History day students are always doing amazing things, and so are our teachers! Three History Day teachers have been nominated and are eligible for Minnesota Teacher of the Year in 2013. Congratulations to Ron Hustvedt (Salk Middle School, Elk River), David Howard (Capitol Hill Magnet School, St. Paul), and Robin Kessler (Kenwood Trail Middle School, Lakeville).

The 2013 Minnesota Teacher of the Year will be announced Sunday, May 5, at...

To celebrate the opening of the US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center, The National WWII Museum partnered with National History Day to bring 51 middle and high school students to New Orleans to represent all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As part of this honor, each student selected a way their state influenced or was influenced by World War II. The students chose a variety of ways their state contributed to the American war effort...

The National History Day office recently released the 2013 logo to accompany next year's theme: Turning Points in History: People, Ideas, Events.

The NHD staff has also released the 2013 theme narrative, an annual description of the theme, with specific ideas to consider. Stay tuned in the fall for the Minnesota theme narrative and topic ideas!

"Turning...

The State History Day contest schedule has been posted! Visit the State History Day event page to view the schedule of judging times.

This schedule is subject to change, so all students should still plan on registering on the morning of State History Day to receive their final judge time and location. 

Contact Katie...

Sometimes, finishing a History Day project can seem like the end of a marathon. Months of research, writing and project creation leads to great satisfactions, but also a bit of exhaustion. 

But the actual project itself is not completed until all the paperwork is wrapped up. The bibliography and process paper should never be an afterthought; that information is among the most important that judges will review. 

Ideally, students...

Regional event season officially begins in two days! Thousands of students around the state will soon be presenting their hard work to a team of judges, and for many students, this is their first academic encounter with someone other than their parent or teacher. 

Judging can be a nerve-wracking process for some students, especially if they're not quite sure what to expect. Here are a few things students can expect from their judging...

The research paper category is the most traditional format for a historian's work, and probably the format that you will be creating the most if you head to college. For your pre-college career, a History Day paper might be the longest one you have ever written.

Research Papers

1. The thesis statement should appear immediately. You don't want to leave any doubt about your argument, so the thesis...

If you have chosen to do a performance, then you likely have a dramatic flair. But for History Day, you cannot rely on fancy costumes or elaborate backdrops to make your performance great.

Performances

1. Your script should be as realistic as possible. Time travel, speaking from beyond the grave, statues coming to life, and modern students conversing with long-dead historical figures do not lend an...

Next up in the Category Tips Series: Documentaries! Students may be experts with technology, but there are some substance and style issues they should pay attention to when creating documentaries.

Documentaries

1. "Say cow, see cow." The images on screen should match the script that is being read. If you are speaking about the bombing of Pearl Harbor, don't just show random pictures of Hawaii, or stock...