UT hosts district competition for National History Day
The East Tennessee Historical Society and UT’s Department of History teamed up to sponsor National History Day, the district competition between middle and high school students all across the East Tennessee area for a chance to advance to the state competition. Lisa Oakley–Curator of Education in the ETHS–was one of the members in charge of the competition, and was impressed to see how much effort the students put in to their projects. The 1st-3rd place winners of the district competition will advance to the state competition, held in Nashville, Tennessee, on April 12, 2014.
Middle and high school students from across East Tennessee came to University of Tennessee’s campus on Friday, March 7 for National History Day, a district competition in which students created historical projects to advance into the state competition. The National History Day district competition was sponsored by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the UT Department of History.
In order to be eligible for the state competition in Nashville, Tenn., on April 12, students bring their projects to district held here at UT. The top three are eligible to advance to the state competition in Middle Tennessee. The state competition will then decide who in Tennessee will advance to the national competition in June, Lisa Oakley, Curator of Education for the East Tennessee Historical Society, said.
The fourth place winner will serve as an alternate for anyone who can’t make it to the state competition.
“[The students] research a topic related to the theme each year,” Oakley said. The theme for this year’s competition was Rights and Responsibilities.
Students in sixth through eight grade competed in the junior division, while students in ninth through twelfth grade competed in the senior division. Students compete for first through fourth place in individual or group exhibits, documentaries, performances, websites and papers. Groups consisted of up to five students.
The National History Day competition helps students learn something about themselves, Oakley said.
“It’’s very beneficial because they almost become a historian themselves on the topic they’ve chosen,” Oakley said.
Edited by Nichole Stevens
