Almost Holiday Break

Ho, ho, ho, Happy History Day!

Today I visited the fifth graders at Fairwood Elementary in Columbus. In Ohio we have a Youth Division to encourage an early start for 4th and 5th grade students. I haven't talked much in the blog about the youth division. It is very similar to traditional History Day with some exceptions:

• Students complete either an exhibit or performance(new this year!)
• Groups consist of 2-3 students
• Competition takes place at the state level only (April 25th at Columbus State)
• Exhibits are up to 3 feet tall with up to 300 student composed words
• Performances are up to 7 minutes long
• Process papers are 200-300 words

The students at Fairwood had some interesting ideas for topics: Muhammad Ali, Rosa Parks, Madame C.J. Walker, Abraham Lincoln and many others. Just like the traditional History Day program we stress the historical importance of the individual, not just a biography.

I mentioned briefly a great website for research on almost any American history topic: American Memory. Stayed tuned for more ideas and activities to help understand how to use primary sources to create projects.

Thanks to the fifth graders at Fairwood! This was my last school visit until 2009, but check the blog for ideas and other updates. The History Day Expert will be working hard over the holiday break.