Debate & Diplomacy In History: Successes, Failures &
Consequences
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Top Ten Reasons to participate in National History Day 1.
Teaches History 1. Teaches History 2. Engages Students 2. Engages
Students 3. Energizes the Curriculum 3. Energizes the Curriculum 4.
Promotes High Academic Standards 4. Promotes High Academic
Standards 5. Encourages Literacy 5. Encourages Literacy 6. Enhances
Assessment 6. Enhances Assessment 7. Teaches Critical Thinking 7.
Teaches Critical Thinking 8. Inspires Curiosity 8. Inspires
Curiosity 9. Recognizes the Student Strengths 9. Recognizes the
Student Strengths 10. Activates Civic Engagement 10. Activates
Civic Engagement
http://nationalhistoryday.org/nationalhistoryday.org
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" I wish I had been able to participate in National History Day
when I was in school. What a great way to get kids excited about
history, research and the mechanics of composing a story. Students
today are so sophisticated about their work. I might just have to
snag a few of these young documentary experts for my next
production!" Ken Burns
Slide 4
I first became interested in communication during World War II
about two years ago, when I wrote a paper about the attack on Pearl
Harbor. In researching for this paper, I did oral interviews with
my grandparents about what their lives were like when they were
growing up. This sparked my interest in early radio broadcasts and
newsreels. I chose to research the Office of War Information (OWI)
-- the agency created by the United States government during World
War II -- to encourage the American people to contribute to the war
effort and to continue supporting the war. My first step in
researching my topic was to do a little searching online for
information. Although there weren't too many sites, there were a
few good ones that I did use. I realized that I needed quite a bit
more information, so I went to our city's library and had the
librarian show me how to use the Reader's Guide to Periodical
Literature. Using this valuable research tool, I was able to find
any magazine articles about my subject, including quite a number of
primary sources. These primary sources helped me to have a better
understanding of the times. I again searched the internet, and with
a better knowledge of what I was looking for, I was able to find
more helpful sources. Because I wanted to talk to people who had
actually seen the OWI's products, I interviewed members of the
senior adult Sunday School class at my church. Their interviews
provided first hand accounts that made my project better.
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Examples: Lincoln vs. Douglass over slavery Plato vs. Aristotle
over nature /nurture Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
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Examples: Treaties Wars Agreements
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How does the topic fits into the historical context? What were
the issues at the time? Analyze perspectives How did it change the
world?
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Takes students into the exciting realm of analysis, by
exploring questions of good or bad? why? and so what? Evaluate
successes and failures. Analyze effects for each group What were
the short term consequences? Long term?
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Build historical context by reading different types of
sources... Begin reading about the time period and as you read ask
yourself questions: why did my topic happen at this particular time
and in this particular place? What were the events or the
influences that came before my topic? How was my topic influenced
by and how did it influence the economic, social, political, and
cultural climate of the time period
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A primary source is a piece of information about a historical
event or period in which the creator of the source was an actual
participant in or a contemporary of a historical moment. The
purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts
and the intentions of the past. Primary sources help you to
interpret what happened and why it happened. Examples of primary
sources include documents, artifacts, historic sites, songs, or
other written and tangible items created during the historical
period you are studying.
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A secondary source is a source that was not created first-hand
by someone who participated in the historical era. Secondary
sources are usually created by historians, but based on the
historian's reading of primary sources. Secondary sources are
usually written decades, if not centuries, after the event occurred
by people who did not live through or participate in the event or
issue. The purpose of a secondary source is to help build the story
of your research from multiple perspectives and to give your
research historical context. An example of a secondary source is
Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era by James M. McPherson,
published in 1988. They are a great starting point in helping you
see the big picture. Understanding the context of your topic will
help you make sense of the primary sources that you find.
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Tertiary sources are based on a collection of primary and
secondary sources and may or may not be written by an expert.
Tertiary sources should never appear in your bibliography but are
only used as exploratory sources, to give you ideas about what to
research. Wikipedia is not a reliable source and should not be
utilized or appear in your bibliography. Examples are dictionaries,
encyclopedias, fact books, and guidebooks
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An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. The
annotations for each source must explain how the source was used
and how it helped you understand your topic. You should also use
the annotation to explain why you categorized a particular source
as primary or secondary. Sources of visual materials and oral
interviews, if used, must also be included. List only those sources
that you used to develop your entry. An annotation normally should
be only 1-3 sentences long. Source (example): Bates, Daisy. The
Long Shadow of Little Rock. 1st ed. New York: David McKay Co. Inc.,
1962. Annotation (example): Daisy Bates was the president of the
Arkansas NAACP and the one who met and listened to the students
each day. This first-hand account was very important to my paper
because it made me more aware of the feelings of the people
involved.
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A process paper is a description of no more than 500 words
explaining how you conducted your research and created and
developed your entry. You must conclude your description with an
explanation of the relationship of your topic to the contest theme.
A title page is required as the first page of written material in
every category. Your title page must include only the title of your
entry, your name(s) and the contest division and category in which
you are entered. Do not include your age, grade or school name. The
first section should explain how you chose your topic. The second
section should explain how you conducted your research. The third
section should explain how you selected your presentation category
and created your project. The fourth section should explain how
your project relates to the NHD theme
Slide 15
I first became interested in communication during World War II
about two years ago, when I wrote a paper about the attack on Pearl
Harbor. In researching for this paper, I did oral interviews with
my grandparents about what their lives were like when they were
growing up. This sparked my interest in early radio broadcasts and
newsreels. I chose to research the Office of War Information (OWI)
-- the agency created by the United States government during World
War II -- to encourage the American people to contribute to the war
effort and to continue supporting the war. My first step in
researching my topic was to do a little searching online for
information. Although there weren't too many sites, there were a
few good ones that I did use. I realized that I needed quite a bit
more information, so I went to our city's library and had the
librarian show me how to use the Reader's Guide to Periodical
Literature. Using this valuable research tool, I was able to find
any magazine articles about my subject, including quite a number of
primary sources. These primary sources helped me to have a better
understanding of the times. I again searched the internet, and with
a better knowledge of what I was looking for, I was able to find
more helpful sources. Because I wanted to talk to people who had
actually seen the OWI's products, I interviewed members of the
senior adult Sunday School class at my church. Their interviews
provided first hand accounts that made my project better.
Slide 16
I have had an interest in movie making for about two years
before I started this project. I made a few movies with some
friends where I ran the camera and others acted and made up the
plot. In doing this, I learned how to operate a camera and use
video editing software. As I researched the Office of War
Information, I realized that I was finding many photographs, audio
clips, and video clips, which I could import and narrate about in a
documentary. I imported many of the pictures and clips from the
internet, placed them together with my own narration, and added
clips from the interviews with my church friends to make it into a
movie. I think that this topic is good because it clearly portrays
this year's theme: "Communication in History -- the Key to
Understanding." The OWI's job was to communicate with the American
public the reasons to continue to fight the war and to put up with
rationing, buy war bonds, etc. -- to make them understand that they
needed to do these things to make the world safe from the threat of
the Axis powers. The OWI motivated the American people to
participate in the war effort by using the full scope of
communication tools available at that time. The OWI was able to do
its job effectively: Americans put over 185 billion dollars into
war bonds during World War II. (499 words
Slide 17
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What is a Historical Exhibit? Historical exhibition presents
information about an event, person, place, or idea from the past by
physically displaying documents, images, or objects. We often see
such exhibits at museums. You will tell the story of your research
through historic photographs, maps, drawings and other interesting
objects. How is an Exhibit Different from Other Categories? The
exhibit category is three dimensional and is displayed on a
physical structure. Exhibits use color, images, documents, objects,
graphics, and design, as well as words, to tell your story.
Exhibits can be interactive experiences by asking viewers to play
music, solve a puzzle, look at a video, or open a door or window to
see more documents or photos. They may include models and
artifactsexhibit category
Slide 19
Brainstorm topics that are of interest to you and are related
to this year's NHD theme. Research the topic first. Do your
secondary research first. Reading secondary resources will help you
understand your subject more completely, point you to primary
sources, and assist you in selecting the important themes you want
to investigate and the key questions you want to ask. Select items
to put on the exhibit. You won't be able to use all the materials
you find while doing your research. As you think about what to put
on the exhibit, ask yourself the following questions: -Does the
item fit in with the NHD theme and the theme of your exhibit? -Does
the item advance the story you are trying to tell? -Is a document
you are thinking of displaying too long or too wordy? Is it easy to
read and understand? Will it take up too much space in your
exhibit? -Is the item visually interesting? -What images best tell
your story? -Do you want to include artifacts in your exhibit?
-Will your exhibit contain audiovisual materials? Prepare the
script. Writing your titles, text, and labels is often referred to
as writing the script. Like all good writing, your exhibit script
needs to be grammatically correct, use good sentence structure,
make wise word choices, and contain no spelling errors. You should
expect to write several drafts. Exhibit labels are brief, so they
need to be clear and concise.
Slide 20
presented by the Texas State Historical Association in
cooperation with the University of Texas at Austin Center for
American History
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Image courtesy D. Brown-Aldine ISD
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What is a Historical Paper? History papers present information
and analyze an event, person, place or idea from the past in
writing. Although you might attach a map, chart or photograph that
you refer to in your paper, you will rely mainly on words. Writing
a paper is a chance to tell what you know and what you think about
a part of the past. How is a Paper Different from Other Categories?
A paper is a highly personal and individual effort, and if you
prefer to work alone this may be the category for you. Papers
depend almost entirely on words to tell the story, and you can
usually include more information in a paper than in some of the
other categories. A paper
Slide 28
Getting Started Conduct your research. Examine secondary and
primary sources, taking careful notes and keeping track of which
source each piece of information came from. From your research, you
should come up with your thesis the argument you want to make in
your paper. Make an outline. Using your notes, you can create a
list of the main information you want to include in your paper,
where each piece of information will go, and in what order. This
will help when you sit down to write your paper. Start writing. You
might begin by writing your introduction in which you state your
thesis. -Introduction: your introduction should tell the reader
where you intend to go with the rest of your paper. -Body: the main
body of your paper is where you can make the case for your
conclusion. Present your evidence, the primary sources, and your
analysis of how they support your thesis. -Conclusion: your
conclusion is like the summary of your paper. It should summarize
your main points that prove your thesis. Read and Revise. A
polished product takes time, so it is important to re-read and
revise your paper. Check for clarity, unity, and coherence. Is it
clear how your topic relates to the NHD theme? Does your conclusion
flow logically from your thesis?
Slide 29
Eminent domain was further extended for space transportation
when, on October 25, 1961, NASA announced it would build a facility
to test Saturn and Apollo moon rockets in Hancock County,
Mississippi (Herring 1), thus affecting 2202 landowners (John
visit) and 660 families (Poe 30). This acquisition destroyed 5
towns, 786 houses, 16 churches, 2 schools, and 19 stores (Herring
33) (See Appendix A). Former homeowner Beulah Kellar said that
being forced to leave [...] was upsetting to all the eople in that
area. Echoing this, Mrs. Roy Baxter said, You see, its hard to
leave. Its hard to move old plants. Did you know that? Old plants
die when you transplant them (qtd. in Bailey: 21). Hancock County
banker Leo Seal, Jr. said, [Mississippi Senator John] Stennis
appealed to the national and civic pride [...] of the residents in
the battle against Communism. Stennis asked them to make a
sacrifice, saying, There is always the thorn before the rose... you
have got to make some sacrifices, but you will be taking part in
greatness (qtd. in Senator John: 9). Fig. 1. The end of Logtown The
flag at the Logtown post office is taken down for the final time by
the postmaster, Mrs. Lollie Wright (center). Watching are the
owners of the building, Mrs. Roy Baxter and her son, Roy Baxter,
Jr.
Slide 30
Figure A is a street map of Poletown. The lighter area is the
property taken to build the General Motors Cadillac plant (Wylie
Poletown 1). Figure B is an aerial view of Poletown. The Poletown
community encompasses all of the homes below the line (Interstate
94) that moves diagonally across the upper part of Figure B. The
large building in the center of the picture is Immaculate
Conception Church, headquarters for the group that resisted GMs
project Wylie Poletown 5). Both maps show the extent of the people
affected and the property taken by the acquisition. Appendix C:
Street (A) and Aerial (B) Maps of Poletown
Slide 31
How is a Documentary Different from Other Categories? Creating
a documentary is different from other categories because of the
technology necessary. Before deciding to create a documentary, you
should ask yourself the following questions: Creating a documentary
Am I interested in using computers, cameras, and other
technologies? Can I conduct and record interviews (for the purpose
of including film clips in the documentary)? Can I find film clips
to use in my documentary? Are there enough still photographs
related to my topic and that I can use in my documentary? Do I have
access to equipment that will be needed to make a documentary? Is
creating a documentary the best way to show off my topic?
Slide 32
Create a Documentary Notebook to write down all of your ideas
and keep your research organized. Watch historical documentaries
and write a list of what you think makes a great historical
documentary Make sure you have access to -a computer -a video
camera -editing software -supplies: batteries, blank DVDs or
videotapes, paper, pens, props Research the topic first. One way to
choose your topic is to select a commonly known story and then find
a different angle that brings something new to it. Remember that
there are many unknown stories that also should be told. Regardless
of the topic you select, choose one that truly interests you, and
remember to put it into historical context. Keep a database. It is
important that you have a database where you keep track of all of
the information you are gathering. A database is simply any place
where you can collect and easily access your sources and production
materials. Create a Timeline. Before you jump into your project, it
is a good idea to create a preliminary timeline of when you want to
finish important steps along the way, especially the start and end
dates of pre- production, research, production, and
post-production.
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Decide whether the chosen topic will be most effective as a
group or as an individual performance. Research the topic first.
Write down important facts or quotes that may be important to the
performance. Write a thesis statement, supporting statements and a
conclusion. Think about how these might become part of your
performance. Prepare a script. Brainstorm with general ideas and
how they might be presented. If a group is performing, each member
should describe different ways in which characters might interact.
-Make sure your script contains references to the historical
evidence found in your research. -Using actual dialogue,
quotations, or brief excerpts from speeches are good ways to put
historical detail into your performance. -Remember that your script
should center on the thesis statement, supporting statements, and
the conclusion that you developed from your research. Prepare the
set. Think about different types of sets that might help depict
your topic. Is there a prop that is central to the story? Prepare
the blocking. To "block" a performance is to determine where the
actors will stand, move, and/or relate to the set. You should think
about these movements when deciding what type of set to design.
Prepare the costuming. Good costumes help make a performer
convincing, but make sure they are appropriate to the topic. You do
not need to purchase or make an elaborate costume - sometimes
simple works best (e.g. white shirt and dark pants/skirt can fit
almost any time period). Practice, practice, practice! Work on
speaking clearly, pronouncing all words correctly, and projecting
your voice so that the judges and the audience can hear every word.
Rehearse with the set and full costumes as often as possible.
Slide 35
A historical web site is a collection of web pages,
interconnected with hyperlinks, that presents primary and secondary
sources, interactive multimedia, and historical analysis. Your web
site should be an accumulation of research and argument that
incorporates textual and non- textual (photographs, maps, music,
etc.) description, interpretation, and multimedia sources to engage
and inform viewers about your chosen historical topic. How is a Web
Site Different from Other Categories? Web sites can display
materials online, your own historical analysis as well as primary
and secondary sources. These can be photographs, maps, documents,
or audio and video files. Web sites are interactive experiences
where viewers can play music, solve a puzzle, or look at a video or
click on different links. Viewers can move through the web site in
various undirected ways. Web sites use color, images, fonts,
documents, objects, graphics and design, as well as words, to tell
your story. Web sites
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RESEARCH OUTLINE FORMAT I. Guiding Question 1 A. (include
subtopics) B. C. II. Guiding Question II A. B. C. III. Guiding
Question III A. B. C. IV. Guiding Question IV A. B. C. V. Guiding
Question V. A. B. C. Turn in with Research Notes and Annotated
Bibliography
Slide 37
Historical Paper: Turn in rough Draft Performance: Turn in
Script and list of costumes and props Documentary: Turn in Script
with images, video and audio clips listed at point of use Website:
Turn in sketch of each page and links Exhibit: Turn in sketch of
each panel of exhibit and artifacts /models and list any other
things that will be added (i.e. audio, lighting, photo albums, etc
ALL Turn in Final Process Paper