"NHD in NV Teachers" text logo in black and teal.

Models of Participation

The History Day model is flexible, allowing teachers and students to participate in various ways.

  • Class Assignment instructions for History Day, a major semester project. Projects impact overall grades and may be part of a competitive cycle, completed by February. Participation in the competition is optional.
  • Text titled 'Interdisciplinary' discussing teachers collaborating on history projects, focusing on research and writing skills, and technology use.
  • "Enrichment" text with details on optional projects for classroom credit, involving teachers or school coordinators as advisors.
  • Text image with a heading 'Extracurricular' and a statement below about History Day being part of co-curricular and extracurricular activities, with optional classroom credit.
  • Text promoting homeschool student participation in History Day with parental involvement as advisors.
  • Text image with "Independent" in cursive at the top, followed by text explaining that students in non-participating public, private, or charter schools can still join History Day independently with a teacher or parent as an advisor.

NHD Standards Alignment

More detailed standards alignment coming soon. NHD allows students to explore the Nevada Academic Content Standards in Social Studies Disciplinary Skills

Quote from Martin Marrin about the benefits of History Day for student development.
Table outlining disciplinary skills and standards for grades 5-8, covering constructing questions, gathering sources, developing claims, communicating, and taking action.
NHD and Common Core Standards

Timelines

There is no required timeline for History Day participation. If competing, most teachers start with our state contest date and plot backward, from kickoff and topic selection to contest prep. Whether or not you have a school contest or go all the way to the national contest, each History Day journey is unique and exciting.
Each History Day classroom timeline is different. The sample timelines below are from actual History Day classrooms.

  • Mid-October: Introduce History Day, spend next three class periods doing topic selection and preliminary research
    End of October: Topics and group selected
    November: Initial research done approximately 2-3 days a week, viewing sample projects around Thanksgiving
    December: Research once a week the first two weeks, research every day before winter break
    January: Research three days a week in class
    Last week of January-First two weeks of February: Project creation in class every day
    Third week of February: Project due

  • November: 2nd week - Introduce History Day
    Monday before Thanksgiving: Topics selected, initial research completed during break
    End of November/Early December:Media Center time for Primary/Secondary Sources
    Winter Break: Students research in a community or university library
    January: 2nd week - Thesis Statement Due
    End of January: First draft of all text due for feedback, have had approximately one class day a week to work on project
    February: Revising text and creating project, approximately one day a week of class time to work
    End of February: Project due

  • January 2: Project Introduction
    January 3: Overview of Contest/Topic Ideas
    January 6: Primary and Secondary Sources
    January 9: Topic and Project Categories
    January 10: Research Tips
    January 13-22: Research in class
    January 23-31: Project Assembly
    February 4: Projects Due

Project Creation Steps

  • Text reading "Kick Off" followed by information about schools starting programs: "Schools most commonly kick-off the program in the fall or just before winter break. Some schools will pace their programs at one history day a week until they reach contest season... and some carve out time for more consolidated focus on history day."
  • Text reading 'Topic Selection' in stylized font, followed by a description about discussions of annual themes, exploration, and selection starting after the kick-off, with teachers giving students time to explore topics and resources before finalizing.'
  • Text graphic about research and analysis process
  • "Project Creation" text with message about timing, emphasis on research, analysis, writing, and planning before starting the actual project.
  • Text image with "Contest Prep" in cursive and information about National History Day requirements for annotated bibliographies and process papers.
  • Text reading "School Contest or Showcase. Depending on the number of students you have participating, schools may need to narrow down the entries that are eligible to register for the state contest. School showcases and contests are great community building opportunities for your school."
  • Text reads "Regional Showcase" in blue script font and "Qualifying students advancing from school contests are eligible to participate at the in-person regional showcase" in black capital letters.
  • Text "State Contest" in script font and message about qualifying students eligible for State History Day after regional showcase.