History Day is a project-based learning program of the Historical Society of Michigan. This yearlong educational program encourages students to explore local, state, national, and world history.

After selecting a historical topic that relates to the annual theme, students conduct extensive research by using libraries, archives, museums, and oral history interviews. They analyze and interpret their findings, draw conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, and create final projects in one of five categories: paper, exhibit, documentary, website, or performance.

These projects can be entered into a series of competitions, from the local to the national level. Local competitions start at the school-level in February. Regional competitions take place within eleven districts in March. Regional History Day for Chippewa, Luce, & Mackinac County is March 14, 2025. The state finals for Michigan History Day take place the last Saturday of April.

At the school, regional, and state level - third through 12th grade students are invited to participate. The national level contest invites students in 6th-12th grade.

The theme for History Day 2025 is: Rights, & Responsibilities in History.

Please fill out the commitment form for History Day by January 10, 2025. This commitment form lets us know if you plan to participate in history day, what grade you will be sending to the regional contest, and the date of your local contest. Local contests should be planned for early to mid-February to give students moving on to the regional contest time to register and update materials. You can view the commitment form by clicking the button below.

A note on timelines: This sample timeline includes important benchmarks and skill building activities in the process. These activities may be part of your general classroom instruction (e.g. - primary vs. secondary sources). The timeline is a suggestion - you can move at the pace that best fits your classroom needs.

DeTour 6-12 social studies educator Russ Norris has been integrating History Day into his classroom routines for many years. He recently presented to the Social Studies Teacher Leader Corps on how he integrates History Day into student routines. A recording of that video can be found below. Thank you Russ for sharing your expertise!

NEW for 2025 - Michigan History Day offers lessons by age range for History Day in their new teacher guide.

Goals:

1. Introduce History Day Project & Theme
2. Define Classroom Expectations & Deadlines
   

Discussion Points:

• Discuss project deadlines and grade expectations.

• Discuss group options and merits of group/individual projects.
  
• Set any topic, category, or group size limitations for your class.
  
• Send parent letter about program, deadlines, competitions, and parent roles.

Resources:

• Michigan History Day Guide for Teachers - includes lessons
  
• Parent Communication Guide (Minnesota History Day)
  
• Student Handbook (Google Doc - Make a copy to edit or print as is)
• Goal setting & progress tracking for students (Google Doc - Make a copy to edit)

Please note - the resources shared above come from the Minnesota Historical Society. History Day is a national contest - all contests use the same rubrics to promote students from local, regional, state, to the national contest. These resources align with Michigan History Day needs and can be edited to reflect our school districts & contest.

Goals:

• Students finalize their topic.
  
• Develop Research Skills
• Develop Organizational Skills
• Begin Background Reading/Secondary Sources Search

Discussion Points/Task Progression:

• Brainstorm potential topics and discuss good and bad topics for the theme. Work through several examples as a class. Share the topic selection funnel.
• Students select their general topics. Encourage students to go brainstorm beyond their first ideas.
• Introduce the concepts of primary and secondary sources. Share samples related to relevant course content. Discuss various research resources and methods (online, library, archives, etc.).
• Students develop research questions for their project.
• Share potential research organization methods. Discuss citation formats, bibliographies, and footnotes.
• Have students identify an organizational system for their history day project.
• Discuss ideas of historical context.
• Begin research with secondary sources.

Resources:

Goals:

• Students more fully outline argument
• Project draft - students will work with general ideas of outlining and supporting arguments with evidence to draft or outline their project.
• Students will begin project construction
• Students will continue to research to fill in any holes in support of argument or project.
  
• By the end of December, students will complete the project and associated paperwork (including bibliography & process paper).

Discussion Points/Task Progression:

• Discuss use of verbal, written, and visual communication ideas.
• Giving & receiving feedback on the project - peer-to-peer and teacher-student.

Resources:

• Project Descriptions & Checklists
  
• Student Research Workbook (Minnesota History Day)- Google slide resource
  

Planning your Local History Day Fair

• When to hold History Day: Sometime between January 1 - February 19. Students are able to improve their projects with judge's feedback before the regional contest, and it is a good idea to give yourself a buffer of time to get all projects uploaded into the state/national registration website.
  
• Information on planning your local History Day fair can be found here. If you need support with this, please contact Helen Craig, social studies consultant (hcraig-isd@eupschools.org). Supports include recruiting and training judges to work with students.
  
• Side note: if I'm available, I'd love to attend your local fair!
• One way that History Day is different than the Science fair is: only the top 3 from each project category in each grade level band attend the regional History Day fair. It is up to the judges in the local contest to decide who gets promoted to the regional contest. Projects do not have to be promoted to the regional contest. Examples:
• 3rd-5th grade can send 3 individual exhibits and 3 group exhibits, 3 individual documentaries and 3 group documentaries, 3 individual websites & 3 group websites, 3 individual performances & 3 group performances, and 3 individual papers (there are no groups for papers).
  
• 6th-8th grade can send 3 individual exhibits and 3 group exhibits, 3 individual documentaries and 3 group documentaries, 3 individual websites & 3 group websites, 3 individual performances & 3 group performances, and 3 individual papers (there are no groups for papers).
  
• 9th-12th grade can send 3 individual exhibits and 3 group exhibits, 3 individual documentaries and 3 group documentaries, 3 individual websites & 3 group websites, 3 individual performances & 3 group performances, and 3 individual papers (there are no groups for papers).

Teacher Registration & ZFairs:

• Following the School Contest, teachers will register their students in the ZFairs system. More information on this process and advancing students to the regional contest can be found here: https://www.eupschools.org/educator-support/social-studies/eup-regional-history-day (PAGE UPDATING SOON).
  

Goals:

• Students will complete their projects and compete in the school contest.

Discussion Points/Task Progression: (dates finalized by December 1)

• Following school competition, students will need to register in ZFairs and submit all materials to ZFairs system.
• January 2025: Student registration opens
  
• February 26, 2024: Student Registration Closes
  
• March 1, 2024: ALL MATERIALS need to be uploaded to ZFairs

Resources:

• ZFairs Tutorial (for teachers) - coming soon
  

Attend Regional History Day Contest: March 14, 2025

Details coming in early January!

Michigan History Day:

Select projects will be recommended to advance to the Michigan History Day contest! Students will have the opportunity to refine their projects based on Regional History Day feedback and compete at a state level.

Prize Drawing:

Local businesses and organizations donate a variety of prizes for the History Day Event. Past prizes have include mini-golf passes, restaurant gift cards, ferry tickets to Mackinac Island, and more! All participating students will be entered into the prize drawing. Prizes are randomly selected and do not reflect how students "place" in the regional contest.

Social Studies Curriculum Consultant

Regional School Health Coordinator

McKinney-Vento UPCED Facilitator

Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD

Email: hcraig-isd@eupschools.org
Website: https://www.eupschools.org/Page/6003
Phone: 906-632-3373 -5132