Whether you have participated in National History Day before or are creating your first project, we are here to help! Below, you will find tools and resources for every step of your NHD journey, from selecting a topic and category to finding reliable historical records and getting your project competition-ready.
There is also information on the special awards offered at Rhode Island History Day so you can select a topic that qualifies for additional recognition.
If you have any questions about Rhode Island History Day please email us at rhodeisland@nhd.org.
NEW! After-School Session for RI History Day Students
For the first time, we will be offering additional enrichment opportunities for students, both online and in-person, in the lead-up to the State Contest. Sessions will include:
Wednesday, Oct 29, 4:30pm: Making a Historical Argument (Virtual)
Tuesday, Nov 18, 4:30pm: Research Skills & Best Practices (In Person)
Wednesday, Jan 14, 4:30pm: Creating an Annotated Bibliography (Virtual)
Tuesday, Feb 24, 4:30pm: Last Minute Submission Questions (Virtual)
Students compete based on their grade level in either the Junior Division (6-8) or Senior Division (9-12). Below are resources to help you choose a topic based on the annual theme, decide with whom you wish to work, and how to choose what type of project you will complete.
It is entirely up to you and your teacher whether or not you decide to complete an Individual or a Group project. All projects are evaluated against others in the same Grade Division (6-8 or 9-12), Project Category, and number of students (Individual or Group).
Students can complete History Day projects as individuals in all five Project Categories.
Students may complete History Day projects in groups of 2-5 people in the following categories only:
Documentary
Exhibit
Performance
Website
Project Categories that students can choose to create their projects include:
Documentary
Exhibit
Paper
Performance
Website
Research Sheet from the Alabama Humanities Alliance (pages 3-4)
All Project Categories MUST include an Annotated Bibliography of all resources used and a maximum 500 word Process Paper in which students answer the following questions:
How did you choose your topic, and how does it relate to the annual theme?
How did you conduct your research?
How did you create our project?
What is your historical argument?
In what ways is your topic significant in history?
Below are some resources to help you craft your History Day Projects:
A documentary is a film, which can be a maximum of ten-minutes in length, that uses media (images, video, and sound) to communicate your historical argument, research evidence, and analysis of your topic’s significance in history.
A documentary should reflect your ability to use audiovisual equipment to communicate your topic’s significance and prove your argument. The documentary category will help you develop skills in using photographs, film, video, audio, computers, and graphic presentations. Your presentation should include primary source materials and must be an original production. To produce a documentary, you must have access to equipment and be able to operate it.
An exhibit is a three-dimensional physical and visual representation of your historical argument, research evidence, and analysis of your topic’s significance in history.
Exhibits use color, images, documents, objects, graphics, and design, as well as a maximum of 500 student composed words, to tell your story. Exhibits can be interactive experiences by asking viewers to play music, look at a video, or open a door or window to see more documents or photos.
A paper is a written format for presenting your historical argument, research evidence, and analysis of your topic’s significance in history.
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 include more information in a paper (1500-2500 words) than in the other categories. Various types of creative writing (for example, fictional diaries, poems, etc.) are permitted, but must conform to all general and category rules.
A performance is a dramatic portrayal of your historical argument, research evidence, and analysis of your topic’s significance in history.
The performance category is the only one that is presented live. Developing a strong narrative that allows your subject to unfold in a dramatic and visually interesting way is important. Memorizing, rehearsing, and refining your script is essential, so you should schedule time for this in addition to research, writing, costuming, and prop gathering. You have a maximum of ten minutes to tell your story and prove your historical argument.
A website is a collection of interconnected web pages that uses multimedia to communicate your historical argument, research evidence, and analysis of your topic’s significance in history.
A website should reflect your ability to use website design software and computer technology to communicate your topic’s significance in history. All websites MUST be constructed using the NHD WebCentral platform and can contain no more than 1200 student composed words.
Rhode Island Resources
General Collections