An exhibit is a visual representation of your research and interpretation of your topic’s significance in history. The analysis and interpretation of your topic must be clear to the viewer. Labels and captions should be used creatively with visual images and objects to enhance the message of your exhibit. (Adapted from www.nhd.org)

Possible student guiding questions

• Do you enjoy creating things with your hands? 

• Do you have room to keep an exhibit once you create it?

• Can your tell your story primarily through pictures and artifacts instead of words?

• Exhibit Board Schematic 

• Sample Exhibit Projects

A performance is a dramatic portrayal of your topic’s significance in history and must be an original production. It should have a written script based on research of your chosen topic and should have dramatic appeal, but not so dramatic that the audience misses the historical connection. This can be individual or group. (Adapted from www.nhd.org)

Possible student guiding questions

• Do you enjoy being in front of an audience?

• Do you like to act, dance, or sing?

• Can your topic be expressed dramatically?

• Performance Tips 

A documentary should reflect your ability to use audiovisual equipment to communicate the historical significance of your topic. 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 also must be an original production. To produce a documentary, you must have access to equipment and be able to operate it. May be done individually or in a group. (Adapted from www.nhd.org)

Possible student guiding questions

• Do you enjoy working with media equipment?

• Do you or your team enjoy putting together movies to provide important information in an interesting way?

• Will your research be most clearly presented as a documentary?

• Documentary Tip Sheet

• Junior Level Documentary Winner Example 

This year students may create a website project submission. A website should reflect your ability to communicate your topic’s significance in history using a website.  You may use professional photographs, graphics, video, recorded music, etc. within the site. Such items must be integrated into the website, and must be credited within the site and cited in the annotated bibliography.  The website may contain multimedia clips (audio, video, or both) that total no more than three minutes (e.g., use only one three-minute clip, three one-minute clips). Included in the three-minute total is any music or songs that play after a page loads. 

Viewers can freely navigate and move through the website. Websites use color, images, fonts, documents, objects, graphics and design, as well as words, to tell your story. 

Students will complete the website using a FWISD Google Site. A link to the published FWISD Google Site will be submitted during the registration process.    

Helpful hints

• Keep it simple: don’t waste too much time on bells and whistles. Tell your story and tell it straight.

• Borrow ideas from other websites: find design elements that work and imitate them on your website. Just remember to give credit where credit is due.

• Make sure every element of your design points back to your topic, thesis, and/or time period. There should be a conscious reason for every choice you make about color, typeface, or graphics.

Sample websites

• Sample student website project using a FWISD Google site.