National History Day is known for its annual contest, a rigorous program that requires a solid commitment from both educators and students. While it is open to all students, many don’t have the resources, time, or perhaps even the interest to pursue it. Whether or not your child participates in the contest, I’d like to share some innovative ways to use National History Day for your student.
There are two ways to look at the National History Day contest – what it is and what it can be.
What National History Day IS…
“The largest NHD program is the National History Day Contest that encourages more than half a million students around the world to conduct historical research on a topic of their choice. Students enter these projects at the local and affiliate levels, with top students advancing to the National Contest.“
Source: NHD.org (National History Day website)
Sounds good, right? It is. My children have been participating in this program since 2015. They’ve learned research and writing skills that have prepared them well for college-level coursework. More importantly, they’ve been able to gain lasting knowledge about topics that interest them. I could spend a lot more time talking about the benefits of this program. Instead, I’d like to cover…
What National History Day can also be:
First, let’s look at a simple translation of the NHD contest to your homeschooling. Even if you’re not planning to compete, you can certainly use National History Day as a (free) resource. Depending on your child’s interests, they can follow guidelines for any of the five entry categories:
- Paper
- Website
- Documentary
- Performance
- Exhibit
Use the National History Day annual theme for a focal point, adapt the project to fit your child’s abilities and interests, and make good use of all the resources on the National History Day website or any of its local affiliate websites. Your child can learn how to craft a thesis, how to write an annotated bibliography, the difference between primary and secondary sources, and much more. As an educator, you can also take advantage of countless resources.
A Key Component
Although it might make sense to have your student do a topic related to the history you’re currently studying, let them choose their own topic. Give them free rein to explore history in any way that captures their imagination.
Innovation
This is the really fun part for me. In addition to my children’s contest participation, I use NHD as inspiration for our homeschool group activities. For seven years, we’ve done an annual NHD performance. The students choose any historical figure they want – and I mean anyone. We’d had well-known leaders, obscure history makers, authors, artists, astronauts, suffragettes, abolitionists, race car drivers, entertainers, and more.
The students prepare an individual speech and I write a play that brings all the characters together in a storyline based on the annual theme. We have a recurring scenario of time travel that makes it work. It’s a fun low-budget production and a tremendous learning experience for us all. We present two performances that combine the play and the speeches, one at an assisted living facility and one for family and friends. You can read more about it here.
There are many other ways to incorporate National History Day into your homeschooling without entering the contest. Add a historical component to piano recitals. Teach your children how to interview (especially the elderly) with an eye towards primary source material for learning and projects. Have your children use NHD resources to craft well-researched presentations for public speaking.
You can go big or stay small. Put together a performance with a dozen students or just have your child make a piece of art at home that relates their favorite historical figure with the NHD theme.
Our eighth annual performance was canceled due to Covid. Instead, we created artwork for a display at our local library around this year’s theme, “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding”. Small but still meaningful.
NHD for Your Homeschooling
Think of some innovative ways to use National History Day for your student this year or next. You may not consider the contest right now. But you can dip your toes in and test the waters. Perhaps you’ll move on. Or you may circle back and dive in deeper. Maybe next year your student will create a contest entry. Either way, take advantage of this tremendous resource for teaching and learning.
