Why participate in Maryland History Day?

Learning about history is fun! With Maryland History Day, history is much more than memorizing names and dates and places. It lets you become the expert by conducting original research and presenting your findings about how history affects your life and community. Researching history can be like unraveling a mystery in which you are the detective!

History Day encourages you to choose a topic that means something to you personally.

• Love science? Pick a topic about an important discovery.

• Excited about politics? Immerse yourself in issues of the past and present.

• Into music? Research the impact of past musical trends on today's sound.

• Passionate about sports? Jump into sources about your favorite athletic team or sport.

History Day lets you pick a format that fits your talents and interests.

• Exhibit - be a museum curator and create an eye-catching exhibit

• Performance - bring history to life through your stage presence

• Research paper - hone your skills for the papers you will write in high school and college

• Documentary - use your camera and digital technology to tell your story

• Web Site - create a portable multimedia presentation that is easy to share with friends and family

History Day gives you an opportunity to showcase your research.

• Impress judges with your research and creativity at local, state, and national competitions

• Take advantage of opportunities to showcase your work at museums and community events

• Feature your History Day achievements on your college applications

History Day helps develop skills that benefit you in the classroom and beyond.

• Learn how to use primary and secondary sources and create an annotated bibliography

• Analyze and interpret different sources and form your own thesis

• Develop critical thinking skills and confidence in your judges' interview

How are winners recognized?

• There are different awards at each level of competition, including medals, plaques, cash prizes, scholarships, and other opportunities. Maryland advancers to the national contest win $50 and a t-shirt; special prize winners can win up to $150 for excellence in fields such as Maryland, labor, women's, military and African-American history. See a complete list here (link to special prizes under Contest). In 2010, Maryland student Catherine Troup won $5,000 from the History Channel at National History Day for a project linked to a historic site.

How should I get started and where can I go for help?

• Ask your social studies teacher about how to get involved in History Day

• If your school does not already participate in History Day, ask your teacher to contact your county History Day coordinator or the state History Day coordinator Judy Dobbs at  jdobbs@mdhc.org to receive introductory materials.

• History Day is not limited to the social studies classroom. Teachers of other disciplines - such as English and art - may also serve as History Day sponsors/mentors.

• Some teachers make History Day a classroom assignment for all students, others make the program optional for students who wish to participate, and some sponsor an after-school history club that focuses on the creation of a History Day project.

What do other students have to say about History Day?

• "Before I participated in History Day, my outlook on history itself was that it was only about the hard facts, names and dates. History Day has taught me that understanding history is more about the "what", the "why" and the "how" rather than the "who", the "when" and the "how many." Now, I understand that, for example, how many people died in the war is not always as important as how those deaths and the war impacted the society and culture or even the world as we know it."

• "My research skills, time management skills, and study skills have improved after participating in NHD. These changes have rolled over into my other classes, and will ultimately lead to an improvement in my school work."

• "The research and writing skills that I learned in History Day have been really useful in school. Learning to write a strong thesis, creating a powerful argument, and using reliable yet strong sources/evidence, have all been extremely crucial skills that I acquired in History Day. On the side, I also learned how to create documentaries on the computer; this is a fun and great thing to know."

• "I think that what most impacted me was the importance of deadlines. I also learned to take responsibility and initiative for my research and putting together my project."

• "It showed me that history isn't just the boring battles you learn about in school. It gave me a chance to actually critically think about something in history and the knowledge I gained helped me with my general history class work."