State Historical Society of Iowa
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Four NHD in Iowa students present a performance about the Wright Brothers at the state contest.

Categories

Documentary

Documentaries are great for students who like to work with computers and multimedia. A documentary should reflect your ability to use audio-visual equipment to communicate a topic’s significance in history. Documentary projects should be ten minutes or less, provide credits to showcase cited resources and include a hard copy of your process paper and an annotated bibliography.

Example Project Category Project Elements
Pasteurization: Reshaping the Dairy Industry Junior Group Documentary Documentary
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography
Rodgers and Hammerstein: Spotlighting Social Conflict Through Musical Theater Junior Individual Documentary Documentary
Process Paper
Annotated Bibliography
Forging a New Frontier for Female Athletes: Dr. Christine Grant's Relentless Pursuit of Gender Equality Senior Group Documentary Documentary
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography
Born Under Discrimination: How Jazz Became the Soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement Senior Individual Documentary Documentary
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography

Exhibit

Exhibits are a three dimensional representation of your research and interpretation of your topic’s significance in history. Exhibit projects use color, images, documents, objects, graphics and a 500 student composed word limit (not including citations) to showcase your analysis of the topic. Labels and captions should be used to creatively with visual images and objects to enhance the message of the exhibit.

Example Project Category Project Elements
The Apgar Score: Advancing the Frontier of Neonatal Medicine Junior Group Exhibit Exhibit
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography
The "Best" Medical Advancement of the Era: Frederick Banting and Charles Best Chart a New Frontier by Discovering Insulin Senior Group Exhibit Exhibit
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory: Fiery Conflict Sparks Compromise Senior Individual Exhibit Exhibit
Process Paper
Annotated Bibliography

Paper

A paper is a traditional form of presenting historical research and is an individual effort with a 1,500 - 2,500 word limit. Various types of creative writing (for example, fictional diaries, poems, etc.) are permitted, but most conform to all general and category rules.

Example Project Category Project Elements
American Quakers in WWII: A New Frontier in Immigration Legislation Junior Paper Paper (Includes Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography)
Los Alamos: The Manhattan Project’s Secret City and Origin of the World’s First Atomic Bomb Junior Paper Paper (Includes Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography)
The Harlem Hellfighters: Scorned by Compromise, Exalted through Combat, Tried by Racial Conflict Senior Paper Paper (Includes Annotated Bibliography)
The Switch in Time that Saved Nine: The Supreme Court’s Conflict and Compromise Concerning New Deal Legislation Senior Paper Paper (Includes Annotated Bibliography)

Performance

A performance is a dramatic portrayal of your topic’s significance in history and must be an original production. It should be scripted based on research of your chosen topic and should not exceed the time limit of ten minutes. Students are welcome to use costumes, music and props during their performance but must be responsible for all materials during the contest.

Example Project Category Project Elements
Annie Wittenmyer: Leading a Frontier in Hospital Safety Conditions Junior Group Performance Performance
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography
Striding Towards Justice: How the Nuremberg Trials Were a Frontier in International Law Junior Individual Performance Performance
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography
The Wright Brothers: Paving the Runway for Modern-Day Aeronautics by Flying Through the Frontier of Air Travel Senior Group Performance Performance
Process Paper & Annotated Bibliography
Pay It No Mind Senior Individual Performance Performance
Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography

Website

All website projects must be created through NHDWebCentral and reflect the your ability to use website design software to communicate the topic’s significance in history. Websites are a collection of web pages, interconnected by hyperlinks, that present both primary and secondary sources and your historical analysis. In order for websites to engage and inform viewers, websites should incorporate interactive multimedia, text, non-textual descriptions (e.g., photographs, maps, music, etc.) and interpretations of sources.

Example Project Category Project Elements
Mayo Clinic: Revolutionizing Medicine and Patient Care Junior Group Website Website (Includes Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography)
Vietnamese Refugees in Iowa: Ray's Humanitarian and Controversial Relocation Junior Individual Website Website (Includes Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography)
Females in FFA: Forging New Frontiers in Farming and Beyond Senior Group Website Website (Includes Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography)
Khrushchev, Corn, and Cold War Diplomacy: Garst Grows Relations with Russia One Ear at a Time Senior Individual Website Website (Includes Process Paper and Annotated Bibliography)