Theme and Topics
Theme Resources
Every year, National History Day Ⓡ selects a theme to guide students in their research. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national or local history. Students are tasked with selecting research topics that not only relate to the annual theme but are also significant in history and interesting to them. The 2024 theme is Turning Points in History.
| 2024 NHD Theme Book |
| 2024 NHD Theme Video |
| 2024 NHD in Iowa Theme Presentation |
| 2024 NHD Theme Graphic Organizer |
Topic Resources
Choosing an NHD research topic can be a daunting task but luckily, good topics are everywhere! Start by thinking about a person, event, or larger time period in history that interests you. You can also think about your hobbies and interests outside of school—chances are there's a connection to history somewhere in your favorite music, movie or sport.
Once you've found a topic that captures your interest, start thinking about that topic's relationship to the annual theme and its significance in history. Keep in mind that a good NHD topic should also have plenty primary and secondary sources to document its history.
Still stuck? Use the resources below to jumpstart your topic selection process!
| 2024 NHD in Iowa Topics in Iowa History List |
| 2024 NHD in Iowa General History Topics List |