National History Day Project
Historical Website
A historical website is a collection of web pages, interconnected with hyperlinks, that presents primary and
secondary sources, interactive multimedia, and historical analysis. Your website should be an accumulation ofresearch and argument that incorporates textual and non-textual (photographs, maps, music, etc.) description,
interpretation, and multimedia sources to engage and inform viewers about the chosen historical topic.
How is this option different from other projects?
Websites building requires digital resources. Websites are also 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 website in various
undirected ways. Websites use color, images, fonts, documents, objects, graphics and design, as well as words, to
tell your story.
NHD Rules (look at the project rubric for additional guidelines)
0 You create web site entries no larger than 100MB.
You must use the development tools available at the NHD Web Portal (watch the demo at
mmbecom/watch?v=JzSROchLe4). The you may use professional photographs, graphics, video,
recorded music, etc, within the site, but such items must be integrated into the web site, and proper
credit must be given within the site as well as in the annotated bibliography.
Web site entries may contain no more than 1,200 visible, student-composed words. Excluded are words
used credit sources of illustrations and quotations; recurring menus, titles, and navigation instructions;
words within primary documents and artifacts; and the annotated bibliography and process paper that
must be integrated into the site.
There must be a home page. All pages must connect to the home page.I
0 Each multimedia clip be stored in the site and may last no more than 45 seconds.
. The page and content must be viewable on all web browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari).
0 Projects are entirely online, even during the construction process. Projects are entirely judged in this
online environment
Planning the ProjectYou need to create a sitemap, which is a web of interconnected circles. In each circle is a topic of content, and
lines between the circles show how content is connected. Remember that the website needs not only text, but
also artifacts like maps, timelines, images, and videos, and these should be listed on the sitemap planning page.
Creating the ProjectYou MUST use the NHD content editor to create your website, which can be accessed at nhd.weebly.coml. You
will have to create an account to create the project. Though the Web Editor has a help feature, your teacher can
still answer your questions on web content. Remember, keep the web design simple and functional.
HANDOUT: USING THE NHD WEBSITE EDITOR
FOR HISTORY DAY WEBSITES
The Bg§ics
1. Log on to wwwnhdorg. (Rick on the left-hand iink “Start your website entry at the NHD
You can also go there directly: http:/lnhd.weebly.coml.
web portal."
2. Fill in a usemame and password. Choose “student” or “teadier” from the dropdown menu.
3- Give your site a title. This title will appear on all of your website pages.
ur website grows, but it is
coming together.
names of ail the pages.
at at any time on this
4. Click on the "Designs" tab and choose a design. This might change as yo
helpful to have a design in place so you can visualize how your websne is
ays start with “Home.” Add the5. Click on the “Pages” tab to add pages. Alwthese pages can be changeincluding a page for the bibliography. The order of
page.
6. The "Home" page must include students‘ names, entry title and division.
The “Process Paper" page should include the entire SOD-word document.
8. The “Bibliography” page must include the entire annotated bibliography. It works well if this is the last
page. instead of pasting your bibliography into your website, try saving your bibliography as a PDF In
your word processing program and then uploading the PDF to your website as a tile. This way, y0uwill only have to format your bibliography once.
9. To edit pages, either click on “Edit this Page" on the “Pages” tab, or click the “Elements” tab and
choose a page from your navigation bar. Click on an element and drag it down into the body of the
page. The element icon will appear; double-click on the icon and you will be able to start addingcontent. You can add multiple elements to a page.
10. Double-click on dummy text to start adding content. Once you start editing text, a new menu will
appear to let you change font color, size, alignment or boldlitaiidunderiine. Remember that you
cannot link to pages outside of your History Day websrte.
11. its best to write and save your text in a word processing program — not in the NHD Website Editor,
which doesn’t have a spell-check, grammar-check, or word count You can then copy and paste your
text into the NHD website editor when you’re ready. To avoid problems with formatting, be sure to
paste as “plain text."
12. When adding images, students can only upload from the computer they are working on or from a
disk. The image size can be changed, but changing it within the NHD Website Editor may make the
image look unclear.
13. At any time, you can delete an element by clicking on the red X in the upper right-hand corner of the
element box. You can also move any element to another page by choking the green arrow in the
upper left-hand corner of the element box.
14. Under the tab “Settings,” students should not create a site password. This may disable some viewers,
including judges, from viewing the site. Students can choose to change the footer message, but itshould be something appropriate to the project.
15. Every time students return to edit their site, they can go straight to httpzllnhdmeebiycoml.
National History Day in Minnesota98
The Bells and Whistles
33$:an Eliments," click on the “Multimedia” tab on the upper left-hand side of the page. There are a number atg ' a “WWW require previous research or saving of documents into a file.
Photo Gallery - Students can add a number of photographs in one section. They can change the space
between images, the borders and do minor cropping. There is not an option to add text to the images.File — Students can add a hie, such as a primary document era PDF of their bibliography. Once the file is
added. students should be sure to change the File Name to something that adequately describes the file.Audio and Video - Students can add audio or video files, such as the recording of a speech,
commercial, historic liim footage, or interviews. Audio and video clips should be saved to a disk or
computer first, then edited to the appropriate length before uploading to the website. Students have four
minutes total time for all multimedia clips together. Students can choose how to divide up this total fourmm es.
Flash — Students can add a SWF file, which is an animated graphic. This function may not be entirely
appropriate for History Day projects.
Google Maps - Students can add a Google Map of a particular place to orient their viewers. SanFrancisco is the default location. To change the location, click next to the map once its embedded, and a
navigation bar will appear that will allow students to change the location and the width, height and zoomlevel of the map.
Slideshow — This is similar to the Photo Gallery, except viewers can sift through images, much like Flickr.
Video — Students can embed a video by downloading the file from their computer. Videos may be a total
of 4 minutes long throughout the website, broken up into multiple videos or a single one.
Another advanced element they can use is the “hidden page." Hidden pages do not appear in the navigation bar
but can be useful as places to store more primary documents. Students can then link to these hidden pages from
other pages. On the “Pages” tab, just select “no” from the “Show in Navigation?” dropdown menu. To link to a _
hidden page, highlight text or a picture and click the chain icon. Choose the correct hidden page to link to. To edit
these hidden pages, choose the page on the “Pages” tab. The navigation bar will continue to be visible on the
hidden page.
®
National History Day in Minnesota
BIBLIOGRAPYWebsite Organization HOME PAGE:
THESIS
BACKGROUND/BIG PICTURE
CONTEXT
SUPPORT
SUPPOR
SUPPOR
SHORT-TERMBUILD-UP IMPACT
HEART OFSUPPOR _ SUPPOR
E STOSUPPOR
SUPPORT suppon
LONG-TERM
IMPACT
20l
mosauugwu;K305101ng[euoneN
WEB SITE PROJECT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER STORYBOARD
You may want to make each of these ’pages’ a separate sheet of paper, to help you have your project super—
creating your web site — keep media in a separate file on desktop, so it's easy to find and insert
organized, before
Leadersig
DescriptionZAnalysis. . L L» .. ,—
Satori out bur/,0: HM, J c u
caraornahs Harsh 1554,63,
Context
Sketch out where gnu we wt to putWEE Background
_ Sieetch out where you want to
Tltle put paragraphs (facts).ptctures,WMSIO,‘/Ld£{.‘ ciips, etc.
pammnp‘ns (facts), pictures,
A, 9.!
Mil/4.3m, 7515‘"
Thesis Statement
Media:
Photos, music, video
Student Name
Category
Division
Immediate Impact Long-Term Significance - Process Pa per BI bl iogra phy
Sketch out where goat war/u: to put Legacyi r r . , 4" , ,.’
FW'QQWPV‘S \TWJ)’ “XV-“5' “Lb” smear; m. where 14%. Want t:-\ i «I' r a“ _ , ,“~d5‘9'n'v?=' M- put paragraphs (facts), pictures,
music, video clips. eta.
QMy Name
My Topic
National History Day Websites
To create your National History Day website:
1. Log into https://www.nhd.org/categories
Z. Click on Website; read the information!
3. Under Getting Started, click on the link after the statement that says Create your website with the
NHD Site Editor
4. Read carefully the information titled HOW TO CREATE YOUR NHD WEEBLY ACCOUNT. Once you
have read the information, start with Step 1. Click on the link http://nhd.weebly.com. This link will
take you to this screen:
8.
9.
Create a username
Create a password
Provide a working email address
Click Student
Check box and then click Sign Up
10. You will be given your URL address:
My Site:
11. To save any work you do, ALWAYS click on PUBLISH
12. To log in the next time you work, go to nhd.weebly.com to reach the following screen:
n ‘xcaw O hirer “ Log in with your username and your password
ALWAYS click on PUBLISH before you log out
Click on the Log Out button to close your website; if you don't
your site will remain open and others could adjust your work
NHD Website Evaluation Rubric Student Name:
l ollonina Directions
NHD V» eehl) \\ ebsile Yes
Creator was used
0 I200 wordsMaintains 1,200-word Between MOI and Between 1,000 and Between 801 and 999 verORlimit. 1,200 words. 1.100 words. words. Under 800 words
Homepage contains:
title. name. division.
website word count.
process paper word
count. main menu
Annotated Bibliography is electronically attached to
website.
Process Paper (with cover page) is electronically
attached to website.
All elements appear on
homepage.
Only 5 of the elements
appear on the homepage
Only 3 or 4 elementsfrom list.
Only I or 2 elementsfrom list.
IIlliCIIllC\\
Website is ready more.2 I-4 . . n . .Deadline Read\ before due date. Read\ ON due date. Rt ld) dd’“ 3 u than one school week
' ' due date. .
after due date.lndi\itln.il \\ eh Primes
Main Argument: All elements are present , ’ only one webpage doesn't exist
Background: All elements are present I Z l t only onenara; uh. visual. cation and well written . on y e emen S element
wcbpage doesn’t existOR nara uh is irrelevant to nro'ect
Impact:n_nararah. visual. cantion
All elements are present only one webpage doesn‘t exist
and well written . only 2 elements OR nara- anh is irrelevant to nro'ect
Legacy: All elements are present only one webpage doesn’t existand well written . only 2 elements OR n_uararah is irrelevant to nro'ect
extra credit: All elements are present only one webpage doesn‘t exist. . . only 2 elements
n-araranh. VISUaI. ca lion and well written . ' elementOR nara anh is irrelevant to «den
Historical ()nnlil}
Detail is limited to what
could be found in an
enc Clo nedia.
Entry is historically
accurate and detailed.
Lots of detail explains the history behind the events:
who, what. when. where. why.
lnaccuracies are found.
We know exactly what
did or didn‘t happen
Writer makes no attempt to
explain how history wasinterpretation. historically because of changed due to the events
the events in the nro'cct. this woken is about.
Places topic in historical We know what is going on historically along with . . .
context. the events of the ro'ec t. All we know is date. No context IS given.
>Shows wide research. . 15 sources (not I} — 14 sources 10 — 12 sources .< 10 sources (not
includln- Visuals includtn_ Visuals
50%+ of sources are 35-49% of sources are 25-34% of sources are < 25% of sources are
nrima sources. nrim ' sources nrim sources nriman sources
lliemt“ [I‘l'lJIII/I/I<\ llama/1 In Hum/'1'
Project clearl) relates tothe Mil) theme.
x Z
t Lil’ii} ol'l’resentution
Website is original.
Shows analysis and Vague references ofhow history was
changed.
Uses primary sources.
(x Z) Hie connection of
triumph AND tragedy areobtious to the reader.
(x 2) Only triumphOR tragedy are
obvious.
(X 2) 'I‘hcme is merely
mentioned.
Theme is on er
mentioned.
Good. but poor font and,“. messy
.. . . . . . Ve rood but not . . t ‘clear. apprgprldém Visually amazing! r) \Evoweii) or color choices make contusing.
organize ~ d" ' difficult to ex aluate. disorganizedarticulate.