Sequim Middle School participated in National History Day, February 24th.  Todd Beuke, who teaches history, heads up the program.  We caught up with Todd at the Middle School where about 200 student displays were part of History Day.

Todd explained, “National History Day is an educational program that over a half a million kids a year participate in all throughout the United State, and the  idea is to expose kids to original documents or primary sources as they study different topics of their choosing.  Each year there is a theme, and this year’s theme is The Individual in History, Actions, and Legacies.  So if they pick a person, it had to be someone who changed history, and they have to explain what actions they took, and what kind of legacy they left.  Students can use different avenues to express themselves, so they can write a paper, or they can do an exhibit, a website, or they can do a dramatic presentation.  There are also different categories they can enter when they get to the contest phase.  In the classroom this gets the kids looking for primary sources and beyond the textbook for an explanation for how an event happened.  About 500 students participated, and some of them worked in groups.”

National History Day’s core program is a national contest for students in grades 6-12. The students conduct extensive research related to an annual theme and present their findings in one of four categories: exhibits, documentaries, performances or papers. Students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills while creating their entries.

There are two divisions: junior (grades 6-8) and senior (grades 9-12). Students can choose to participate in the contest individually, or as part of a group of up to five students. Public, private and home schools are welcome to participate. The competition starts at a local or district level and progresses to state and national competitions.

At the national contest participants have the opportunity to win national awards of up to $5,000 and university scholarships.