the day of the contest: bring extra copies of the process paper and bibliography; bring a laptop, if available, for the documentary and website categories; have extra copies of the DVD on hand for the documentary category; pack extension cords (for exhibits if they require power), etc.

Judges will use the following criteria in evaluating projects:

• Historical quality (60%).  Project includes a good annotated bibliography, showing wide research; evidence of analysis and interpretation rather than just descriptive narrative; balanced presentation, showing both sides of an issue; understanding of historical context; historical accuracy.
• Relation to theme (20%).  Project shows evidence of topic’s significance in history and clear relation to the “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History” theme (can be one or all three parts of the theme).
• Clarity of presentation (20%).  Project is clear, grammatically correct, accurately spelled; well organized; original and creative.

Best wishes for a successful competition!  If you are a teacher, student, or parent that would like to share your tips and suggestions for History Day, please share them here! We’d love to hear your comments.

Eight exceptional student scholars and two dedicated teachers will receive commendations tonight during Maryland Senate and House of Delegates sessions in Annapolis for receiving national honors at the National History Day competition.

History Day students receiving their awards.

Sure, students achieve in all sorts of areas, from sports, to science fairs, and the arts, but what is it about success at a History Day competition that is worthy of such recognition?

What sets this competition apart from other types of student achievement? Because when students study history, they learn what it means to be human, and their immersion into the lessons of the past builds an informed citizenry, cultural understanding, and fulfills a need for shared identity. History isn’t just a review of our legacy.  It molds our future.

The writer Sam Ewing said “Hard work spotlights the character of people:  some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.” It isn’t often that a singular school project requires students to tap into their creativity, delve into primary source research and develop a project over the course of a school year. They pick a topic based upon a broad annual topic, and can choose to work in groups or individually.  Projects can be in the form of a website, historical exhibit, interpretive research paper, dramatic performance, or multi-media documentary.  Because students are empowered to explore topics of interest to them in a modality of their choosing, Maryland History Day provides an active learning experience that will stick with these kids for a lifetime.  Math and science teach important skills, but history also connects us with our humanity during a technologically driven, instant message, 140-character world.

Last year National History Day (NHD) released the findings of an independent study that showed that this competition  teaches critical thinking, writing, research skills and boosts performance across all subjects, that NHD students perform better on standardized tests, and that the contest prepares students for college, career, and citizenship You can read the key findings of the report or a summary on our site.

Watch this short video from NHD about their findings: History Day: It’s More than Just a Day…It’s an Experience.

On behalf of MHC, congratulations to these young scholars!  To view a list of the students and teachers traveling to Annapolis today, visit the MHD News page.  Look to MHC’s History Day Facebook page and our MHC Fan page for pictures from today’s activities.

Recently our History Day program assistant, Auni Husted, interviewed Amie Sanner of Calvert High School in Calvert County about her History Day experience. Ms. Sanner was honored with the 2011 Patricia Behring High School History Day Teacher of the Year award.

[Auni] What classes and grades do you teach?

[Amie] I have 9th, 10th, and 12th graders in Honors World History, United States History, and AP World History. I am actually teaching a pilot 9th grade AP World History class this year too, and it is going great!

How many years have you participated in History Day?

I have participated for 5 years.

How many of your students are participating in History Day this year?

All of my students complete History Day projects, which comes out to about 150 students.

How do you use History Day in your classroom? Is it a required assignment for all of your students, for just a certain class, or an option for one or more individual students who express interest?

For my underclassmen (Honors World History and United States History) they get the freedom to choose which way they would like to present their History Day project, but they all must complete a project. They also get the freedom to choose their topics (as long as they fit it into the theme). For my AP World History students they must complete the research paper (since these are skills I would like them to focus on in a rigorous college level class) and it can be on a topic of their choice, as long as it fits into the NHD theme. I also encourage other students in the school, whose teacher doesn’t participate in History Day, to complete the project. I have after school help sessions for any student that needs extra help, or wants to dig deeper into reasearch.

Do your students receive a grade for their History Day projects?  Extra credit?

All of my students receive multiple grades for completing their History Day project. I start with smaller “process” grades (such as collecting sources, correct annotations, creating a thesis statement, etc.) over the entire period of the project. At the end when the final project is due I grade them on a “product” grade. This grade is broken up into multiple parts on a rubric (follows NHD guidelines, connects to the NHD theme, overall appearance, creativity/originality, good use of primary sources, etc.).

Do you make classroom time available for History Day work?  Do you provide after school sessions?

History Fair is a 6 month long project in my class. I use about 3-5 days a month in the media center working on computers with students on various things (introducing and researching the theme, finding topics, looking for primary and secondary sources, creating the process paper and annotated bibliography,etc.). I also provide 2 Thursdays every month from September to February for after school help sessions (which I open up for any student in the school working on History Fair), and then in February I open up my classroom after school for a week for students to work on constructing and creating their projects (exhibits mostly). I have a lot of lower-income students who need to have supplies provided for them to complete the project, so I call them “Martha Stewart” days, when they get to use everything in my classroom (backboards, hot glue gun, computer and printer for pictures, construction paper, markers, decorations, etc.), and they create their project.

How much class time to you devote to History Day (per week and/or throughout the year)?

As a class we work on History Day every month from September through February. We spend between 3-5 days a month in the media center, but we spend time in class too working out the kinks in things too.

Personally, I spend a lot more of my time working on History Day than I like to admit. J I use Noodletools with my students to interact with their Annotated Bibliography, and it helps me to communicate with them about poor sources or weak annotations. This is one of my favorite things about technology, I can work on their projects when I’m in my PJs at home, and they get the feedback immediately.

I am Calvert High School’s History Fair Coordinator, so I spend a good portion of my time working with other social studies teachers on their projects with students too. I try to come up with newer and better ways to have our school’s History Fair, and more efficient ways to have other teachers feel comfortable working with their students on completing a History Fair project.

Do you partner with teachers in other disciplines or bring in outside resource people (such as archivists, local museum professionals, etc.)?

I have reached out to our English department to help work on Historical Papers, and our school’s theater department to help with Performances and Documentaries. We have two wonderful Media Specialists also who help our History Day students every step of the way. We are also fortunate enough to have the local D.C. museums within driving distance, so field trips to places like the Holocaust Museum provide students with other resources they can use for their projects as well.

Are there History Day research field trips?

I wish. Our funding is very tight. I have to provide my own resources and materials for my after school help sessions.

How do you involve parents in the process (e.g., evening introductory session, regular updates, showcase projects for families and the community)?

Throughout the process of completing History Fair we have numerous things for parents and students. Our school’s Media Specialist has History Day as the welcome page to our Media Center’s website (http://chsmedia.blogspot.com/), and it is also on our school’s website. I also personally send out emails to parents with my History Fair resource packet and helpful places for them to research. We also have a History Fair showcase in the school’s auditorium and a website gallery in the media center during History Fair.

Gatherings of United Stated military veterans grab the heart—on parade, in advocacy groups, at other significant events.For those of us who are not Veterans, we give their impenetrable solidarity its due not as a matter of shared experience; rather, we do so out of respect for sacrifice and for enduring the traumatic.However, on Wednesday, 16 November, at the Old Executive Office Building at the White House complex, Veterans and members of the humanities community, including the National Federation of State Humanities Councils and their stakeholders gathered to acknowledge that there are, in fact, ways to illuminate the Veteran’s experience so that caregivers and others can better appreciate its dimensions.The appeal, of course, is to the humanities.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offered “Using the Humanities to Support the Veteran Community” and highlighted a Maine Humanities Council-led program that now plays out in 20 VA facilities in 14 States.Jean Wortman, who organizes the Maryland Humanities Council (MHC) component of the Literature & Medicine program, was present, along with Phoebe Stein Davis, our Executive Director, Board members, and participants in the program as it takes place in Baltimore.NEH Humanities Chairman Jim Leach introduced the session, which engaged a broad audience in responding to a poem about airborne medical care and its sequelae:AB Negative (The Surgeon’s Poem) by Brian Turner.The conversation was stunning.The audience was moved.And once again, disparate individuals were able to rely upon the humanities to expose the universal in the unique and learn how such conversations in the health care environment are able to bolster empathic communication so generally needed in the hospital setting and so critically required among those who care for our Veterans.

Later in the afternoon, we also saw how New York’s Aquila Theater used the award-winning “Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives” program to place today’s combat veterans in a timeless setting.I was proud to be there among my MHC colleagues, program participants, and many others.But my mind kept drifting to the airborne poem and wondering whether the fact that its subject played out at an altitude of 10,000 feet made the subject soar in a heavenward direction, or simply elevated our discourse.In the end, what matters more is that all were in its grasp.

View the NEH White House Presentation on YouTube.

Photo From Left to Right (MHC Lit & Med Program Officer Jean Wortman, Baltimore VA participants Frank Williams Jr. and Mary Ann Wilkinson, MHC Executive Director Dr. Phoebe Stein Davis, and Baltimore VA participant Linda Keldsen.

The author, Adrianne Noe, is a member of the Board of the Maryland Humanities Council and a Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association, an organization that fosters understanding of human health and medical issues at extreme altitude. She attended the November 16th presentation at the White House, “Using the Humanities to Support the Veteran Community.”

Noah Tunis, a 4^th grader at Roland Park Elementary Public School, gave us his reflections on this year’s One Maryland One Book pick, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. A big fan of Alexie’s work, Noah was able to meet him at the Baltimore Book Festival and to get his book signed by the author.  What would you ask Sherman Alexie about the book if you had the chance?

Noah gets his book signed

I think I connected most to Junior/Arnold Spirit Jr. or whatever you want to call him. The way Mr. Alexie told the story you could really imagine it happened although that is probably because most of it did. Junior goes through terrible times and he somehow goes through them and continues to live his life. One of the first examples of this is when he opens his math book and sees his mother’s name. He gets very mad and throws the book at his teacher but afterwards just doesn’t talk about it anymore except when his old teacher does. Another example of this is when Junior’s sister Mary has run away and married a man in Montana. She had a party with some friends in her new trailer in Montana. While she and her husband are passed out in a side room somebody left out a bowl of soup and a curtain touched it and the trailer burned down while she was asleep. When Junior hears this news in the middle of school and is let out early, for the minutes before his dad picks him up and mostly afterwards, he remains calm and doesn’t get mad or terribly depressed but just lives through it. Junior also keeps you connected with his opinions and drawings about his life and what happens in it.

I think this book is so popular with people of all ages is because it is such a good and well written story that even for young people of maybe 8 or 9 they would still love it even if they couldn’t understand all of the context and humor. Saying that, for people who do understand it, it is a really hilarious book.

Junior encounters many bullies and heroes and even a bully who turns out to be a hero. For one there is Roger the giant who starts out to be so mean and racist he actually makes a remark quoting “Did you know Indians are living proof n*****s f**k buffalo.” When I understood that and realized how terrible that was, I thought Roger could never be good. Actually he turns out to be a nice guy, lending Junior money and driving him places. I can’t say there are any bullies in my life that I can compare to the first impression of Roger but there are some good heroes. Firstly there are my parents who provide me with food, clothes and a home. Next are my teachers who don’t treat me any different than children of a different race and teach me lots of things.

In the book Junior seems very nice and cool. I think why that is, is because 1) he is just a nice guy and likable person but also 2) because he is the main character. Now you might not believe me but I have always found that when authors write books you always end up cheering for the main character even if he/she is the bad guy. Authors just write the story so that even if you can see other characters’ points of view you always either think the main character is better with a better reason or you just side with the main character in the story.

A few questions I would like to ask Mr. Alexie are 1) Was the girl in your book named Penelope real and if so was she your girlfriend/friend like you described in the book? 2) Did Eugene (Junior’s dad’s best friend) and Mary (Junior’s sister) really die as terribly as you describe it? I would love it if Mr. Alexie would answer these questions but unless he checks this blog I’ll never know the answer to these questions so I hope he checks it!!!!!!!!

Thank you to National History Day for posting this op-ed by retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, Norman Augustine, titled “The Education Our Economy Needs. We lag in science, but students’ historical illiteracy hurts our politics and our businesses”. This contribution was printed in the Wall Street Journal on September 21st.

You can access his article as a PDF, re-posted  via the National History Day website.  WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS!

The Education Our Economy Needs
We lag in science, but students’ historical illiteracy hurts our politics and our businesses.
By NORM AUGUSTINE
Wall Street Journal, September 21, 2011

In the spirit of the new school year, here’s a quiz for readers: In which of the following subjects is the performance of American 12th-graders the worst? a) science, b) economics, c) history, or d) math? With all the talk of America’s very real weaknesses in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math), you might be surprised to learn that the answer—according to the federal government’s National Assessment of Educational Progress—is neither science nor math. And despite what might be suggested by the number of underwater home loans, high-school seniors actually fare best in economics. Which leaves history as the answer, the subject in which students perform the most poorly. It’s a result that puts American employers and America’s freedoms in a worrisome spot.
But why should a C grade in history matter to the C-suite? After all, if a leader can make the numbers, does it really matter if he or she can recite the birthdates of all the presidents? Well, it’s not primarily the memorized facts that have current and former CEOs like me concerned. It’s the other things that subjects like history impart: critical thinking, research skills, and the ability to communicate clearly and cogently. Such skills are certainly important for those at the top, but in today’s economy they are fundamental to performance at nearly every level. A failing grade in history suggests that students are not only failing to comprehend our nation’s story and that of our world, but also failing to develop skills that are crucial to employment across sectors. Having traveled in 109 countries in this global economy, I have developed a considerable appreciation for the importance of knowing a country’s history and politics.
The good news is that a candidate who demonstrates capabilities in critical thinking, creative problem-solving and communication has a far greater chance of being employed today than his or her counterpart without those skills. The better news is these are not skills that only a graduate education or a stint at McKinsey can confer. They are competencies that our public elementary and high schools can and should be developing through subjects like history. Far more than simply conveying the story of a country or civilization, an education in history can create critical thinkers who can digest, analyze and synthesize information and articulate their findings. These are skills needed across a broad range of subjects and disciplines.
In fact, students who are exposed to more modern methods of history education—where critical thinking and research are emphasized—tend to perform better in math and science. As a case in point, students who participate in National History Day—actually a year-long program that gets students in grades 6-12 doing historical research—consistently outperform their peers on state standardized tests, not only in social studies but in science and math as well. In my position as CEO of a firm employing over 80,000 engineers, I can testify that most were excellent engineers—but the factor that most distinguished those who advanced in the organization was the ability to think broadly and read and write clearly.
Now is a time to re-establish history’s importance in American education. We need to take this opportunity to ensure that today’s history teachers are teaching in a more enlightened fashion, going beyond rote memorization and requiring students to conduct original research, develop a viewpoint and defend it.
If the American economy is to recover from the Great Recession—and I believe it can—it will be because of a ready supply of workers with the critical thinking, creative problem-solving, technological and communications skills needed to fuel productivity and growth. The subject of history is an important part of that foundation.

Mr. Augustine, a former under secretary of the Army, is the retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin.

Spotlight on Ethan McComb, NHD Gold Medalist

Maryland’s first ever National History Day (NHD) gold medal winner answered a few questions about his experiences with the History Day program. McComb, who starts eighth grade at Plum Point Middle School in Calvert County this fall, competed in the junior individual exhibit category at the national level when he was in both sixth and seventh grades.

1. How did you pick your topic?  What did you know about the Marshall Plan before you started your research for History Day?

I chose my topic by analyzing the theme and then finding a topic that not only fit the theme, but was a researchable topic and one I would enjoy exploring. Before I started this research, my knowledge on the Marshall Plan was limited, but this research vastly increased my knowledge to a point of being able to create an in-depth project such as my History Day exhibit.

2. How much time did you spend working on your project each week or overall? How did you balance your project with your other schoolwork and extra curricular activities?

Throughout the entire process I have spent over a hundred hours working on and perfecting my project. I always kept in mind that school came first and if that meant having to go shoot baskets in the dark then so be it. I made sure to do my homework and my History Day project before sports, but on some nights you don’t have enough time, so I just did more work the next night.

3. What skills did you learn from your History Day experience that you may use in other courses or activities (in the future or today)?

I learned to be a better researcher and a better writer. These skills helped me excel as a student and will benefit me in whatever job field I choose to enter.

4. What were some of the most rewarding parts of your History Day experience (besides winning a gold medal)? What was exciting about the competitions themselves (e.g., seeing other projects, camaraderie with other students, talking to judges)?

The most rewarding part of History Day is the historical knowledge you gain and meeting all the other contestants. This allows you to get a better understanding of how other students think and how they choose to go about completing a History Day project. I also enjoy seeing the other exhibits that I was competing against and learning about those topics.

5. What was the most challenging part of History Day?

The most challenging part of History Day is staying dedicated and continuing to improve on your project, but if you do you will see yourself move on further and further in the competition.

6. What did you do to improve your project between each competition?

Between each competition I improved my project by continuing to do research and adding additional things to my project. For example, between states and Nationals, I conducted research at the National Archives. This research greatly improved my project by giving me primary source documents and real telegrams about the Marshall Plan which I used in my project.

7. What sources were the most important for your project, and where did you find them?

The sources that were most important for my project were the George C. Marshall Foundation and doing actual research at the National Archives.

8. What suggestions do you have for other History Day students?

Pick a topic you will enjoy doing and stay dedicated. Remember the reward of knowledge and understanding is well worth the price.

9. In what ways do you think History Day changed or impacted your life?

History Day changed the way I research and how I manage a large project. The History Fair has only impacted my life and my learning experience for the better.

10. Do you want to study history in the future—at college or perhaps as a career?

History has always been my passion and I truly love it. I haven’t decided what I want to be when I am older, but I am sure that history will in some way be involved with my life.

Photo: Classic Photography, courtesy of NHD

Ethan McComb with NEH Chairman Jim Leach at National History Day 2011.