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Transforming Your Classroom with National History Day

Want your students to love history? Then National History Day is the program for you!

National History Day motivates students to discover history by:

  • Cultivating interest: students research a topic of their choice
  • Developing research skills: students act as historians discovering how to uncover primary sources, build historical context and form historical interpretations
  • Becoming experts on their research topic: presenting their research to teachers, students, and historians
  • Achieving success
    -The shy student gains confidence when speaking about a topic he/she has researched
    -The apathetic student gains passion by choosing a topic of personal interest
    -The high achieving student increases his/her ability to articulate their learning through presentation
All students are winners in the National History Day Program!

 

The Dutch are Missing in the American Curriculum


The Dutch are missing!  Look in any US History textbook.  Look under the content standards.  Look around the nationally endorsed curriculum, but you won’t find them.  Find out why The Dutch Are Missing

 

Nominate an educator for NHD's teacher awards


The History Channel sponsors the History Channel Award for Service, presented to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to history education through service to the National History Day program. The winner receives a $5000.00 cash prize.

PBS sponsors the PBS Teacher of Merit Award, awarded to outstanding teachers at the state level and one exceptional history teacher at the national level who will receive a cash prize of $5000.00. The eight finalists for this award will also be recognized at the national level, and each will receive a PBS video library.

Use the nomination forms below:
History Channel Award for Service nomination form
PBS Teacher of Merit Award nomination form

 

Teachers and NHD

See what teachers have to say about their experiences with National History Day.

Top Ten Reasons to participate in National History Day

1. Teaches History

2. Engages Students

3. Energizes the Curriculum

4. Promotes High Academic Standards

5. Encourages Literacy

6. Enhances Assessment

7. Teaches Critical Thinking

8. Inspires Curiosity

9. Recognizes the Student Strengths

10. Activates Civic Engagement