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Below are sample slides for introducing the theme, topic selection, research, and thesis writing.

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5. Westward Expansion-Letter to the Thompson Family

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5. Westward Expansion-Letter to the Thompson Family

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5. Westward Expansion-Letter to the Thompson Family

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Harvard's Project Zero Thinking Routines can help students think more deeply about their sources, stimulate inquiry, and create research questions.

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PZ’s Thinking Routines Toolbox | Project Zero

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Documentary Judging Instructions 20-21 final

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Exhibit Judging Instructions 20-21 final

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Performance Judging Instructions 20-21 final

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Website Judging Instructions 20-21 final

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10B. Starburst Thesis Worksheet (fillable pdf)

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13. Lesson #5 - NoodleTools and Note Taking

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4. Lesson #1 - Beginning Maryland History Day

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What are sources and where can you find them?

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What are sources and where can you find them?

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3. What are Sources & Where to Find Them

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2. What’s the Difference Between a Primary and a Secondary Source_

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NEW! MHD for English Learners Lesson Plans

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NEW! MHD for English Learners Lesson Plans

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Youth Division is a scaled-down version of MHD and is designed to introduce students in the 4th and 5th grades to skills-driven history and civics education that students will continue to develop in middle and high school. Projects are completed based on the NHD annual theme and consist of virtual or physical posters, similar to the exhibit category of the Junior/Senior levels of NHD.

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1. Maryland History Day Youth Division Resources

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This list highlights Thinkport Inquiry Kits that are great starting points for Revolution, Reaction, Reform.

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2026 Revolution Reaction Reform Inquiry Kit Topic List

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Print this calendar and use it in the classroom to share important dates for your school's contest!

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This resource offers a variety of lesson plans that focus on different aspects of 9/11 including resources to plan service projects with your students.

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This teacher guide was created by NHD teachers with the Library of Congress!

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This resource gives students a great map for writing their thesis statements!
Google Drive | PDF

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Stephanie Boyle, Program Officer

sboyle@mdhumanities.org

Isabella Altherr, Program Assistant

ialtherr@mdhumanitites.org

Emilia Schulz, Outreach and Professional Development Assistant

eschulz@mdhumanities.org

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Sign up for outreach and professional development!

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Sign up for outreach and professional development!

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The MHD Team is happy to come visit your class to introduce Maryland History Day, or to help your students sharpen their existing skills. Schedule professional development sessions to prepare their teachers for History Day!

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Primary Sources and Project-Based Learning
Through a grant from the Library of Congress, Maryland Humanities is excited to offer two free online Teaching with Primary Sources summer institutes.

This summer, to accommodate distance learning while balancing busy schedules and a year of Zoom fatigue, we will be pacing the Summer Institute out over the course of four weeks. Over the four weeks, we will offer a combination of weekly synchronous Zoom meetings and asynchronous independent activities.

Participants will receive three MSDE credits. Space is limited, and successful applicants will be notified. All K-12 teachers, resources teachers, and librarians are welcome to apply. This year, priority will be given to teachers of ELs. Please note that if you took Primary Sources and Project-Based Learning in the past, you may not receive the MSDE credit again.
Summer Institute with Salisbury University, July 6-27, with synchronous sessions Tuesday mornings
For our institute in partnership with Salisbury University, K-12 teachers are invited to join us for an interactive research experience with a focus on Maryland, Eastern Shore, and Delmarva history. Participants will choose a research topic and do in-depth research using online collections from the Library of Congress and the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture. Learn about researching local history, get familiar with the National History Day 2022 theme, and complete a mini-research project to share with your students. Discover free teaching resources including Thinkport Inquiry Kits, developed in partnership with Maryland Humanities, Maryland Public Television, and the Maryland State Department of Education.
Preview an outline of the weekly schedule here. Summer Institute with the National Archives at College Park, July 7-28, with synchronous sessions Wednesday mornings
Our institute in partnership with the National Archives at College Park, MD will welcome K-12 educators for a research experience focused on exploring the National Archives. Participants will choose a research topic and explore primary sources from the Library of Congress and the National Archives' online collections. Work with digital resources, learn about the National History Day 2022 theme, and complete your own mini-research project to take back to your classroom. Explore free teaching resources including DocsTeach from the National Archives and Thinkport Inquiry Kits, developed in partnership with Maryland Humanities, Maryland Public Television, and the Maryland State Department of Education.
Preview an outline of the weekly schedule here. Sign up for our summer institutes here.

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Primary Sources and Project-Based Learning Through a grant from the Library of Congress, Maryland Humanities is excited to offer two free online Teaching with Primary Sources summer institutes. This summer, to accommodate distance learning while balancing busy schedules and a year of Zoom fatigue, we will be pacing the Summer Institute out over the course of four weeks.

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Sign up for the Maryland History Day Teacher eNews to learn about professional development opportunities, upcoming deadlines, research resources, and other Maryland History Day news.

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This mini-webinar is for teachers! It looks at some of the common writing trends that we see among students and how to set them on the right path with their writing.

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Writing the Text of the History Day Project

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This presentation can help your students organize their projects!
Google Drive | PDF

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Use this worksheet to help students outline their project and incorporate evidence into their project.
Google Drive | PDF

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This map was built with exhibits in mind, but it's helpful for all of the project categories! It breaks down the different sections of History Day projects with guiding questions.
Google Drive | PDF

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This presentation can help your student choose a category for their project!
Google Drive | PDF

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HD Categories Overview (Updated 9_12_2020)

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Google Drive | PDF

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Google Drive | PDF

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Google Drive | PDF

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Google Drive | PDF

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Google Drive | PDF

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The handouts below get into the details of the various project categories students can make for History Day. They also include helpful checklists to help students keep track of their work!

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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These One World Posters from Learning for Justice are all free and available for download!

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The One World posters featured in Learning for Justice magazine are a reader favorite, which is why we’re making them available for download.

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This short tutorial explores the Thinkport Inquiry Kits, primary source sets for K-12 instruction and research. Visit the Inquiry Kits at https://www.thinkport.org/tps.

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Unladylike2020 is a series of video biographies about 26 bold American women who broke barriers at the turn of the 20th century, and the women who now follow in their footsteps! The videos are engaging, inspiring, and filled with primary sources!

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Watch UNLADYLIKE2020 animated documentary shorts which tell the stories of 26 trailblazing heroines from the turn of the 20th century.

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Project Samples from National History Day!

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Project Samples from National History Day!

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Project Examples | National History Day | NHD

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2nd Place Senior Individual Documentary Sophia Alleman, FDR and REA: Bright Light and Power to Rural America Watch Documentary Ursuline High School Youngstown, Ohio Process Paper and Bibliography 3rd Place Senior Individual Documentary Giuliana Alleva, "Don't Buy Where You Can't Work:" Leon Sullivan's Fight Against Job Discrimination Watch Documentary Julia R.

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Check out past projects in our Project Samples Padlet!

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Check out past projects in our Project Samples Padlet!

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NoodleTools can be a great resource for History Day - helping students and teachers keep track of the research process. NHD participants within a school can enjoy a free subscription for one NHD project season.

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An exclusive partnership

As a result of an exclusive partnership between National History Day and NoodleTools, enrolled teachers can provide NoodleTools to student applicants working on NHD projects.

Designed by educators, NoodleTools is an online platform that promotes authentic research and original writing. Integrated tools for note-taking and outlining, source evaluation and citation support students' critical and creative thinking. Mentor-teachers can monitor student progress and provide targeted feedback.

How can you and your students use NoodleTools for National History Day?

Teacher feedback: As the primary mentor, you can monitor students' progress in real-time and provide in-context feedback. You may also wish to invite the librarian or other faculty to review and comment on student work.

Note-taking and outlining: NoodleTools notecards are specifically designed to make connections, record and develop original ideas, articulate arguments, and avoid accidental plagiarism. The Notecard Tabletop contains organizational features like tagging, labeling and piling that support logical and inspired writing.

Annotated bibliography: Students can create an accurate annotated bibliography in MLA or Chicago/Turabian style, grouped into primary and secondary sources according to National History Day requirements. They can choose from a broad range of source options, including legal citations. Pop-up help and dynamic citation templates are embedded at points of need. The student's polished bibliography can be exported to Google Drive or any word processor.

Source evaluation: Research shows that all students find source identification and evaluation to be especially challenging aspects of the research process. "Show Me" online teaching modules guide students in identifying source types, including primary sources, and in assessing the relevance and credibility of information.

Group collaboration: For an exhibition, performance, documentary or website project, student teams can work simultaneously on the group's notecards and citations and view each other's changes in real time.

Differentiated levels: Students have an option to select either the Junior or Advanced/Senior level of NoodleTools based on their self-assessed proficiency and their National History Day division. Each level includes appropriate help for identifying, evaluating and citing sources. Should Junior-level students find that they are using advanced source types, they can seamlessly move up to the Advanced level.

What does it cost?

As the selected research platform for National History Day, NHD participants within a school can enjoy a complimentary NoodleTools subscription for one NHD project season.

This complimentary subscription can be used by all NHD teacher mentors and student participants within the school, for the specific and sole purpose of creating National History Day projects.

Following the complimentary use, schools can subscribe to NoodleTools for very reasonable rates.

How do I sign up to use NoodleTools with students?

If you are a teacher or librarian working directly with a group of students on a National History Day project, you may request complimentary access for a single NHD season. Only one NoodleTools account can be requested per school. If several teachers at the school are mentoring NHD projects, one request should be made to cover those teachers. Access will typically be granted within 48 hours, and an email will be sent to the requester with instructions on how to access the account and get started.

Your school is eligible for this offer if:

Your school didn't receive complimentary NHD-only access in a previous school year

Your school or district hasn't subscribed to NoodleTools in a previous school year

Homeschools are not eligible at this time.

Already used your single-season complimentary access? Please request a quote today to learn how affordable our full-campus and district licenses are!

Contact info@nhd.org directly for questions about the contest, or ask us if you have questions about NoodleTools!

Contact NoodleTools

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As a result of an exclusive partnership between National History Day and NoodleTools, enrolled teachers can provide NoodleTools to student applicants working on NHD projects. Designed by educators, NoodleTools is an online platform that promotes authentic research and original writing. Integrated tools for note-taking and outlining, source evaluation and citation support students' critical and creative thinking.

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This presentation is all about making citations and building the annotated bibliography!
Google Drive | PDF

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This video focuses on the importance of annotations and what to write in them.

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What is an Annotated Bibliography? (Annotations)

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This video focuses on the importance of citation and how to write them.

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What is an Annotated Bibliography? (Citations)

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An annotated bibliography is an essential part of any NHD project. This gives an overview of what is expected in an annotated bibliography.

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What is an Annotated Bibliography? (Overview)

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Students ask for sample citations and annotations all the time! Here are some you can show them!
Google Drive | PDF

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The annotated bibliography is a tricky part of History Day for many students. Help them build their bibliography as they do their research!
Google Drive | PDF

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Peer editing can be a great opportunity for students to work together, learn from each other, and improve their projects! This lesson plan walks through a way to introduce peer editing into a classroom!

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This framework, from Learning for Justice, offers a comprehensive guide for teaching and learning about slavery at all grade levels. Learn more here.

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Teaching Hard History - A Framework for Teaching American Slavery 6-12

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This guide, from Learning for Justice, offers classroom-ready strategies you can use to plan discussions and to facilitate critical conversations with your students.

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Let's Talk - Facilitating Classroom Conversations about Critical Issues

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Check out this graphic to think a bit more about how History Day (a project-based learning curriculum) can connect to Social Emotional Learning.

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Watch this clip from Performing Perspectives about researching clothing for your NHD performance. This can help make sure that your performance and costumes are respectful.

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NHD Quick Tip: Researching Clothing (Performing Perspectives Series)

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Watch this NHD Tip about what to avoid in your NHD performance.

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NHD Quick Tip: What NOT to do in your NHD performance (Performing Perspectives Series)

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Watch this clip from Performing Perspectives on how to avoid harmful stereotypes in your NHD performance.

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NHD Quick Tip: Harmful Stereotypes (Performing Perspectives Series)

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Join NHD (Jerald Crook, AL Coordinator), the National Museum of the American Indian (Mandy Van Heuvelen), and the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Candra Flanagan) for an NHD Quick Tip on avoiding cultural appropriation NHD performance.

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NHD Quick Tip: Cultural Appropriation (Performing Perspectives Series)

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Google Drive | PDF

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Best Practices for Socially Conscious Language in History Day Projects

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Google Drive | PDF

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Building Social Consciousness through History Day Projects

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Google Drive | PDF

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Practical Guide to Social Consciousness in History Day Projects

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 12: Media Literacy and Bias

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 12: Media Literacy and Bias

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In the following activities, you will learn how to analyze historic and modern media for signs of bias.

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 11: The Annotated Bibliography

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 11: The Annotated Bibliography

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Identify the purpose of an annotated bibliography.

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 10: Analyzing Charts, Graphs, and Tables

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 10: Analyzing Charts, Graphs, and Tables

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> Text version for video
Lesson Objectives

In the following activities, you will learn how to analyze historical charts, graphs, and tables. You will learn how they are used to share different points of view.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Review the basic steps of document analysis.

Identify features of charts, graphs, and tables.

Analyze a primary source.

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Text version for video In the following activities, you will learn how to analyze historical charts, graphs, and tables. You will learn how they are used to share different points of view. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Review the basic steps of document analysis.

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 9: Analyzing Primary Sources

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 9: Analyzing Primary Sources

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> Text version for video
In the following activities, you will learn how to analyze political cartoons and to identify persuasive techniques used by cartoonists.

Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Review the basic steps of document analysis.

Identify features of a political cartoon.

Identify persuasive techniques used by cartoonists.

Analyze a political cartoon.

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Text version for video In the following activities, you will learn how to analyze political cartoons and to identify persuasive techniques used by cartoonists. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Review the basic steps of document analysis. Identify features of a political cartoon.

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 8: How to Cite the Right Way

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 8: How to Cite the Right Way

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> Text version for video
In the following activities, you will learn about plagiarism , and the correct way to cite sources for your research projects.

Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Identify different types of plagiarism.

Learn and practice ways to avoid plagiarism.

Explain the correct way to cite sources.

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Text version for video In the following activities, you will learn about plagiarism , and the correct way to cite sources for your research projects. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to: Identify different types of plagiarism. Learn and practice ways to avoid plagiarism.

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 7: Using Primary Sources as Evidence

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 7: Using Primary Sources as Evidence

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> Text version for video
Let's start by reviewing what a primary source is. A primary source is an original document or object created by someone who was living during the same historical period that you are studying. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts, and feelings from the past. Primary sources help you understand what happened and why it happened.

Primary sources aren't only books. They can be any written document or object created during the historical period. Primary source examples include:

Letters

Speeches

Diary entries

Creative works

Photographs

Maps

Songs

Official records, such as birth certificates or marriage licenses

Personal items, such as clothes, tools, or coins

Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Analyze a variety of primary sources.

Explain how a source provides evidence to support a claim.

Identify claims that are supported by primary source evidence.

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Text version for video Let's start by reviewing what a primary source is. A primary source is an original document or object created by someone who was living during the same historical period that you are studying. The purpose of primary sources is to capture the words, the thoughts, and feelings from the past.

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 6: Evaluating Sources

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Thinkport Research Learning Module 6: Evaluating Sources