History Day participants prepare for regional competition
Park to send 11 projects to next round
March 7, 2016
Sophomore Martha Walton said she acquired valuable research skills working on her History Day project on Rosa Parks.
“I gained (skills) doing good research and making good note cards with information that is useful,” Walton said.
23 Park students, and a total of 11 individual and group projects, will advance to the regional round for History Day March 7, according to history teacher and social studies department head Carley Kregness.
“We finished our school History Day and we have found out our allotment for regionals, so we know what students are going on,” Kregness said.
This year’s theme for History Day is “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in history,” according to National History Day.
Walton said she worked on an exhibit board with two world history classmates. She said she picked the topic because of interest in expanding her knowledge of Rosa Parks’ life.
“I learned about (Rosa Parks) in elementary school, (and) I have always been interested in learning more about her,” Walton said.
Kregness said many Park students advance in the competition each year because of the high History Day participation rate.
“At the regional level, the number of people that get to go on is purely based on the number of people in your school who participate in History Day,” Kregness said.
Most students who advanced are sophomore world history students, according to Kregness. However, some students participated in History Day optionally.
“The 10th grade world history classes all did (History Day), so the majority of the ones moving on are from 10th grade world history classes. There were a couple kids who did it just purely optionally, and there were a few kids who did it from IB history, where it was optional.”
Kregness said History Day helps students with their research and analysis skills.
“(Our) core outcomes for 10th grade world history are thesis writing, bibliography writing, source citation and then actual researching and finding of sources,” Kregness said. “So those are the different kinds of research skills we’re looking for.”
Presentation options for History Day include documentary, performance, exhibit board, paper or website, according to National History Day.
Kregness said History Day helps students’ enjoyment of history and improvement of research skills.
“I think History Day is an awesome learning experience for all students. That’s why we have them all do it. It’s a fantastic way to learn (research) skills,” Kregness said. “I like History Day so much because it allows every student to pick a topic they’re really interested in.”
Walton said being able to pick a topic benefited her and her classmates’ learning.
“We learned a lot about our topics and other people’s topics,” Walton said.
Kregness said History Day allows students to study topics outside those taught in class.
“A lot of students who might not be interested in some topic that I would assign to them can find something they really care about and yet still get the same skills and benefit of the assignment — those research skills and the analysis piece,” Kregness said.
Regional competitions occur throughout March, and Park’s will take place March 7 at Augsburg College. The State competition will take place May 1. Students who advance from State will attend the national competition in June.
