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 2022

    For the 2022 contest season, students need to follow the category guidelines below and submit their projects through their registration account in Zfairs. Make sure to review the teacher registration and student registration instructions before submitting.

    Exhibit Category

    • Finish Your Exhibit: You will create a physical exhibit to present at the contest in person. Take a photo of your exhibit to include with your paperwork so judges can easily find your exhibit on the day of the contest. This photo will NOT be a part of your evaluation.
      • If you require an outlet for your exhibit, please contact the state coordinator at vania.boland@iowa.gov.
    • Save Your Paperwork: Your Title Page, Process Paper, Annotated Bibliography and a photo of your exhibit must be saved as one PDF file. No other file type is accepted. To save a Google Doc as a PDF go to "File," and "Download As" and select the .pdf option.
    • Submit to ZFairs. Once you have one PDF of your paperwork, you will login to ZFairs. Upload the file under "exhibit upload" and save. Group projects only need to be submitted by one member.

    Judges will receive the process paper and annotated bibliography to review before attending the contest.

    Documentary

    • Finalize Your Documentary: Projects MUST BE PUBLISHED as "unlisted" on YouTube. The project submission will include the project's YouTube URL, combine the process paper and annotated bibliography into one PDF.
    • Submit to ZFairs. You will login to ZFairs and provide your documentary YouTube link and upload your paperwork under "documentary upload" and save. Group projects only need to be submitted by one member.

    Judges will receive a link to the documentary, the process paper and annotated bibliography to review before attending the contest. The judges will play the documentary for the judges at the contest. Students are welcome to bring a backup copy but it is not required.

    Paper

    • Finalize Your Paper: Finish writing your paper and save it as a PDF file.
    • Save Your Paperwork: Your Title Page, Process Paper, and Annotated Bibliography must be saved as ONE PDF file. No other file type is accepted.
    • Submit to ZFairs. You will login to ZFairs and upload your paper under "paper upload" and save.

    Judges will review the paper before the contest. Students do not need to bring copies and will not receive an edited copy of their paper.

    Performance

    • Finalize Your Performance: You will create a 10 minute performance to present at the contest in person.
    • Save Your Paperwork: Your Title Page, Process Paper, and Annotated Bibliography must be saved as ONE PDF file. No other file type is accepted. To save a Google Doc as a PDF go to "File," and "Download As" and select the .pdf option.
    • Submit to ZFairs. You will login to ZFairs and upload your paperwork under "performance upload" and save. Group projects only need to be submitted by one member.

    Judges will receive the process paper and annotated bibliography to review before attending the contest. Students will perform in person for the judges at the contest.

    Websites

    Students will create a website on https://website.nhd.org/ upload the process paper and bibliography to the website. Make sure to submit your 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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