One of the most important parts of a great National History Day is how it connects to the theme. The first step for any project is to read up on and think about the theme.
Someone once said, "an NHD project without a theme is a book report." The theme is often what makes a project come alive. It helps us prove why we should care about a topic and why it matters today.
Next, watch this video about the theme.
Then, connect your understanding of the theme to a potential topic in your upcoming history subject/period:
9th grade - World History - c. 1300 to 1999
10th grade - US History - c. 1600 to 1999
Some resources for finding topics:
General Topic List from Minnesota History DayÂ
Note: This is a general list - you need to consider the connection to the theme!