Info for Parents

A Word to History Day Parents

Why should your child participate in History Day?
History Day makes learning fun! Students will

• Explore a topic they choose;
• Showcase their artistic, dramatic, technological, and writing talents;
• Sharpen their research, critical thinking, and communication skills, and;
• Strengthen their self-esteem and confidence.

How does History Day work?
The process is straightforward! Students

• Choose a topic, keeping in mind the 2008-2009 National History Day theme ›› Click for Details
• Select a format—research paper, documentary, performance, exhibit, or website—for presenting their research
• Work individually or in groups of up to five people (the research paper category is for individual projects only)
• Research and develop their project.

Remember! A History Day project is more than a weekend project and takes several months or more to complete.

What are the rules?
Visit Here for a rule book. Or, you can request a hard copy from your child’s teacher or by e-mailing .

When are the competitions?

• Your child’s teacher can tell you if and when your school is holding a schoolwide History Day competition.
• County or district competitions typically take place in March. Click here for dates, locations, and contacts. County competition winners advance to the statewide Maryland History Day competition in April at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
• Winners at the state competition advance to the National History Day competition in June at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Good to know: As students move to the next level of competition, they are allowed to make improvements to their projects, using the judges’ comments. The level of competition increases at each stage, as the quality of projects is raised.

What is the role of parents?
Parents can

• Encourage students by sharing the experience through discussions about student research;
• Familiarize students with rules and requirements;
• Help students develop a research and project production calendar with deadlines;
• Provide transportation to research sites (such as libraries, archives, museums, historic sites) and to History Day competitions;
• Guide students as they consider different institutions, research sites, and resources that might have information concerning their project (i.e., a maritime museum or a fisherman for students doing research on the Chesapeake Bay);
• Operate dangerous equipment, such as power tools; and
• Assist with transporting exhibits and props.