Press Release
March 31, 2014
Oklahoma History Day Contest Sets New Regional Record
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. -- On Tuesday, April 1, more than 500 sixth through twelfth grade students will make their way to Oklahoma Christian University for the regional National History Day contest. One of ten regions in the state, the metro area has seen remarkable growth in the number of student participants.
Each year thousands of students, encouraged by teachers statewide, participate in the Oklahoma National History Day (OkNHD) program. OkNHD is part of National History Day, a highly regarded academic program for students with more than 500,000 students taking part annually. It allows teachers the chance to incorporate an academic program that directly addresses educational standards and provides authentic assessment for student skills and achievement.
History Day students choose historical topics related to a theme and conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources, students draw conclusions about their topics' significance in history before presenting their work in original papers, exhibits, performances, websites and documentaries. The student projects are entered into competitions in the spring at regional, state and national contests, where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators.
Students attending the District Three regional contest on Tuesday will compete for a position at the state contest later in May. "Over the past several years we have seen tremendous growth across the state and this year our Oklahoma City contest will almost quadruple in size," said History Day state coordinator Jason Harris. History Day is a program that allows students to dig into the past, conduct research and use a multitude of skills to put together projects on a variety of topics. The program is flexible enough to be incorporated into many different classes with a wide range of students. Oklahoma has participated in National History Day for over two decades, with students winning national recognition every year.
