Exhibit Project

    Projects

    Read the Rules

    Before you begin work on an entry for competition, you, your teacher, and your parents should carefully read the Contest Rule Book. Contact the state coordinator to learn if any rules have been revised since the publication of this rule book, and for more information on topics, sources, and deadlines. 

    Understand the Theme

    Each year your research must connect to the annual National History Day theme. Themes for each contest year are chosen to be broad enough to encourage investigation of topics ranging from local history to world history, and from ancient time to the recent past. To understand the historical importance of your topic you need to ask questions about time, place and context, cause and effect, change over time, and impact and significance. You must consider not only when and where events happened, but also why they occurred and what factors contributed to their development.

    Choose a Topic

    Topics for research are everywhere! Think about a time in history or individuals or events that are interesting to you.

    • Read books, newspapers or other sources of information and add to your list.
    • Talk with relatives, neighbors, or people you know who have lived through a particular time in history that interests you and add more ideas.
    • Keep thinking, reading and talking to people until you have many ideas that are interesting.
    • View the list of topics related to Iowa history if you are interested in exploring a local topic.

    Now go back through the list and circle the ideas that connect with the theme. From the ideas that you circled, select one to begin your research. Keep your list because you might need it again. Selecting a National History Day Contest topic is a process of gradually narrowing down the area of history (period or event) that interests you to a manageable subject.

    Project Submission Process for 2021

    Due to COVID-19, the 2021 National History Day in Iowa contest season, including the state contest, will be hosted online. Students need to follow the category guidelines below to participate in the 2021 contest season.

    Exhibit Category

    Students will create a physical exhibit, take photos of the project and use the photos to create a PDF powerpoint using the National History Day exhibit template. The project submission will include the PDF powerpoint of the exhibit as well as a PDF that combines the process paper and annotated bibliography. Only ONE submission needs to be made for a group project.

    The following naming convention must be used with exhibit project submission:

    lastname.divison-jr./sr.-category.districtcontest
    Ex. boland.senior.exhibit.sullivanbrothers

    Judges will be sent a google folder containing the exhibit template in PDF, process paper and annotated bibliography. 

    Documentary

    Projects MUST BE PUBLISHED as "unlisted" on YouTube and MUST BE SUBMITTED through the project submission form. The project submission will include the project's YouTube URL, combine the process paper and annotated bibliography into one PDF. Only ONE submission needs to be made for a group project.

    The following naming convention must be used with documentary project submission:

    lastname.divison-jr./sr.-category.districtcontest
    Ex. boland.senior.documentary.sullivanbrothers

    Judges will receive a link to the documentary on YouTube and a google folder containing the student(s) process paper and annotated bibliography.

    Paper

    Projects must be saved as a PDF and MUST BE EMAILED to the district coordinator by the registration deadline.

    The following naming convention must be used with paper project submission:

    lastname.divison-jr./sr.-category.districtcontest
    Ex. boland.senior.paper.sullivanbrothers

    Judges will review the paper and submit edits through the comment sheet google form. Students will not receive an edited copy of their paper.

    Performance

    Students will record their performance and MUST PUBLISHED as "unlisted" on YouTube and MUST BE SUBMITTED through the project submission form. The submission will include the project's process paper and annotated bibliography. Only ONE submission needs to be made for a group project.

    The following naming convention must be used with performance project submission:

    lastname.divison-jr./sr.-category.districtcontest
    Ex. boland.senior.performance.sullivanbrothers

    Judges will receive a link to the performance on YouTube and a google folder containing the students(s) process paper and annotated bibliography.

    Websites

    Students will create a website on https://website.nhd.org/ and submit their website URL at the time of registration. No additional materials need to be submitted.

    Judges will receive the website URL by email. 

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