National History Day – Birchwood's Longest Enduring Signature Program

By HELENE DEBELAK
Director of Curriculum

As Birchwood School of Hawken celebrates its 40th anniversary, we note also the 40th anniversary of the school’s participation in National History Day (NHD). 

We recognized that this program upheld our mission, i.e., to offer opportunities for all students to set attainable goals according to their potential. This could be accomplished by way of signature programs that would immerse them in a subject over a long stretch of time. This, in turn, would allow students to authentically experience the skills and habits of mind of that subject. Rather than merely “learning” a subject, they would become historians, scientists, mathematicians, writers, and readers. 
 
National History Day does just that! In this quality competition, the criteria for judging mirrors that of an historian. NHD is a tool in the teacher’s hands to engage students in a meaningful way with history.

Another byproduct is that the months of research create an arena for students to develop the traits of hard work and persistence. In addition, they learn how to manage a big project – long-term goals can be accomplished by short-term due dates.

Students start by choosing a topic that relates to the current year’s them, e.g., “Turning Points in History” or “Frontiers in History.” They develop research questions that will guide their research. They read books and journal articles written by historians and they hunt down primary sources – including people who participated in or were a witness to their topic. They visit archives and museums and learn how to conduct interviews. All of their sources must be analyzed for their credibility, accuracy, and point of view.

Next, students hone their thesis, organize their notes into an outline, and construct a research paper. Their paper becomes the basis for the presentation of their research in one of five categories: an authored paper, documentary, performance, website, or exhibit. Students become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights, and artists. 

The district competition is held at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland History Center of the Western Reserve Historical Society. Many of our students advance to the state competition in Columbus, and the national competition in Washington D.C.

The wonderful thing about NHD is that it can meet the needs of every student, whether they are at grade level in their skills or are highly advanced readers and researchers. There is no ceiling when it comes to researching a topic in history. And yet, when students are attentive to the short-term due dates, it is not just the “brightest” that bring home trophies; they realize that hard work is the essence of accomplishment. Not only that, the work students do opens up their world and gives them a tremendous sense of pride in completing such a long-term project.

It has been interesting for us to witness how historians or participants in the event are willing to grant interviews with middle school students. Once they see how much research the students have already done, they want to tell their stories. These kinds of experiences leave an impact far beyond the time frame of NHD itself. 

National History Day introduces children to standards of excellence and allows each student to reach their highest level of achievement. CLICK HERE for proof!
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