National History Day in Idaho (NHD) is a year-long student-led academic program focused on historical research, interpretation, and creative expression for 4th-12th grade students across Idaho. By participating in NHD, students become writers, filmmakers, web designers, playwrights and artists as they create unique contemporary expressions of history. The experience culminates in a series of competitions at the local and state levels and an annual national contest in June.
Students who participate in NHD build skills that are key to success in college, career, and citizenship. NHD teaches critical thinking, writing, and research skills. They learn to speak publicly, collaborate with team members, communicate ideas effectively with diverse audiences, manage their time, and persevere through challenges.
Teachers create an inquiry-based classroom where they guide, direct, and coach toward student achievement. Teachers have the flexibility to adapt the program to meet the needs of their classroom. Teachers guide students through the process of learning how to learn and making informed conclusions coming to understand. Studying the stories and history of our local communities, states, nation and the world broadens not only this global view, but also builds empathy and understanding of cultures, conflict, and resolution.
Registration and Contest Dates
- Regional Contests Registration opens – January 1st, 2023
- Go to: register.nhd.org/Contests to find your regional contest!
South Central Idaho Regional Contest
- The 2023 contest will be March 2nd at The Sage School in Hailey, ID.
- The South-Central Regional Contest serves Valley, Lemhi, Blaine, Camas, Gooding, Lincoln, Minidoka, Jerome, Twin Falls, Cassia, and Butte counties
- To register for the South-Central Contest, see deadlines and contest information, and upload your NHD project, please go to our registration site here.
East Idaho Regional Contest
- The 2023 contest will be March 3rd at Rocky Mountain Middle School in Idaho Falls, ID.
- The East Idaho Regional contest serves Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, Madison, Teton, Bonneville, Bingham, Power, Bannock, Caribou, Bear Lake, Franklin, and Oneida counties!
- To register for the East Idaho Contest, see deadlines and contest information, and upload your NHD project, please go to our registration site here.
Treasure Valley
- The 2023 contest will be March 5th at South Junior High in Boise, ID.
- The Treasure Valley Contest serves Ada, Boise, Custer, and Elmore counties.
- To register for the Treasure Valley Contest, see deadlines and contest information, and upload your NHD project, please go to our registration site here.
Southwest Idaho Regional Contest
- The 2023 contest will be March 11nd at Idaho Arts Charter, in Nampa.
- The Southwest Regional Contest serves Canyon, Payette, Gem, Washington, Adams, and Owyhee counties
- To register for the Southwest Contest, see deadlines and contest information, and upload your NHD project, please go to our registration site here.
West Ada Regional Contest
- The 2023 Contest will be April 1st at Renaissance High School in Meridian, ID.
- The West Ada Regional Contest serves Western Ada County.
- To register for the West Ada Contest, see deadlines and contest information, and upload your NHD project, please go to our registration site here.
North Idaho Regional Contest
- The 2023 contest will be April 8th at the 1912 Center in Moscow, ID.
- The North Idaho Contest serves Idaho, Clearwater, Shoshone, Lewis, Nez Perce, Latah, Benewah, Kootenai, Bonner, and Boundary counties.
- To register for the West Ada Contest, see deadlines and contest information, and upload your NHD project, please go to our registration site here.
CONTACT US
(208) 780-5190
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Thank you to our National History Day in Idaho sponsors:
Bates Family Foundation
Joyce Barnier and Bonnie Krupp
The College of Idaho
Nagel Foundation
Frequently Asked Questions
During the school year, Idaho students create one of the five types of projects (historical paper, documentary, performance, exhibit, or website) and register to compete at the local level. Local winners then can move onto the state contest to compete with students from all across Idaho! State contest winners have the opportunity to compete at the national level with peers from all over the country. Visit https://www.nhd.org/ for more information about the National Contest.
Students gain academic and real-world skills through this project. According to the 2011 National Program Evaluation, NHD students already know how to do college-level research by digesting, analyzing, and synthesizing information. This aids students not just in humanities classes but gives them skills that are multi-disciplinary! Students also gain oral communication and presentation skills, collaboration, time management, problem-solving, and perseverance.
Students have a unique experience in a competition against their peers. They get to be proud of their hard work, and research topics that are important to them, and practice communicating in a medium that they enjoy!
Students grades 4th -12th are able to participate! All types of schools are invited to join: public, private, charter, or homeschool.
4th and 5th graders participate in our Youth division and winners can move on to the State Competition!
6th – 8th graders participate in the Junior Division.
9th – 12th graders participate in the Senior Division.
Junior and Senior division and category winners move on to the National Contest in June!
One of the advantages of participating in NHD is that it can be adapted to each classroom! Using the resources available, teachers can guide the students in creating a project in a way that meets their class learning objectives and is flexible for their schedule.
- Pre-Registration Open – October 10th
- Teachers and independent students register with intent to participate in the contests in the spring! Pre-registering is mandatory.
- Pre-Registration Deadline – November 4th
- Regional Contest Registration Deadline – Late February / early March (Dates will be available December 1st)
- Regional Contests – March / early April (Dates will be available December 1st)
- State Contest Registration Deadline – Thursday, April 20th
- State Contest – Saturday, May 6th at The College of Idaho in Caldwell, Idaho
- National Contest Registration Deadline – Tuesday, May 16th at 9:59 PM MT
- National Contest – Sunday, June 11th – Thursday, June 15th
Division winners from the regional competitions are encouraged to refine their project during the period of time right after the local competition and before the registration deadline for the state competition.
The 2022-2023 theme is Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas. (NHD Theme Website)
Read through the NHD Rule Book available on the NHD Website. The NHD also provides a Theme Book on their website explaining this year’s theme and ways to interpret it!
The Idaho State Archives has a list of potential local history topics attached to this e-mail and primary sources available (NHD Primary Sources found under “Additional Resources” on our website!) This is a great starting point for students to start primary source research.
The NHD website also has excellent resources for teachers including curriculum, example projects, tips and tricks, tutorial videos, project examples, and project checklists for students. You can find the NHD website here: https://www.nhd.org/teacher-resources
Sign up for our mailing list and keep checking your inbox! We will be sending out resources, information, and opportunities for NHD teachers.
The success of the local and state contests is largely thanks to the volunteers and donors that support this project! There are several ways to help; we are looking for volunteers to help with our contest days. This ranges from event coordination, set-up, take-down, and assisting during the contests. Another way that we support and encourage our students is by offering special awards for specific project types. Please e-mail NHDidaho@ishs.idaho.gov for more information!
NHD Blog
Highlight: The First women in the Idaho Legislature
“Idaho Legislature – First Women.” 752. 1898. Idaho State Archives.
Pictured above are the first women to serve in the Idaho legislature: Mrs. Mary Wright, Mrs. Hattie Noble, and Mrs. Clara Pamelia.
“This is a collection of items that were displayed in the “Idaho Women in Government” temporary exhibit at the Idaho State Archives. These photographs were displayed alongside an interpretive text reading: “Idaho women have fought for more than a century to have a voice in politics. In 1896, the all-male Legislature amended the Idaho State Constitution, granting women the right to vote. The amendment added females of the age of 21 to the legal description of “qualified electors.” Under Idaho Statue, this made them eligible to run for, and hold, public office. Since 1896, the number of women in elected office in Idaho continues to grow. Historically, women have faced unique challenges in serving in public office. But that has not stopped many talented and driven women from running.” This temporary exhibit was on display from January 7, 2020 to March 31, 2020.” – Idaho State Archives Idaho Women 100 Celebration Digitization Project.
See the rest of the exhibit online here!
📅 Calendar!
Make sure to register for your regional contest!
Follow the registration link to find registration instructions, contest dates and locations, and more.
East Regional Registration deadline – February 3rd
South Central Registration deadline – February 9th
Treasure Valley Regional registration deadline – February 13th
Southwest Regional registration deadline – February 17th
West Ada Regional registration deadline – March 14th
North Idaho Regional registration deadline -March 24th
📌 NHDI Bulletin Board – CHECK HERE FOR UPDATES
Bookmark this board to stay up to date on local and national professional development, continuing education, quick links to resources, and more!
Including: “Teaching the Holocaust: A Workshop for Educators” from the Army Heritage Center Foundation Carlisle, PA
In the Classroom: Citations and Formatting
Correct citations and formatting can be tricky, so here are some resources to help you out:
And more! All resources are available in the “Teacher Resources” shared Google folder.
Example MLA Citations & Bibliography
We highly recommend using Purdue OWL to ensure that you are formatting your project correctly! Check out these links:
Purdue Owl – Chicago NB Example Paper Chicago Style Citing Books
Purdue Owl – MLA Example Paper MLA Style In-Text Citations
Do you want your class to be featured in the next blog? Send updates about what you are working on in your classroom to NHDidaho@ishs.idaho.gov!
Highlight: Frontiers of Film
Méliès, Georges. A Trip to the Moon. 1902; France: Manufacture de films pour cinématographes. Accessed via IMDb.
Méliès’s 1902 A Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune) is often, incorrectly, referred to as the first movie ever made. This movie was not even Méliès’s first movie (Méliès’s first movie was Une partie de cartes or Playing Cards), so why is it often referred to as the first movie?
The first films were impressive not because of their content, but because of the technological achievement and the novelty of moving pictures. The earliest films showed a few people walking in circles in a garden, a train pulling up to a station, or vaudeville actors. Méliès supposedly discovered the power of editing by accident – the camera malfunctioned and had a moment when it stopped filming. putting two shots together to create an illusion. He continued to develop such techniques as: double exposure, split screen, and matting.
Georges Méliès’s impact on filmmaking is undeniable, he directed over 500 films between 1896 and 1913. Many of these films feature tricks or spectacles – the equivalent of modern special effects – which was fitting considering Méliès’s reputation as an illusionist. Méliès represented a frontier in film, even though he was not the “first.”
Further discussion: What other developments, inventions, or creations were a frontier, even if they weren’t the “first”?
📅 Calendar!
January 1st – Registration for Regional Contests opens!
January 6th at 6:00PM MST – NHD 101 Webinar – REGISTER
January 10th at 6:00PM MST – Teaching Research Skills Webinar – REGISTER
January 21st at 10AM MST – Get Contest Ready! Webinar – REGISTER
📌 NHDI Bulletin Board – check here for updates
Local and National opportunities posted here!
In the Classroom: Structuring your Project
Once you’ve done your research and identified the argument you want to make, the next step is communicating that argument in your project! Here’s some resources to help do that:
Website Graphic Organizer – link
NEW: Exhibit Planning – link
Documentary Planning – link
NEW: Performance Planning – link
NEW: Paper Organization – link
And more! All resources are available in the “Teacher Resources” shared Google folder.
Do you want your class to be featured in the next blog? Send updates about what you are working on in your classroom to NHDidaho@ishs.idaho.gov!
Highlight: Historical Context
Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (French, 1765–1833), Untitled ‘point de vue,’ 1827. Heliograph on pewter, 16.7 x 20.3 x .15 cm. Gernsheim Collection, purchase, 964:0000:0001
Historical context is a term that gets thrown around a lot by teachers and is one that may be confusing to students. What is historical context and why does it matter?
Placing historical events, documents, and artifacts in their historical context is crucial for any historical argument. This is because, the people in the time you are studying may not have had the same motivations, values, goals, or ways of thinking that we do now. Historical context looks at the social, religious, economic, and political conditions that set the stage for your topic. Another way to say this could be the events, or climate of opinion, that surround your topic.
There are many examples of the importance of historical context: old laws that don’t make sense to us now but had a purpose when they were created, or social issues that seem like they shouldn’t be a big deal but were monumental at the time.
Let’s take a moment to look at this photograph as a quick example.
At first glance, this may seem unimpressive. The quality of the picture does not seem very good. On second glance, we might notice some more details: there are some buildings, a tree, and a horizon. There does not seem to be any significant landmarks, people, or important historical evidence.
The context of this photograph is really what brings its importance to light. To find historical context historians ask questions like who, when, and where. This photograph was made in 1827 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépc and is the oldest known surviving photograph. With this knowledge, the photograph becomes immensely important to the history of photography.
Documents, artifacts, and evidence can lose their value and significance if not put into their correct historical context; and this is just one small example!
Further discussion: What is bias? How does historical context inform our understanding of bias? What is the difference between causation and context? Can you think of examples?
📅 Calendar!
January 1st – Registration for Regional Contests opens!
January 6th at 6:00PM MST – NHD 101 Webinar
January 10th at 6:00PM MST – Teaching Research Skills Webinar
January 21st at 10AM MST – Get Contest Ready! Webinar
Register for our January teacher webinars HERE! Be one of the first 50 to register and commit to competing or sign up to judge and you will receive a free resource kit!
📌 NHDI Bulletin Board – check here for updates
Local and National opportunities posted here!
In the Classroom: Putting together your historical argument!
What makes a strong historical argument? What makes a strong thesis? Here are some guides to help you get started:
NEW: Writing a Thesis & Historical Argumentation – link
NEW: How do I know what to research? – link
Comparing Thesis Statements – link
Argumentation Plan – link
And more! All resources are available in the “Teacher Resources” shared Google folder.
Do you want your class to be featured in the next blog? Send updates about what you are working on in your classroom to NHDidaho@ishs.idaho.gov!
The Times Dispatch. (Richmond, Va.), 27 April 1907. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1907-04-27/ed-1/seq-31/>
Highlight: What is a Primary Source?
Understanding what makes a document a primary source, and when a document is a primary source can be a tricky task. As with most history, it comes down to a matter of perspective.
A primary source is a firsthand account of an event or topic. They are documents and object created at the time of the event or topic being studied. Because of this, primary sources offer invaluable insight into the past! An example of a primary source could be a newspaper, diary, letter, or art piece created at the time of the event.
A secondary source is written after the event or topic being studied. They usually use primary sources to offer interpretation, analysis, or commentary on a historical event, since the author has historical perspective and hindsight. A tertiary source is created using information from both primary and secondary sources; think textbooks and encyclopedias!
However, one document could be a secondary source in one context, and a primary source in another. Look at this newspaper for instance. It is a 1903 Newspaper with an article about the Founding of Jamestown.
If a student was researching the founding of Jamestown as their topic, then the map would be a reprint of a primary source, as it was created at the time of the event. The article would be considered a secondary source, since it was written 300 years after the event. However, if a student were researching the historic understanding and perception of the founding of Jamestown, this could be considered a primary source for early 20th century attitudes about the event!
When looking at sources remember to ask key questions: Who created it? When was it created? What was its purpose? What can we learn from it? What are other perspectives that are missing from this narrative?
Further discussion: What are other examples of sources that could be either primary or secondary depending on the research focus?
📅 Calendar!
November 4th – Pre-registration closes! Be sure to fill out the quick survey if you plan to participate in the spring, we will use this data to plan our regional contests, your input will influence the date and location chosen!
November 28th – Application for student & teacher institute: Sacrifice for Freedom: World War II in the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawai’i June 2023. https://www.nhd.org/SFF2023
📌 NHDI Bulletin Board – check here for updates
Local and National opportunities posted here!
In the Classroom: Research!
Research can be intimidating! Knowing where to start, what questions to ask, what to take note of, and where and how to find sources. Here are some guides to help you get started:
NEW: Primary source analysis introduction PowerPoint – link
Research Resources – link
This document highlights great places to find resources, organized by topic and category.
EAR Analyzing Evidence – link
All resources are available in the “Teacher Resources” shared Google folder.
Do you want your class to be featured in the next blog? Send updates about what you are working on in your classroom to NHDidaho@ishs.idaho.gov!
Highlight: Idaho’s First Mining Town
Photo Source: Mining Machinery (Arastras) 1. 1892. 608-A. Idaho State Archives.
https://idahohistory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p265501coll1/id/346/rec/2
Quote Source: Elias Davidson Pierce and The Founding Of Pierce. 1966. Elias Davidson Pierce and the Founding of Pierce Number 8. Idaho State Archives.
https://idahohistory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p265501coll1/id/346/rec/2
“E.D. Pierce (1824-1897) was no ordinary prospector. Instead of searching for gold in a country that was reasonably accessible, he became obsessed with the opening of a new mining region in the forbidden lands of the Nez Perce Indians. The obstructions to entering the Clearwater country held him back eight years, but finally in 1860 he broke through the Nez Perce barrier.” – Elias Davidson Pierce and The Founding Of Pierce
The gold rush, the first permanent mining settlement, and the relationship between the Nez Perce and the prospectors are all types of frontiers: the border between the known and unknown.
What does the author mean by “the forbidden lands?” What was the “Nez Perce barrier”? Men like Pierce may have seen the town as a frontier, but what did the Nez Perce see it as? Who is the author of the source? How did their perspective influence how they wrote?
These are just some of the types of questions you can prompt students with when engaging with historical resources!
📅 Calendar!
PRE-REGISTRATION OPENS – OCTOBER 10th!
Pre-registering is mandatory so that we can appropriately plan our regional contests! If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact: nhdidaho@ishs.idaho.gov
EDUCATOR’S OPEN HOUSE – October 15th at the Idaho State Archives!
Travel scholarship available for those outside of the Treasure Valley. See more information here: https://history.idaho.gov/event/educator-open-house-2/
📌 NHDI Bulletin Board – check here for updates
Local and National opportunities posted here!
In the Classroom: Topic selection!
One of the first things your students will need to do is to choose a topic. The annual theme “Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas” is intentionally broad so that students can choose a topic that is interesting to them. However, having such a broad topic can also be intimidating to students – it can feel like there are too many options! Often, talking out some example topics can be helpful to students. Check out these resources:
NEW: Theme/Topic PowerPoint – link
Idaho History Topics – link
Topic selection worksheet – link
All resources are available in the “Teacher Resources” shared Google folder.
Brand New?
NHD has made a helpful video series for new NHD teachers. Check it out here!
Do you want your class to be featured in the next blog? Send updates about what you are working on in your classroom to NHDidaho@ishs.idaho.gov!
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