National History Day Projects From Start to Finish 2023-2024

NOTE: Enjoy the NEWLY UPDATED 2023-2024 version (Turning Points in History Theme)! It has brand new materials related to this year's theme, and I also updated lessons to include a more comprehensive and integrated approach to using both primary and secondary sources.

This is your one stop shop for all National History Day lessons and resources!

National History Day is a contest in which student choose a topic, conduct in depth research, and create a project (5-6 project categories to choose from!). Go to NHD.org for more information.

If you are a NHD veteran teacher who is looking to ramp up their game, or a newbie trying to get your head wrapped around everything NHD, this resource is for you!

Included in this hyperlinked document are 14 lessons and student assignments designed to take your students from knowing nothing about National History Day (Lesson 1) to a completed project with an Annotated Bibliography and Process Paper (Lesson 14). In easy to implement lessons, teachers will introduce and dig deep into each step of the process through an attractive editable google slide presentation (including all relevant information, videos, and student engagement pieces). Accompanying each lesson are student friendly editable assignments with directions and space for student work and notes, which can be printed and/or accessed digitally by students.

Below are the titles of the lessons and student assignments:

• Lesson/ Assignment 1: Introduction to National History Day
• Lesson/ Assignment 2: Selecting a Topic
• Lesson/ Assignment 3: Keeping Track of Your Sources
• Lesson/ Assignment 4: Initial Research
• Lesson/ Assignment 5: Developing a Thesis Statement
• Lesson/ Assignment 6: Historical Context Research, Notes and Writing
• Lesson/ Assignment 7: Main Event Research, Notes and Writing
• Lesson/ Assignment 8:  Impact and Importance Research, Notes and Writing
• Lesson/ Assignment 9: Getting to Know Your Project Category
• Lesson/ Assignment 10: Planning Your Project*
• Lesson/ Assignment 11: Creating Your Project*
• Lesson/ Assignment 12: The Feedback and Revision Process
• Lesson/ Assignment 13:  Writing the Annotated Bibliography
• Lesson/ Assignment 14: Writing the Process Paper and Title Page

*These Student Assignments Include 6 different assignments based on Project Category (the 6th includes Podcasts, which are CA only)

Notes:

This resource is updated with the new 2024 Yearly Theme: Turning Points in History.

This resource can also be used as a Project Based Learning Unit for your History and/or ELA classes.

You and your students will need GOOGLE DRIVE (slides and docs) for this resource.

I created and edited this resource myself. If you find any errors, please let me know and I will fix ASAP.

My background: I am a 15 year veteran teacher. This will be my 8th year teaching NHD in one form or another at my school. I have sent multiple student projects to the California History Day Competition 7 of 8 years, and my students have competed in the final rounds of the competition. I have had one student advance to the National Competition.