triumph tragedy n h d nhd n h d nhd n h d nhd · triumph & tragedy in history welcome! as...

N H D

NHD

NHDNHDNHDNHD

NHDNHDNHD

N H D

N H D

N H D

NHDN H D

N H D

N H D

N H D

NHD

N H D

NHD

NHDNHDNHD

NHDNHDNHDNHD

N H D

N H D

NHDN H D

NHDN H D

N H D

N H D

N H D&t r i u m p h

t r a g e d y

N a t i o N a l H i s t o r y D a y 2 0 0 7

National History Day 2007 �

@ 2006 National History Day

May be duplicated for educational purposes

Senior Editor: Cathy Gorn, Ph.D., Executive Director, National History Day

Editor: Ann Claunch, Ph.D., Director of Curriculum, National History Day

Assistant Editor: Susan Payne, Ph.D., University of New Mexico

Program Accreditation

The American Association for State and Local History, the American Historical Association,

the Federation of State Humanities Councils, the National Council for the Social Studies,

and the Organization of American Historians endorse National History Day, the National

Association of Secondary School Principals has placed National History Day on the

NASSP National Advisory List of Contest and Activities

0119 Cecil Hall

University of Maryland

College Park, MD 20742

Phone: 301-314-9739

Fax: 310-314-9767

Email:

[email protected]

www.nhd.org

NHDNHDN H DNHD

Triumph & Tragedy in

History National History

Day 2007

Triumph & Tragedy in History�

Welcome!

As National History Day enters its 26th year of providing remarkable opportunities

for American students to engage in historical research, the national staff is

feeling renewed and ready to take on the next century with NHD. Our theme

for the 2006-2007 school year is Triumph & Tragedy in History, one that is very

poignant and provides a greater understanding of historical perspective to

students as they explore interactions and relationships of individuals and nations

across time. We are looking forward to an exciting year.

National History Day is growing. Our curriculum support materials are expanding.

The contest theme book is now one of four new curriculum support books

exploring the theme of Triumph & Tragedy in History (see page 39 for details).

We extend a special thank you to our partners at ABC-CLIO for their help in

expanding the NHD curriculum materials available for teachers.

In the contest theme book for 2006-2007, we have narrowed our focus to

classroom practice. “Collaborative Learning through National History Day” by

Joel Walker, presents ideas on how to build best practices into every classroom

and “Why Teach with a Theme” by Ann Claunch explores the importance of

building a history curriculum that supports cognitive development in young

adolescents. “What to Do when the Principal Says”...By Lisa Fisher is a

comprehensive overview of how History Day is reported in the research journals

and is written with the new administrator to National History Day in mind.

In addition to our practitioner section, we have an article that is meant to put

a human face to the judging process. Lori Lisowski did an outstanding job

explaining why historians and others choose to judge at the National Contest in

“Labor of Love.” This would be a great article for both parents and students to

read. Our final section is historical research with three articles: two on American

History and one on World History. These articles are meant to serve as models for

students and teachers.

Our hope is that this year’s contest theme book is useful to both new and

veteran NHD teachers to extend or introduce information.

Happy Researching!

Ann Claunch

Letter From the Editor


Table of Contents

Letter From the Editor

What is National History Day?

2007 Theme: Triumph & Tragedy

Triumph & Tragedy Sample Topics

Why Teach with a Theme? Empowering the Curriculum

By Ann Claunch

Collaborative Learning through National History Day

By Joel Walker

What Do You Say When the Principal Asks…

By Lisa Fisher

Judging at National History Day: A Labor of Love

By Lori Lisowski

The Triumph and Tragedy of Octavio V. Catto

By V. Chapman Smith

William Wilberforce: Abolitionist

By Ann Claunch in consultation with Robanne Harrison

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Father of the Interstate Highway System

By Kim Barbieri

�

4

�7

��

��

�7

50

68

6

��

�4

Triumph & Tragedy in History4

National History Day (NHD) is an educational program devoted to improving the

teaching and learning of history in American schools. NHD is a meaningful way

for students to study historical issues, ideas, people and events by engaging in

historical research.

Beginning in the fall, students choose a topic,

related to an annual theme, and conduct

extensive primary and secondary research.

After analyzing and interpreting their sources

and drawing conclusions about their topics’

significance in history, students then present

their work in original papers, exhibits,

performances and documentaries. These

products are entered into competitions in the

spring at local, state, and national levels where

they are evaluated by professional historians

and educators. The program culminates with

the national competition held each June at the

University of Maryland at College Park.

Each year National History Day uses a new theme to provide a lens for students

to study history: the 2007 theme is Triumph & Tragedy in History. These themes

frame the research for both students and teachers. The theme is intentionally

broad enough that students can select topics from any place (local, national

or world history) and any time period. Once students choose their topics, they

investigate historical context, historical significance, and the topic’s relationship

to the theme by conducting research in libraries, archives and museums, through

oral history interviews and by visiting historic sites.

What is National History Day?

NHDNHDN H DNHD

National History Day 2007 5

Why National History Day?

NHD benefits both teachers and students. For the students, NHD allows control

of his or her own learning. Students select topics from the broad theme that

reflect their interest. Program expectations and guidelines are explicitly provided

for students, but the research journey is created by the process and is unique to

the historical research. Throughout the research process students learn about

their heritage and develop essential life skills by fostering academic achievement

and intellectual curiosity. In addition, students develop critical-thinking and

problem solving skills that will help them manage and use information now and

in the future.

The student’s greatest ally in the research process

is the classroom teacher. NHD supports teachers

by providing instructional materials and workshops

at the state and national level. Many teachers find

that incorporating the NHD theme into their regular

classroom curriculum encourages students to watch

for examples of the theme and to identify connections

in their study of history across time.

History Day breathes life into the traditional history

curriculum by engaging students and teachers in a hands-on and in-depth

approach to studying the past. By focusing on a theme students are introduced

to a new organizational structure to learn history. Teachers are also supported in

introducing highly complex research strategies to students.

When NHD is implemented in the classroom, students are involved in a powerful

learning process.


During the 2006-2007 school year, National History Day invites students to

research topics related to the theme Triumph & Tragedy in History. As is the case

each year, the theme is broad enough to encourage investigation of topics

ranging from local history to world history, and from ancient time to the

recent past.

To understand the historical importance of their topics students need to ask

questions about time, place and context; cause and effect; change over time;

and impact and significance. Students must consider not only when and where

events happened, but also why they occurred and what factors contributed to

their development. Description of the topic must also include an analysis of

information and conclusions about how the topic influenced and was influenced

by people, ideas or events.

For National History Day 2007, students are encouraged to select an individual,

idea or event and demonstrate how and why their topic was a triumph and/or a

tragedy in history. A student may choose to focus on the discovery of penicillin

as a historic and medical triumph. Or students may decide to study the tragic

impact of the Great Russian Famine of the 1890s. In these cases, the subject

could be presented as either triumph or tragedy.

Students should keep in mind, however, that often the same topic can be viewed

as both triumph and tragedy depending on the experience of the participants,

the perspective of historians and the passage of time. One person’s triumph

was often another person’s tragedy. For example, the American Civil War was

a great triumph of the North over the South, of unionism over sectionalism, of

freedom over slavery. But the war also took a terrible toll in human lives, caused

widespread destruction and left a legacy of bitterness. In all wars and military

encounters there are social disruptions and material costs-winners triumph and

losers experience tragedy.

In explaining this paradox to students, perhaps thinking of a balance scale that

is heavy on one side would be a visual image that would represent Triumph &

Tragedy in the research. A topic will not be balanced equally with triumphant

moments or tragic moments but one will weigh in heavier than the other.

Nudging students to uncover both sides of any event helps build historical

perspective and constructs a stronger historical argument.

2007 Theme: Triumph & Tragedy

NHDNHDN H DNHD

National History Day 2007 7

Securing the peace can be as difficult as winning the war. The Marshall Plan

resulted in the United States sending billions of dollars in food and equipment to

Western Europe as its nations struggled to overcome the economic devastation

and tragedy of World War II. Was the Marshall Plan a triumph for the western

European nations that participated? Was the Marshall Plan an economic triumph

for the United States? Was it a political triumph?

Why or why not? How did the Marshall Plan differ from the reconstruction plans

of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe? While military topics to be obvious

choices because of the generally clear line between winners and losers, Triumph

& Tragedy may be explored in a wide variety of historical contexts. Students

who are interested in ancient history might create a project that examines the

architectural triumph in the building of the Parthenon in Athens and the tragedy

of its use as a military arsenal and fortress in the centuries that followed. A

performance might be developed that examines the life of Julius Caesar and his

triumphant rise to power as well as his role in undermining the Roman Republic.

Was his assassination considered a triumph or a tragedy by his contemporaries?

By historians? Or students might produce a media presentation which interprets

the destruction of Pompeii when Mt. Vesuvius erupted as a tragedy for the

people caught unaware, but a triumph for archaeologists almost two thousand

years later who excavated the civilization preserved in Lava.

Students interested in historic places might explore places in their own

communities that possess tragic and triumphant associations. Whitman Mission

National Historic Site, for example, tells the story of Marcus and Narcissi

Whitman, their Methodist mission in southwestern Washington, and their

massacre in 1847 by Cayuse Indians. Whether an event is considered a tragedy

or a triumph depends on one’s perspective.

Other National Park Service sites that reflect these opposing themes are Martin

Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, which chronicles Dr. King’s

triumphant rise to national prominence and his tragic death in Memphis; Little

Big Horn National Monument in Montana where Lakota and Northern Cheyenne

led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse defeated George A. Custer in 1876; and

Booker T. Washington National Monument in southern Virginia which illustrates

Washington’s rise from slavery to become founder of the Tuskegee Institute and

one of the foremost black educators at the turn of the twentieth century.

An individual can affect a historic development that is both a triumph

and a tragedy. Gandhi led India to independence with his strategy of

passive resistance triumphing over violent protest. But the victory of

anti-colonialism was accompanied by the tragedy of Moslem-Hindu

conflict. An individual also can experience public triumph and personal

tragedy. Frederick Douglass, a slave, experienced the triumph of escape

and freedom, becoming a distinguished lecturer on abolition and equal

rights for blacks. But in his daily life Douglass continued to suffer from

the tragic legacy of racism.

The world of politics and foreign policy is filled with examples of triumph and

tragedy. A paper might be written which examines the effect of the Japanese

colonization of Korea between 1910 and 1945 and the subsequent acrimony

between the two nations. A media presentation might be produced that explains

the appeasement policy of the British and French toward Adolph Hitler in

Germany during the late 1930s and the tragic consequences that followed. Or a

project might be created which analyzes Benjamin Franklin’s success in gaining

French recognition for American independence in 1778 and the consequences of

French military assistance during the

Revolutionary War.

In migration and immigration there were those who triumphed over the odds

and others who met tragic fates. In the settlement of the American West, for

example, pioneers struggled against elements, the land, and sometimes each

other to carve new homes and communities out of the wilderness Conversely,

Native Americans fought the pioneers’ encroachment onto the land and the

changes in their livelihoods and culture brought by the advance of white

settlement.

Students who are interested in sports might develop a performance which

dramatizes Wilma Rudolph’s struggle to overcome personal tragedy and

historical circumstances to triumph as an Olympic athlete. Or a student who is

interested in civil rights issues might write a paper that analyzes the efforts of

the Freedom Riders to register African-American voters in the early 1960s and

the eventual passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Courtesy of National Archives



The history of technology includes scores of topics related to triumph and

tragedy. A comparison might be made between the San Francisco earthquakes of

1906 and 1989. How did the tragic consequences of the 1906 quake contribute

to new knowledge in engineering and design that helped to lesson damage in

the 1989 disaster? Another topic for study might be the efforts of the Wright

brothers in their attempt to create the “flying machine,” or Chuck Yeager’s

role in breaking the sound barrier. Students who are interested in inventions

might consider investigating the development and impact of the telephone by

Alexander Graham Bell or the light bulb by Thomas Edison. What makes one

inventor triumph while another fails?

The theme is a broad one, so topics should be carefully selected and developed

in ways that best use student’s talents and abilities. Whether a topic is a well-

known event of world history or focuses on a little-known individual from a

small community, students should be careful to place their topics into historical

perspective, examine the significance of their topics in history, and show

development over time. Studies should include an

investigation into available primary and secondary

research, an analysis of the materials, and a clear

explanation of the relationship of the topic to

the theme, Triumph & Tragedy in History. Students

should pay special attention to the possibilities

of triumph and tragedy within the same subject. Then, students may develop

papers, performances, documentaries, and exhibits for entry into National History

Day competitions.



Historical Relevance

As with any NHD theme, this topic presents students with many fascinating

opportunities to explore history and to learn to use a wide range of primary and

secondary sources. This year’s theme also offers teachers an excellent entry into

philosophical discussions about personal actions and responsibilities.

Stories of individuals in history are compelling but pose a challenge for a

National History Day project. While working with a theme, students must move

beyond biographies and description of specific people or events and demonstrate

how that person’s actions affected history.

The challenge for students engaged in a National History Day project with

the theme of Triumph & Tragedy in History is to capture that specific moment in

time in which change occurred that changed the course of events and forever

altered history.

N H D

NHD

NHDNHDNHD

NHDNHD

NHDN H D

N H D

NHDN H D

NHDN H D

N H D

N H D

N H D

NHDNHDNHD

Purchase an NHD academic lapel pin and recognize your students.

The pins are $1.50 and come in packets of 12!

Visit www.nhd.org/shop.htm to order today!

Recognize student achievements!

Triumph & Tragedy in History�0

National History Day 2007 ��

Triumph & Tragedy in History��

The following list provides examples of topics related to this year’s theme.

The list is not inclusive: rather it provides a starting point for students and

teachers to brainstorm ideas for National History Day topics. Students

should keep in mind that many excellent research topics can be found by

investigating their own local history. Choosing one of the topics below will

not increase or decrease a student’s chance of doing well at a National

History Day contest.

Research Tip: Topic TalksAs a way to introduce the students to the theme, do “Topic Talks.” Each day the teacher tells or assigns students to tell the story of three to five topics off the list. Discuss with students how the topics presented connect with the theme. Brainstorm a list of where students would go to begin their research on the presented research topics.

Triumph & Tragedy Sample Topics

• Jeremiah Rusk: Bay View Tragedy

• Rachel Carson: Banning of DDT

• Dickey Chappelle: Foreign War Correspondent

• Richard Bond: Congressional Medal of Honor Winner

• Wilma Rudolph: Polio Survivor to Olympic Medalist

• Hiroki Sugihara: Japanese Diplomat

• Cesar Chavez: Migrant Labor Reform

• Theodore Judah: Transcontinental Railroad

• The Triumphant and Tragic Voyage of Christopher Columbus

• Dorothea Dix and Mental Heath Reform

• Buffalo Soldiers: Opening the West

• Martin Luther King: Non Violent Protest

• Thomas Cromwell: Suppression of Monasteries

• Columbus: Point of Contact

• John Carlos and Tommie Smith: Black Panther Movement

• Marion Anderson’s Concert in Washington DC

• Alaska: Spanish Flu Epidemic

• Vincent Van Gogh: The Triumph and Tragedy of Genius

• San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: Change Born from Tragedy

• Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii: Destruction of a Culture

• Civil Rights: Freedom Summer

• Creation of the State of Israel

• Chicago Urban Housing Projects: Middle Class Housing

• Taos Pueblo Revolt 1640

• NASA: Shuttle Development

• Relocation of Japanese Americans During World War II

• Desegregation: Louisiana Schools

• Indian Wars of 1850s and 1860s

• The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roanoke Settlement

• Hay Market Riots: Labor’s Tragedy

• Great Fire of London: Rebuilding Act of 1667

• Families in Struggle and Triumph on the Oregon Trail

• Red Scare 1919: Xenophobia in America

• Enactment of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 1965

• The Marshall Plan: Economic Reconstruction of Europe

NHDNHDN H DNHD


Research Tip: Topic Selection.When selecting topics for your national History Day Project: Many present day events come to mind; September ��, �00� and Hurricane Katrina. Although both events fall into the theme of Triumph and Tragedy, they are too recent to understand the impact on coming generations. The general rule of thumb is don’t choose a topic less than twenty-five years or until one generation has passed. Time gives historical perspective.

• Ellis Island Immigration Reception and Quarantine Station

• Bracero Program 1942

• Joseph Stalin and the Purge of Russia

• Invasion of Normandy: Military Triumph

• Polio Epidemic: Triumphant Cure

• Lowell Mill Girls: Rise of the Textile Industry

• Edward Doheny: Teapot Dome Scandal

• Dawes Act of 1857

• Penicillin: Saving Lives

• Kent State: Conflicting First Amendment Rights

• Fair Labor Standards Act: Breaker Boys

• U.S.S. Indianapolis: Miscommunication at Sea

• Robert Oppenheimer: Manhattan Project

• Alexander the Great: Personal Triumph and Tragedy

• Winston Churchill: Fight Against Tyranny

• John Brown: Abolitionist Movement

• Rape of Nanking: Japanese Invasion of China

• Eleanor Roosevelt: Human Rights

• Anwar Sadat: Struggle for Peace

• Industrial Revolution: Creation of the Assembly Line

• Everybody Down: History of the Canals

• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

• Treaty of Versailles: Triumph or Tragedy?

• SALT: A Triumph or a Tragedy

• Social Security Act, 1935

• Creation of the Stock Market:

• Ray Kroc: Fast Food Changes America

• Cultural Revolution in China

• Colonization: French in Vietnam

• Galileo: Triumphant Discoveries, Tragic Life

• War Coverage: Vietnam and the Media

• Battle of Waterloo: New Beginnings from the End

• Midway: Between Triumph and Tragedy

• Surrender of Japan: From Surrender to Success

• Civil Rights Act of 1865

• South Africa Apartheid and the Division of a Nation

• Rosie the Riveter: Women’s Roles in WWII

• Saladin: Crusades

• Upton Sinclair: The Jungle Changes Federal Policy

• Marco Polo: Economy of the Silk Road

• Genghis Khan: Cartography and Power

• Interstate Highway System: Growth of the Suburban Neighborhood


Why Teach with a Theme? Empowering the Curriculum By Ann Claunch

Every year National History Day frames students’ research within a historical

theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national or state

history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past. This year’s

theme is Triumph & Tragedy in History.

The intentional selection of the theme

for National History Day is to provide an

opportunity for students to push past the

antiquated view of history as mere facts

and dates and drill down into historical

content to develop perspective and

understanding.

Students sometimes learn history fast

and without meaning. This happens for

two main reasons. The first is the current

educational climate that emphasizes

coverage of content and secondly, the

vastness of the discipline. Conceivably, to study history is to study everything

since the beginning of time. Class design is often determined by time periods

and approached chronologically: Revolutionary War, Westward Movement,

Reconstruction or 20th century American History. Even presenting history

through chronology, without a guiding framework or theme, abandons students

to isolated pieces of historical information.

The NHD theme provides a focused way to increase student’s historical

understanding by developing a lens to read history, an organizational structure

that helps students place information in the correct context and finally, the ability

to see connections over time.

NHDNHDN H DNHD

National History Day 2007 �5

Providing Focus

The discipline of history is so large that it incorporates all other disciplines; the

history of art, the history of literature, the history of science, the history of math

and all other social sciences. The vastness of the content is overwhelming. For

an adolescent who is just at the beginning stages of struggling with higher level

thinking skills, the task of learning history seems insurmountable. By highlighting

the National Day History theme students are given a cognitive road map to

navigate understanding.

An additional benefit is that teaching with a theme can increase

reading comprehension. Reading research has shown that

comprehension increases when students are reading with a purpose.

When students are reading and thinking about the theme they

are actively reading for events, people or ideas that are examples

of Triumph & Tragedy in History. A theme redefines how history is

learned. Instead of concentrating on the whole century or large topic,

students are invited to stop and analyze the smaller event in relation

to the whole. Teaching with a theme ensures that students are not

overwhelmed with the sheer vastness of the discipline but invited to

look deeply instead.

Organizational Strategy

An important feature of knowledge is that students must have a mental

organizational structure for their learning. A historical theme can be defined as

a concept or a generalized idea that is repeated through time. The repetition

of looking for people, events or ideas that illustrate Triumph & Tragedy in History

begins to build an organizational structure for learning and, through modeling,

becomes innate as students look for connections across time periods.

Connections

One of the greatest challenges of teaching history is for students to find

connections and to see the causal relationships that are fundamental to the

study of history. Using the NHD theme builds connections across centuries. For

example students studying people, ideas, and events that represent Triumph &

Tragedy in History during the Revolutionary period, might identify John Adams

in his representation of the British during the Boston Massacre. The same

students might make a connection later in the year to Frederick Douglas during the

Abolitionist Movement in the 19th century and then to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in

the 20th century. Students drawing the connections will begin to see similarities;

all three were men of great conviction and experienced both triumph and

tragedy in their personal and professional lives. Teaching with a theme provides

opportunities to contrast the context of the time periods and the ethos of the

people living in the time period. Who were the people that opposed these men?

What were their motivations? What risks were involved?

For the teacher, a historical theme can be layered into an existing curriculum to

enhance learning. Teachers can meet their districts’ expectations and standards

with a slight addition of the theme to their curriculum. The process in using

the theme in the classroom can be as simple or complex as the teacher wishes.

Introduction of the theme might be an explanation and definition of Triumph &

Tragedy in History, then, frequently asking students to identify and discuss people,

events or ideas in the week’s reading that illuminated the annual theme. By

embedding the theme in the curriculum the teacher supports the students in

selecting a topic that might culminate in a National History Day research project.



Collaborative Learning through National

History Day By Joel Walker

History Day is more than a contest; it is a

complex education program that encourages

historical scholarship in students in grades six

through twelve. Teachers are excited about

implementing the program, but for the first

time National History Day Teacher the process

can feel daunting. The purpose of this article

is to describe a way of introducing National

History Day through Collaborative Learning

groups in your classroom.

Why Implement Group Work in the National History Day Classroom?

New research contends that the adolescent brain needs to be connected and

active with the learning process in the classroom. Blum (2005) points out,

“Teachers build connectedness in the classroom when they encourage group

learning experiences.”

Teachers know that collaborative learning increases understanding of content

because students are active participants and therefore retain the information

longer than in other instructional formats. An additional benefit is that students

who work in collaborative groups appear more satisfied with their classes. Since

interaction is a forte of most teenagers, group work allows students to feel

successful and in turn become more invested in the learning process. Teachers

who employ group work in mid-school and high school classrooms capitalize on

students learning strengths.

Cooperative Learning Topic Selection

The first step for students in National History Day is topic selection. Students

must choose a topic that is connected to the annual theme and is interesting to

the student. To accomplish both criteria, a variety of topics must be explored and

an understanding of the annual theme needs to be clarified.

As students think about topic selection, teachers should simultaneously introduce

the theme, Triumph & Tragedy in History. Many teachers utilize the pages in this

book that appear on page 6-10 and the list of sample topics on page 12-13.

Both will help give examples of topics and spur further curiosity about the theme.

After an understanding of the theme is established, students may begin

exploring topics of interest. Developmentally, students naturally begin with broad



NHDNHDN H DNHD


topics of interest: World War II, Civil Rights or the Women’s Movement. To take

advantage of student interest the teacher facilitates a discussion and records

the class brainstorming ideas on the board, listing all ideas of possible research

topics elicited from the students.

Modeling is one of the most powerful teaching tools. For the next several steps

in the process the teacher will model topic selection. When the brainstormed list

is complete the teacher then circles a topic that all students in the class will be

researching collaboratively. For our purposes, we will model the topic of World

War II.

Students then divide the class into groups of five. Each student should make

a copy of the graph below and complete the graph with the group’s help by

searching the school library and Internet, books, and other resources for topics

(people, events or ideas) that represent the theme of Triumph and Tragedy in

History during WWII. This is a very important step in the process of topic selection

because students are discussing and mentally sorting topics that connect with

the theme and those topics that do not.

Secondary Source Investigation and Jigsaw

Upon completion of the graph, students have narrowed the larger topic of WWII

to nine different possibilities. Again the teacher models how to research deeper

and explore further. In our example we have chosen an event, the D-Day invasion.

Every group has five members, now each member of the group will choose one of

the five subtopics of the D-Day invasion, that the teacher has pre-identified.

THEME Triumph & Tragedy in History

BROAD TOPIC World War II

People Example � Example � Example �

Ideas Example � Example � Example �

Events D-Day Invasion Example � Example �


D-DAY INVASION SUBTOPICS

• The military tactics of the D-Day invasion

• The technology of the D-Day invasion

• The Leaders of the D-Day invasion

• Timeline leading to the D-Day Invasion

• A profile of the soldiers of the D-Day Invasion

Once it has been decided which student is going to take what subtopic, general

secondary source research needs to take place. With the entire classroom, lead

the class through a general overview of an article or informative text about the

D-Day Invasion, one with some information on all of the subtopics.

If you’re going to require students to use note cards, hand out note cards while

you are doing this lesson and explain how you want the students to take notes

(if you prefer teaching another method, then show the students that method).

Be sure you tell them how you want them to cite the source on the note card or

introduce the students to the three column journal for recording information. This

is easily made by taking an 8.5” x 11” notebook sheet of paper and dividing it

into three columns.

As you read through the article as a class, teach the students how to pull the

necessary information from the source. Show them the difference between the

need to record the exact words of a source, the need to summarize a source, and the

need to record one’s own thoughts as one reads a source.

After completing this exercise with the full class, new small groups will

form. Within the main groups everyone has chosen a subtopic of the D-Day

Invasion: the military tactics, the technology, the leadership… From the main

groups the students who have been working on military tactics now form a

new group. The students who have been working on the technology of D-Day

form another group and so on. Everyone within the newly formed groups


Quotes from the text: Who said what and where

Ideas from the text that I want to use

My thoughts of the text

Reflective Research Journal


(expert groups) should be researching the same subtopic of the D-Day Invasion.

With a trip to the media center and the computer lab, students begin their

research in secondary sources on their topic. The teacher will need to direct the

students to secondary sources. The goal of this part of the research is to give each

subgroup (and every student in the subgroup) an overview of their subtopic.

With the basic understanding of their subtopic, students return to their original

groups, from their expert groups, and report on what they have learned. Next,

groups are given a blank exhibit board and the teacher then explains that each

student will be responsible for the design of one-fifth of the exhibit board with

the goal that all sections will connect in content.

The following day the class works on their D-Day Invasion projects and the

teacher introduces the concept of primary sources. The lead-in questions to the

lesson are: How do we know that all the material the students have just learned

about their subtopics is true? How do we know what any historian tell us is

true? We look at primary sources.

Like the secondary source lesson, a single primary source should be presented to

model for the entire class. An example of a primary document is General Dwight

D. Eisenhower’s Order of the Day, a personal encouragement to the military

troops right before the invasion. Discuss with the students the basic facts about

the source. Who wrote it? When was it written? For whom was it written? But

also teach the students how to interpret and analyze the source by asking other

questions. What does it tell us? Does it support some of the things we have

already learned? Does the source contradict what we have learned? Or does it

tell us something completely new about our topic or subtopic?

Finally encourage your students in thinking about their final product. How will

primary sources affect their exhibit? Can they use full page print outs of an

image on their exhibit or maybe smaller images? Could one use short quotes

from a document to make their exhibits more interesting? Ask students to

include one primary document on their exhibit board.


Once the research is done, show the students how each group will make their

bibliography (one bibliography per group). Find out what your school or district

recommends but try to teach one of the two accepted NHD citation manuals

(MLA or Turabian).

With the bibliography explained, let the students design their exhibit using

the specific guidelines from NHD. Since the research process was done

collaboratively, competition within the class should not be an issue. The learning

will be evident. This entire process will be a two-three week mini unit that takes

students through an overview of how to select a topic and begin researching a

National History Day project. Collaborative Learning Groups are a great strategy

to introduce National History Day to your class and launch your career as a

National History Day Teacher.


Triumph & Tragedy in History��

What Do You Say When the Principal Asks…By Lisa Fisher

Our educational landscape is changing. Many of our veteran teachers and

principals are retiring and new personnel are being hired with little or no

information about National History Day. This shift in school culture poses new

challenges and opportunities for the NHD teacher.

The NHD teacher becomes the “teacher” to a new colleague or administrator

about National History Day. To help us in this challenge, NHD went to Lisa Fisher,

a current administrator and long time proponent of National History Day, with

some Frequently Asked Questions about National History Day. She answered the

questions and in the process gave lots of research to support her answers.

What do you say, when the principal asks:

Why should we become involved in National History Day? We need to concentrate on

raising students reading and writing scores.

First and foremost, it is important to help administrators understand that

National History Day is in line with “best practices.” Administrators often

appreciate both research and examples of programs in use that have a proven

record of translating to student achievement; therefore, it is necessary for

National History Day teachers to share this information with their administrators

and provide examples of schools, programs, and states that are using National

History Day and seeing results.

There are numerous examples of success. Given the research that supports the

improvement in skills in regular classrooms—and not just gifted and talented

classrooms—such as that evidenced by the Youth History Initiative in Minnesota,

using National History Day in the classroom is a sound approach for a successful

experience for all students.

NHDNHDN H DNHD


A multiyear study that began in 2000 entitled “Youth History Initiative:

Implementing National History Day,” was conducted in the Minneapolis and

Osseo Public School Districts to evaluate the use of the National History Day

learning methods in the classroom to improve academic achievement. The project

focused on diverse schools in undeserved communities. (Students had very low

test scores in reading and writing.) Teachers were trained to use National History

Day in their classrooms to improve student performance. The study found that on

average 59 percent of the students in a class showed academic improvement on

assignments related to National History Day, which emphasizes reading, writing,

critical thinking, and development of historical knowledge. In some classes,

teachers reported academic improvements in as high as 95 percent of their

students. Some of the results reported in 2002 also included an increase from 2

percent to 45 percent of the number of students who could correctly explain a

thesis statement. Further, 72 percent of the students reported that they “made

connections between history and other subjects,” and that they “discussed ideas

about history with the teacher or other students.” Most important, perhaps,

is that 77 percent of the students responded “yes” when asked whether they

believed they would be able to apply the skills they learned through National

History Day to their other schoolwork. (Hoogland, Romanov, and Bemis, 2002)

In a recent article in Education Week by Kathleen Kennedy Manzo (2005) entitled

“Washington State to Require District Tests in Social Studies,” it was noted

that National History Day is being used as one of the “model assessments to

help districts meet a new mandate for gauging what students know and are

able to do in social studies.” The article explains that as schools devote more

time to subjects that are tested and reported under the federal law, No Child

Left Behind, concerns have been raised that those subjects that are untested,

including social studies and history, are being “marginalized in the curriculum.”

Implementing National History Day, We the People, or Facing the Future—the

three approved assessment programs—in all 296 districts is a considerable step

in seeing that social studies and history do not become a forgotten part of the

curriculum. According to Caleb Perkins, the program supervisor for social studies

and international education for Washington state’s office of public instruction,

“It’s really meant to be the best type of authentic assessment of students’ work”

(Manzo, 2005).


The current research on “best practice” in social studies classrooms specifies

that students gain more historical knowledge through “doing” history, that

is, by participating in the act of historical investigation. Further, with the ever-

increasing availability of primary source material, students and teachers need to

have opportunities to utilize these resources in a meaningful way.

In their article “Social Studies Teachers’ Use of Classroom-based and Web-

based Historical Primary Sources” in Theory and Research in Social Education,

Hicks, Dolittle, and Lee (2004) argue that students typically experience the

social studies classroom as a place where they passively listen to lectures, read

textbooks and biographies, work independently, and engage in lower-order,

fact-based assessments. They go on to address that it is not often enough that

students engage in historical inquiry based on primary sources and collaboration

“where the end product is an original piece of student writing.”

Similarly, in Kashatus’s article “Teaching Writing in United States History” in the

OAH Magazine of History (2003), he writes: “Too often…the subject is teacher-

directed, lecture-oriented, focused on the most prominent individuals and events,

and supplemented only by a dry, vocabulary-controlled text. Both methodology

and content are too remote from the student’s own experience, making the

study of history monotonous at best” (p. 39). Kashatus argues that professional

historians and educators are concerned about the inadequacy, both in quality

and quantity, of history taught at the secondary level emphasize the need for

more writing in the curriculum: “Encouraging students ‘to do’ history should be

the fundamental objective of every teacher, and there is no better way ‘to do’

history than researching and writing it” (p. 3).

National History Day is the type of program that addresses such concerns.

Indeed, the program offers students the academic components relevant to “best

practice” in the teaching of social studies and history.



How does NHD meet the standards?

Currently, in some areas of the country teachers are being told that they cannot

do National History Day because it does not help students achieve standards.

Simpson and Lapham (2001) outline this obstacle in their article, stating: “For

some teachers, organizing National History Day projects that conform to state

standards is a challenge.” In fact, it is important to make administrators aware

that National History Day exceeds many of the existing standards in the social

sciences and also meets standards in other disciplines, such as English. National

History Day has developed guidelines on the manner in which the program meets

national standards, which often tie to state standards. The document is entitled

“Meeting the Standards: NHD in Today’s Classroom,” and is available on the

National History Day website.

Individuals involved with National History Day in various states have also made

an effort to show links between the National History Day program and the state

standards to ease the concerns surrounding the manner in which the program

meets state standards. For example, Colorado has developed the “Colorado

Model Content Standards Chart,” tying National History Day to the state

standards for teachers.


Our school has 35 % special needs students and 73% English language learners: Isn’t

History Day only for the gifted students?

Beyond the need for a “new” approach to the discipline of social studies is the

need to support a group of diverse learners in the classroom. National History

Day assists with this effort through its ability to meet the needs of students with

varied types of learning styles.

In Brualdi’s (1996) article, “Multiple Intelligences: Gardner’s Theory,” she offers

practical instructions for incorporating the theory of multiple intelligences in

the classroom, giving instructions such as “show students battle maps, play

revolutionary war songs, organize a role play of the signing of the Declaration of

Independence, and have the students read a novel about life during that period.”


Brualdi argues that such instructional approaches not only excite students to learn

but also allow teachers to “reinforce the same material in a variety of ways.”

Brualdi also notes that supporters of Gardner’s theory claim that a better

approach to assessment is to allow students to explain the materials in their own

ways using different intelligences. She notes that preferred assessment methods

include student portfolios, independent projects, student journals, and assigning

creative tasks.

Similarly, Ediger (2000) argues that assessment should reflect individual student

abilities and should serve to recognize such “gifts.” For this reason, he advocates

the acknowledgement and use of the Multiple Intelligences theory in the

classroom. He writes, “If a pupil is proficient in art work, construction endeavors,

dramatic experiences or music, these need to be recognized and integrated

into lessons and units in the social studies” (p. 30). All of this is accomplished

through the National History Day program.

The National History Day program allows for a great variety of activities to be

incorporated in the social studies classroom. Since students select the category in

which to enter their projects (exhibit, documentary, historical paper or dramatic

performance), students have a unique opportunity to display their individual

talents and to draw connections across disciplines. Research exists to support

the use of such an approach in the social studies classroom. For example, Otten,

Stigler, Woodward, & Staley (2004) examined the influence of a dramatic-based

art program for fifth-grade students on both their learning and enjoyment

of history. They suggest that dramatic-based instruction improved historical

knowledge, acknowledging that success may be attributed in part to an increase

in student enjoyment.

A wide variety of learning needs can be met through meaningful historical

research projects when coupled with “best practice” in the history classroom,

indicating that all students can be successful when allowed to engage in this

type of academic project and experience.


What do you say when the principal asks…

NHD is great for the students but how do teachers benefit?

Administrators and teachers new to National History Day are sometimes

unaware of professional development opportunities the National History Day

program provides. In part to address the challenges teachers sometimes face in

implementing the program, National History Day offers curricular materials for

teachers to help improve teaching generally in the area of social studies and

history. Teacher training is a focus of the National History Day program, and there

are many excellent opportunities for professional development for teachers.

Further, the National History Day office provides assistance with grants, such

as the Teaching American History grants and those offered through the Save

Our History grant program, to secure funds for the purpose of professional

development. The workshops range from the ‘basics” of quality historical

research to in-depth workshops on primary sources at the National Archives in

Washington, D.C. and with experts in the field, such as with Susan O’Donovan, a

History Professor at Harvard University. National History Day also offers Summer

Teaching Institutes, which focuses on content and methods. This is done by

exposing participants to the latest in historical scholarship, familiarizing them

with the primary sources available for studying and teaching, and modeling

different ways of encouraging active learning. Teachers have the opportunity to

work with prominent historians and investigate an array of resources, including

historic sites, oral histories and visual images that can be used in teaching.

Moreover, the National History Day office also offers schools, districts or states

the opportunity to design and customize professional development opportunities

to offer in their local area.

Indeed it is true that, in the words of the National History Day Executive Director

Cathy Gorn, the program “requires more effort on the part of teachers and

students.” As a teacher and administrator, I can think of few quality programs

in any discipline that do not require that extra effort for a quality experience

for students. As Hoge (1988) suggests, exploring new and innovative teaching

practices is likely to help young students develop knowledge and interest in

history. He writes:


Special experiences pump life into children’s history learning. Such experiences

go beyond the “staples” of the classroom instruction and include field trips to

museums and historical sites, simulations, craft and model-building experiences,

individualized and in-depth National History Day projects, and oral history

projects. When students are properly prepared for such experiences, the depth of

understanding they build more than justifies the extra effort they entail.

As states such as Minnesota and Washington have looked to the National History

Day program as a model for improving student achievement and for providing

a type of authentic assessment, perhaps other states, too, should look to their

National History Day programs for solutions to the challenges posed to student

learning in the social studies and history class.

List of Works Cited

Brualdi, A. C. (1996). Multiple Intelligences: Gardner’s Theory. Eric Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation. No. ED410226. Retrieved July 11, 2005, from ERIC Digest.

Ediger, M. (2000). Psychology in Teaching the Social Studies. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 27 (1), 28-34.

Kashatus, W. C. (October 2003). Teaching Writing in United States History. OAH Magazine of History, 39-41.

Hicks, D., Dolittle, P., & Lee, J.K. (2004). Social studies Teachers’ Use of Classroom-based and Web-based Historical Primary Sources. Theory and Research in Social Education, 32 (2), 213-247.

Hoge, Jim. (1988) Teaching history in Elementary School. ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education. No. ED293784. Retrieved June 25, 2005, from ERIC Digest.

Hoogland, T., Romanov, T., & Bemis, A. (2002). Youth History Initiative: Implementing National History Day. Minnesota Historical Society and the Minneapolis Public School District, and the Osseo Public School District. Minneapolis, MN.

Manzo. K. (2005, November 30). Washington State to Require District Tests in Social Studies. Education Week, 25 (13), 9.

Otten, M., Stigler,J. W., Woodwards, J. A., & Staley, L. (2004). Performing history: The effects of a Dramatic Art-based History Program on Student Achievement and Enjoyment. Theory and Research in Social Education, 32 (2), 187-212.

Simpson, M., & Lapham, S. S. (2001). NHD National History Day. Social Education, 65(5), 320. Retrieved June 25, 2005, from Questia database, http://www.questia.com <http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000881440>

N H D

NHD

NHDNHDNHD

NHDNHD

NHDN H D

N H D

NHDN H D

NHDN H D

N H D

N H D

N H D

NHDNHDNHD

Use a gripping primary source to teach WWII

A t the tender age of 12, Julian Kulski swore

an oath of secrecy and became a freedom

fighter in the underground resistance to

Germany’s occupation of his native Poland in World

War II. The German invasion in 1939 shattered the

middle-class life of his prominent family in Warsaw,

toppled the country’s democratic government, and

replaced Poland’s traditional flag—and its symbolic

white eagle—with the Nazi swastika.

Julian’s father and uncle had been heroes in Poland’s

war for independence from Russia in 1919. That

legacy inspired the boy’s patriotism and determination

to fight for freedom, family, friends, and Poland until

American soldiers rescued him from a German prison

camp at the end of the war. He was then 16.

The 2006-2007 National History Day theme,

“Triumph and Tragedy,” resounds through this book. Its

companion DVD includes recent videotaped interviews

with Dr. Kulski and his surviving fellow freedom

fighters in Warsaw, as well as a teacher’s guide

suggesting topics for student research.

Legacy of the White Eagle is $24.95 + shipping and handling

NHDNHDN H D

N H DN H D

Visit www.nhd.org/shop.htm to order today or call 301.314.9739

N H D

“Dr. Julian E. Kulski’s autobiographical Legacy of the White Eagle is that

rare gift to history teachers and their students—a primary source with the

gripping excitement and emotional connection of a novel.”

— Dr. Cathy Gorn, Executive Director of NHD

N H D

triumph tragedy n h d nhd n h d nhd n h d nhd · triumph & tragedy in history welcome! as...

Documents