Here is some basic information for our History Fair. This year we will be utilizing last years National Day of History theme "Triumph & Tragedy". Please check out their web site at www.nhd.org. Our goal for next year will be to compete at the National History Day level and have some of our students move on to State. Please be patient with us as we are researching and learning about these national fairs.

Five levels of competition:

· Pre-School; K to 2nd grade

· 3rd to 5th grade

· 6th to 8th grade

· high school

· multi-grade family entry

There are two types of projects:

A: Physical Displays - These would be set up on tables and require no explanation by the student. The people who come would be able to learn something from the display without the student being at the table.

Examples:

1. Three panel display board, like a science fair project

2. 3D project with a sign or cards to explain it (fort, village, pyramid, etc.)

3. Sew a time period outfit and display it with cards of explanation (this could also fall into the other project type if the person would model it and give a verbal presentation)

4. Lap Book

5. Photo display of historic site you have personally visited (for older students, it should be pictures they have taken themselves; younger students could use photos taken by a parent)

6. Cook or bake a time period food or foods- include the recipe and a display of photos of you doing the work

7. "Write a book" with illustrations (drawn, cut from a magazine, from the internet, etc.

8. Replica of an important invention with information about the inventor, time period, effect on the lives of people, etc.

B: Performance Projects - 5 to 7 minutes per student or group (if it is a group, the time may be longer with prior approval). Any of these could be done in time period costume.

Examples:

1. Skit or dramatic monologue

2. Write and read a poem about a person or event from history

3. Recite a speech by a historical character (memorization would depend on the age of the student and the length of the speech)

4. Do a Power Point® presentation of a person, place, event, time period, etc.

5. Be a reporter and report on an event or "interview" a person from history

6. Perform music or a certain composer or time period and tell about the composer or style of music

These are just some possibilities, but the students would be free to put their imaginations to work. (Anything deemed inappropriate by the judges would not be allowed to enter). They can pick a subject that interests them and a way of presenting it that best suits them. Students should strive for excellence in their grade level. Students could enter one project in each category (physical displays and performance projects) but not more than one, so that they are not "competing" against themselves. This would mean they could not do a display as a family and a display individually, but they could do a display as a family and a performance individually or vice versa.

ALL ENTRIES MUST BE REGISTERED BY OCTOBER 31ST TO PARTICIPATE. Please send your completed registration forms to:

Shari White, 200 Gann St. Georgetown, TX 78626

No late entries will be accepted. This is a major project and should not be thrown together at the last minute. It is a time for students to learn to set goals and a schedule to reach those goals. A project of this type will be an asset on a college application. Also, our hope is to have students go on to state competition next year and those students take months to work on projects worthy of state level competition.

ALL PROJECTS MUST HAVE DOCUMENTATION OF SOURCES USED, done in style appropriate for the grade level of the student. This is a good learning experience for any age student. It is wise to use a variety of sources if possible, such as books, magazines, videos, internet articles, personal interviews where possible, visits to historic sites where possible, etc. This will be a part of the judging and will be important for students who wish to compete on a state level next year. Pictures of your work and documentation of sources will be a good thing to have in your portfolio.

All participants will receive a certificate for their portfolio and a ribbon of "Very Good", "Excellent", or "Exceptional".

We would encourage (but not restrict) students to do projects of state and local interest. We have a lot of history at our fingertips that we often overlook. The fair this year will be held November 9th, at the Community Center in San Gabriel Park in conjunction with our Thanksgiving dinner and special guest speaker.