History Fair at NHD '07

See the Illinois NHD07 Slideshow!

2007-06-18T15:04:00.001-07:00

Congratulations!

2007-06-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Our congratulations go out to all of the Illinois NHD participants and their families. It was truly a phenomenal year because of your unbeatable personalities and exceptional projects. Illinois NHD students represented the best of their state and its people. We are proud of each and every one of you.

We'd also like to send out a special congratulations to those students who qualified for the finals. Seven Illinois projects made finals, one project received a special award, and two others earned "Outstanding State" recognition. We also had a number of other projects that narrowly missed qualifying for the final round, making this year one of the best ever in terms of consistently high-quality projects. A number of projects made major improvements from the regional to state to national levels, and we congratulate you on your hard work and achievements.

The 2007 Illinois Finalists and Prize Winners include:

Amanda Walsh, 7th place in Junior Individual Documentary, St. Luke Academy, "Taxation without Representation: A Chicago Tragedy Sparks Statewide Scandal," Teacher: Laura Abrahamson

Katelyn Suchyta, 6th place in Junior Papers and a Special Prize in African American History, Quest Academy, "High Hopes to Combat Zone," Teacher: Andrew Shilhanek & Angie Carr
Rebecca Kuhn, Sandra Peters, Elise Croteau-Chonka, 14th place in Senior Group Exhibits and Outstanding Senior Division Entry, Lincoln Park High School, "Memorial Day Massacre," Teacher: Alicia Donald
Rebecca Cholst, 8th place in Senior Papers, Payton College Prep High School, "Shorebank: The Triumph of Community Development Banking," Teacher: Kyle Westbrook
Chelsea Farmer, 6th place in Senior Individual Performance, Lincoln Park High School, "Memorial Day Tragedy and the Triumph of Unions," Teacher: Lauren Hooberman
Sneha Elango, 13th place in Senior Individual Performance, Stevenson High School, "Crazy Charlie Gitout," Teacher: Barry Bradford
Stephanie Coon, Alex Petti, Carly Penzik, Geneva Costopulos, 9th place in Senior Group Performance, Stevenson High School, "Charles J. Guiteau," Teacher: Barry Bradford

Sofia Gomez-Doyle, Olivia Daniels, and Moises Duron, Outstanding Junior Division Entry, Ogden Elementary School, "Unlimited Role: Media and the Pentagon Papers," Teacher: Eric Calderon

Can't wait to see you all again next year for "Conflict & Compromise in History"!!

Look Who's Going to Finals in Sr Performances

2007-06-12T21:29:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Coon, Geneva Coustopulos, Carly Penzik, Alex Petti --12 noon in Stamp Student Union Hoff Theater

Chelsea Farmer -- 9:15 a.m. in Stamp Student Union Atrium

and Sneha Elango -- 11:45 in the Stamp Student Union Atrium

Tuesday's Happening

2007-06-12T18:59:00.002-07:00

Stephen, Dane, and Julie relax after their "Eastland Disaster" doc.

Teamwork made Petrillo demonstrates Meghan, Uriel, John, and Tess!

Oliva, Sophia, Lucas, and Moises discover the UMd pool and rec facilities that are available from late morning to night for dorm-dwellers.

Tuesdays at NHD have a special character. All the students are settled in, junior division students who have presented and are not moving into finals are relaxed and focussed on having fun, while those advancing are both pleased and anxious as they must wait the entire day before they can present. Alas, any exhibits or papers that move on do so silently, so students have no idea of their standing until Thursday!

On the other hand, the senior division students move into high gear as they present their projects, and are interviewed by their judges. Anticipation creeps into gear in the late afternoon as they wait for the posting, though some will keep themselves occupied by hitting the town after presenting. The Finalists Announcements appear at 6:30 and the whole process begins again!

One nice feature is seeing how other folks from the delegation come out to support any projects advancing to the next level. It's a great feeling to know that other folks care!

Congratulations to All Our Seniors Presenters

2007-06-12T18:59:00.001-07:00

Mandy Walsh Advances to Junior Division Finals!

2007-06-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Amanda Walsh for advancing to the Junior Division Individual Documentaries for her project, "Taxation without Representation: From Tragedy to Statewide Scandal" which documents how government intentions to prevent another Our Lady of Angels tragedy led to a cache of funds being used for questionable purposes.

If you are on campus on Tuesday evening, consider joining us by 8:45 pm in the Stamp Student Union/Brent Room to support Mandy.

Congratulations to All Our Junior Presenters

2007-06-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

From Some of Our Musical Lincoln Elem Kids:

2007-06-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Illinois Song
(to the tune of "When the Saints Come Marching")

This is what we have so far. This song was created by Noa R., Emanuella I., Jasmine K., and Kinjal S. aka "The Triumph of the Classroom Over Factory" exhibit group of Lincoln Elementary. IF you would like to add a verse, post it on the message board!

Verse 1
I-L-L-I
N-O-I-S
I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S
We're the greatest state
in the Union
And we'll kick butt at NHD
YEAH!

From our History Matters Fellows: Let the button trading begin!!!!

2007-06-11T19:17:00.000-07:00

Ms. Kemink and Mr. Biondo

Illinois delegates arrived in College Park, MD yesterday (Sunday) to beautiful weather and spartan dorm accommodations. The finalists were anxious to receive their Illinois buttons for trading but before they did, the opening ceremony key note speaker introduced us all to his upcoming documentary "The War". Ken Burns, the man, the myth, the documentarian legend reluctantly took on the daunting task of conveying the experience of 'any American' during World War II, with his partner Lynn Novick. It's a story of human qualities - the best and worst of mankind - which begs the question "What was it really like to be in that war?"
What did you think of Ken Burns' presentation? Let us know your comments.

The annual Illinois pizza party at Hornbake Plaza brought together many of the delegates and their families for food, fun, and Frisbee. Most importantly, tote bags and buttons were distributed to all student participants. Let the trading begin! How many buttons did you get so far?

Monday brought the beginning of competition for the Junior Division. We were in teacher teacher workshops which included a spectacular preview by Lynn Novick of "The War". We got a sneak preview of video clips and Novick answered questions about the production and the interview process. We also learned some very interesting information about the Veterans History Project through the National Archives. Other presentations included teachers from a middle school in Missouri talking about their history fair experience and a presentation about the "Eyes on the Prize" Civil Rights series by Judi Hampton, president of Blackside Productions.

Ms. Kemink
Mr. Biondo

Sunday Highlights

2007-06-11T06:19:00.001-07:00

Meghan, Tess, Uriel, and John go for the Pizza Party.... Stephanie and Shannon either love the pizza, Lisa's jokes, or are just SO glad to be done with their exhibit......Mrs. Rosen and son Daniel get into the button spirit.... Emmanuella makes a good button trade while setting up her exhibit.

Best Wishes to our Students

2007-06-11T05:23:00.000-07:00

If you are on campus and watch to catch a documentary or performance, check out the times and locations, below, or visit the exhibits during public viewing time.

Monday, June 11 : Junior Division
Documentaries and Performances – Open to the Public
10:20 -- 1111 Cambridge CC
Jr Ind Perf: Emily Wills -- Injustices of Child Labor
10:40 -- Armory XXX
Jr Gr Doc: Ola Topczewska, Abby Fraser, Erika Force, Anisha Bhat
Lincoln Park Zoo
11:40 -- 1200 Cambridge CC
Jr Ind Perf: Keli Walsh --Irish Tragedy, Irish-American Triumph
11:40 -- SSU 2112 Margaret Brent
Jr Gr Perf: -- Tressa Ellett, David Gainski, Nicholas Ing, Eric Jacobson, Zoe NetterWhole World was Watching
2:00 -- 0118 Jimenez
Jr Ind Doc: Amanda Walsh -- Taxation w/o Representation
2:40 -- 0226 HJ Patterson Hall
Jr Gr Perf: Sofia Gomez-Doyle, Olivia Daniels, Moises Duron -- Unlimited Role: Pentagon Papers
3:00 -- SSU Thurgood Marshall
Jr Ind Doc: Victoria Danner -- The Silver Lining of Death
3:00 -- SSU Pyon Su
Jr Gr Doc Samantha Varga, Kayla BusheyCabrini Green

Exhibits – SSU Grand Ballroom
Open viewing M & T: 8-9:30 am; M 5:30-8 pm; T 7-9 pm; W 9am-5pm
15019 Jr Ind: Julian DiMaio -- Reaching for the Sky
15029 Jr Ind: Genessa Barron -- From Black Belt to Metropolis
10658 Jr Grp: Naya Franklin, Andre Thomas -- Tragedy and Triumph of the Red Summer
16075 Jr Grp: Jasmine Kirby, Noa Rosen, Kinjal Shah -- Triumph of Classroom over Factory

Papers
Katelyn Suchyta -- High Hopes to Combat Zone: Triumph and Tragedy of Public Housing
Sarah Spalding -- Ray Kroc

Tuesday, June 12: Senior Division
Documentaries and Performances – Open to the Public
11:20 -- 0130 Nyumburu
Sr Grp Perf : Stephanie Coon, Alex Petti, Carly Penzik, Geneva Costopulos -- Charles Guiteau
11:20 -- 1200 Cambridge CC
Sr Ind Perf: Chelsea Farmer -- Memorial Day Tragedy
11:40 -- SSU Benjamin Banneker
Sr Gr Perf: Catherine Hamman, Sarah Luebke, Helen Hofling, Marina Shay -- American Red Cross
11:40 -- 0110 Armory
Sr Gr Doc: Stephen Klozik, Julie Palmer, Dane Shubert -- Eastland Disaster
1:00 -- 1111 Cambridge CC
Sr Ind Perf: Sneha Elango -- Crazy Charlie Gitout
2:20 -- 2122 Jimenez
Sr Ind Doc: Kevin Lim -- Richard Daley
2:40 -- SSU Thurgood Marshall
Sr Ind Doc: Kevin Lanigan -- Nuclear Research
3:00 -- SSU Pyon Su
Sr Gr Doc: Uriel Rotstein, John Hickey, Meghan Wood, Tess Busch -- James Petrillo, Czar of Musicians

Exhibits – SSU Grand Ballroom
Open viewing M & T: 8-9:30 am; M 5:30-8 pm; T 7-9 pm; W 9am-5pm
25062 Sr Ind Exh: Elena Caruthers -- Depressed Des Plaines
25078 Sr Ind Exh: Kristen Kelly -- A Man and His Plan: Burnham
26077 Sr Gr Exh: Shannon Ehlert, Stephanie Catalano -- Triumph over Tragedy for WWII Soldiers
26083 Sr Gr Exh: Rebecca Kuhn, Sandra Peters, Elise Croteau-Chonka -- Memorial Day Massacre

Papers
Elizabeth Rao: Triumph & Tragedy of the Cook Co Juvenile Ct
Rebecca Cholst: Shorebank

Buttons & Bags & T-Shirts

2007-06-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you hungry for BUTTONS BUTTONS BUTTONS, we'll be hanging around the Stamp Student Union during the day on Sunday and MONDAY at 3:30 so you can grab a bag from us.

Monday arrivals: call LISA because she has buttons and your other STUFF. We can also arrange pick-up at the Illinois dorm.

Welcome to Illinois at NHD 07!

2007-06-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

We look forward to seeing you at our annual PIZZA PARTY for Illinois delegation students, teachers, and family members on Sunday evening. Immediately following Ken Burns' presentation at the Opening Ceremony, take your hungry and happy selves to Hornbake Plaza. You might want to wear your Illinois t-shirts so you can spot one another.

In addition to pizza, you will be able to pick up the BUTTONS BUTTONS BUTTONS, a frisbee, and new for this year, a "Make History" tote bag to carry all your stuff on campus. They will be collectors' items--we guarantee.

IF you cannot attend the party, please Lisa or Crystal and we will arrange a pick-up of your goodies.

Tips from a Veteran NHD Student

2006-10-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

Edited by Gian, 1/13/07

The following guide was created specifically for national exhibit qualifiers, but other students might also find it useful.

Things I wish I knew before I presented...
by Gian Santos, 5th place winner, Senior Individual Exhibits, NHD '06 (National qualifier in grades 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12)

This information sheet was created with the help of national winners and finalists from previous years. Consult the NHD forum (www.nhd.org/forum) for additional help. Take my advice with a grain of salt.

Judging Process
-You may know this already, but for those who don't: at nationals, projects are assigned into judging groups. There are usually 7 groups with 10-12 projects in each group. The top 2 projects from each group advance to the final round, regardless of how competitive or easy some groups are are. A new set of judges evaluate the 14 projects in the final round in order to determine the medalists and final ranking. Exhibit and paper finalists are not announced until the awards ceremony.

-If you are curious which other projects are in your judging group, buy a copy of the entry list available at the souvenirs booth (usually set up at Stamp Student Union). The list includes the judging times and locations for all projects in all categories.

-Unlike Chicago/Illinois History Fairs, national judges do not assign a numerical score to determine which projects will advance to the finals round but instead note degrees of quality from Superior to Good. Note that “superior” marks are less frequently given, since the quality of the projects at the national level is higher than at state .

Analysis
-You will find (as expected) that most exhibits will do a great job of presenting the information, but not very many will have an original interpretation or analysis—even at the national level. Most people’s theses/conclusions will go something like “This made an impact on this…” or something of that nature. However, you should go beyond just stating the impact. Your teachers will tell you that you should analyze the bigger picture: how does your topic illuminate the broader themes in history (with particular emphasis on the theme), historical changes, societal forces, etc.? Analyzing a topic takes a lot of brainpower, but strong analysis is ultimately what will set your project apart. If you have an original analysis/interpretation that is well-proven, you will be ahead of most people. Just make sure you are able to defend any point you make.

Word Limit
-Be sure to abide by the 500 student-composed word limit, but don’t be afraid to use quotes to substantiate the claims you make. Citations that identify quotes/documents on the board do not count towards the word limit. Words on a timeline count, unless you copied the time line word per word from some other source (you must cite this source on the board). Most exhibits at nationals will have about 1,200-1,500 words in total (this count includes quotes and student-composed words on the board). Remember: viewers, including judges, remember the message best when it is concise and well-worded. Check out “Exhibiting History” on the History Fair website for tips.

The 500-word limit for the process paper is separate from the exhibit word limit. Words on the title page do not count towards the word limit. The bibliography citations and annotations do not have a word limit (but see bibliography section below).

Presentation
-Do not be surprised if at least half of the projects in your judging group at nationals have artifacts and/or audiovisual presentations. Many will have LCD screens, TVs, laptops, cassette players, interactive displays, etc. National judges will note the extra effort the student made to make the project more interesting (personally, I think this criterion benefits those with a lot of money, but what can you do. This bias still exists). However, make sure these elements actually enrich the presentation.

-Another caution: Many exhibits at nationals are made of plexiglass, wood (probably the most common material used), metal, and foamboards. Regardless of the material your exhibit is made of, the important thing is to have have something unique about your project in order to get a superior rating in presentation. Historical quality is, of course, the most important, but finalist projects will usually have both.

Interviews!
-Many students will have interviewed people directly related to their topic (for example, survivors of the Holocaust and their families, civil rights activists, etc). Finalists will often, but not always, have a strong attachment to their topic. Your topic should be something you're passionate about, so that you're motivated to dig deep to find interviewees. Plus, having interview experiences will give you interesting stories to tell the judges (anything to make your interview at nationals as strong and memorable as possible).

Bibliography and annotations
-Judges expect the bibliography annotations to be concise: about 2-4 sentences explaining how you used each source and how it was helpful to your research and the development of your ideas. Do not go into great detail about specific information that a particular source provided. Exceptions can be made for interviews, where interview descriptions are important.

Go to the Gallery section of the CMHF website for samples of annotated bibliographies that did well in NHD.

This is a controversial point, so take it or leave it:
-Most projects at nationals will have a bibliography of 20 pages or more (single-spaced, 12 or 14-pt font, normal margins). We all know that quantity does not equal quality, but both are equally important at the national level. Because most judges will have seen bibliographies of such lengths, “superior” usually falls somewhere in the 20-page range, unless your topic is not very well-known. A 50-page bibliography is not necessarily better than a 20-page one; judges’ expectations vary by topic. Exceptions do exist. An extremely well-done exhibit can have a bibliography of fewer than 10 pages and still do well (for example, the 2nd place senior group exhibit at nationals last year); however, it is a risk, because making finals with a bibliography of such length is rare. Other parts of the project were probably strong or compelling enough to make up for it. “Superior” in the sources category also denotes that the student effectively used a variety of sources and considered a variety of viewpoints, as demonstrated in the bibliography and on the board. It is important that students do not rely too heavily on any given source (for example, do not just have The New York Times for all your newspaper sources; use Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and others—as appropriate to your topic). Judges expect to see quotes from a variety of sources and viewpoints on the board itself. All of your interpretations and analyses must be supported by historical evidence.

Process Paper
-It’s usually the first thing that the judges will read, so don't just blow it off. FYI, students from other states will have had their process papers edited and re-worked since regional competitions (Other states comply with national requirements from the very beginning). Be sure to edit and re-work yours a couple of times as well. Your process paper should have a lasting impact on the judges, because it's also one of the last things they look at when determining your placement in the group. Finally, use the process paper to clarify something about your project (for example, if your topic is controversial, emphasize that you used historical evidence to settle controversial claims, etc.).

The NHD rulebook states that you must discuss the following in your process paper, in this order: 1) how you chose your topic, 2) how you conducted research, 3) how you selected your presentation category and created your project, and 4) how your topic relates to the theme. When discussing the theme, it’s really important to explain how your topic is significant in history in relation to the theme (this is a criterion in and of itself).

Sample process papers on the NHD website: www.nhd.org/processpapers.htm

Judges' Interview
-Interviews at the national level (it's different at regionals) can make or break your chances in making finals. Judges often use the interview to decide which projects will advance from a highly competitive group(therefore, level of passion, enthusiasm, and uniqueness count). Just think about how hard it is to pick the top 2 in a group of 12 amazing projects! Make a lasting impression (also through your paperwork). Needless to say, it’s really important to prep for the interview, so practice a lot. Interviews last about 15 minutes at most and address both common questions (such as “How did you become interested in your topic?”) and project-specific questions (“How did you find this particular source, and why is it important?”). Some judges are not very specific at all, so don’t be caught off guard if your first question is “Explain your project.” Also, prepare an interesting response to “Is there anything else you would like us to know?” Do not memorize responses; just make it a point to get across everything you want to say (make a list and practice working them into your answers). Throughout the interview, stress the theme!

STRESS THE THEME!
-Once again, stress the theme! I can’t stress this enough. Students from other states are usually way more aggressive in stressing the theme because theme relation counted for as much as 20% of their evaluation at the regional and state levels. Insert, discuss, integrate the theme into the bibliography annotations, interview, process paper, and all throughout your board. Simply stating the theme and using theme words is not enough; show how the theme is the driving force behind your thesis. Some people argue that your topic doesn't have to be inherently related to the theme and that a simple connection is sufficient (and judges sometimes echo this), but I disagree based on experience. Also, discuss why your project is historically significant in relation to the theme, since this part is a separate criterion in and of itself (as I mentioned before).

Timelines
-I’ve noticed over the years that nearly all national exhibit finalists have a timeline on their exhibit. Illinois judges usually do not like timelines, but national judges almost expect them (again, this is based on years' worth of observation). So if your board doesn’t already have one, consider adding it when preparing your project for nationals. National judges like to read timelines for historical context, so make sure to also include events that are not strictly about your topic but still influenced it in some way (for example, if your project is on the anti-Vietnam War Movement, include relevant events from the Civil Rights movement; both are important to the 1960s context). If you plan to include a timeline, I recommend that you cite everything from a source (credible websites are acceptable), so that words on the timeline do not take up words. Cite the source on the board itself to make clear that timeline words should not be counted among your 500 student-composed words.

If you want to develop your own strategies for next year, examine projects in your judging group (as in, actually read them from the perspective of a judge) and note which projects advanced. Also, pay special attention to projects from the following states: California, Minnesota, Texas, Iowa, Washington State, Florida, and South Carolina, because they are always well-represented in the finals round.

Find ways to stand out and make sure to follow all the rules. At nationals, the smallest things count due to the high level of competition.

For more help, visit the NHD student forum: www.nhd.org/forum. There, you can also introduce yourself to people who will be at the contest.

Good luck and enjoy!

Feel free to contact me or the Office.

Gian Santos
gsantos@Luc.edu

Chicago Metro History Fair Office
info@chicagohistoryfair.org