MAINE NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2008

Promoting the Study of History in the Schools

What is Maine National History Day?

An annual educational competition for all Maine students in grades 6 through 12. Each year students prepare papers, projects, or presentations that explore a broad historical theme. The program adds a new dimension to teaching and learning history, and rewards student initiative, creativity, and scholarship. It operates in cooperation with National History Day.

Location, Date, Registration

The statewide competition will take place at the University of Maine at Augusta on March 26, 2008. Registration deadline is March 3. Historical research paper entries and Web sites are due with the registration form. Contest and registration materials are available from the State Coordinator and at our web site: www.maine.gov/sos/arc/historyday/histhome.htm

Theme for 2008: Conflict and Compromise

Benefits to Students

To foster creativity and imagination, students select from a variety of formats to present their entries: papers, exhibits, documentaries, and performances. Required research develops analytic abilities, as well as reading and comprehension skills. An interdisciplinary approach is encouraged, integrating arts, economics, sciences, and other disciplines. Problem solving skills and teamwork are stressed. Teams of educators and historians judge entries on historical quality, presentation, and adherence to theme. The experience of History Day enriches students' academic knowledge and practical skills.

Benefit to Schools and Teachers

The competition provides teachers with a means to encourage students to expand their efforts beyond the classroom experience. MNHD provides an excellent assessment tool; integrates the study of history with other disciplines, including writing, the arts, and other social sciences; supplies curricular aids (lesson plans, bibliographic guides); supports professional development through workshops and summer institutes; encourages interaction with academic historians, librarians, archivists, and public historians; involves families and communities in support of education. Winning schools, students and teams will be recognized for their achievements.

Relationship to National History Day

Maine History Day is part of a nationwide program involving all fifty states and the District of Columbia . 500,000 students and over 50,000 teachers and media specialists participate. Maine State winners may take part in the national competition at the University of Maryland in mid-June.

Maine National History Day is an important opportunity for Maine schools, teachers, and students.

The most important purpose of the program is to change the way history is taught and learned by challenging students to conduct meaningful historical inquiry, and by providing an opportunity in which students’ work is evaluated outside the classroom. The goals:

provide a model for meeting educational standards that require performance-based assessment;
interest students in learning about history by integrating the materials and methods of social studies, art, literature, language, and music into their entries;
develop research and reading skills; refine presentation skills in writing, visual projects, and performances;
improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will help students manage and use information effectively now and in the future;

History Day fits perfectly with the history segment of the social studies learning results:

Students will learn to analyze the human experience through time, to recognize the relationships of events and people, and to identify patterns, themes, and turning points of change using the chronology of history and major eras. In interpreting current and historical events, students will evaluate the credibility and perspectives of multiple sources of information gathered from technology, documents, artifacts, maps, the arts, and literature.

A. CHRONOLOGY: Students will use the chronology of history and major eras to demonstrate the relationships of events and people.

B. HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE, CONCEPTS, AND PATTERNS: Students will develop historical knowledge of major events, people, and enduring themes in the United States, in Maine, and throughout world history.

C. HISTORICAL INQUIRY, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION: Students will learn to evaluate resource material such as documents, artifacts, maps, artworks, and literature, and to make judgments about the perspectives of the authors and their credibility when interpreting current historical events.

EXCERPTED FROM 1997 MLR TO 2007 MLR

We hope you and your students can get involved. Let us know if you need additional information or support.

Maine National History Day Website
www.maine.gov/sos/arc/historyday/histhome.htm

National History Day Website
www.nationalhistoryday.org