The 8th grade Social Studies team would like our students to participate in National History Day (NHD) and are asking for supplies for this endeavor. NHD is a project based learning activity that gives students an opportunity to go in-depth on a particular topic of interest. According to the NHD site:
National History Day teaches critical thinking, writing, and research skills; prepares students for college, work, and citizenship; and inspires students to do more than they ever thought they could. An independent study from 2011 found that participation in NHD benefits students far beyond the competition.
Having had students participate in NHD at a prior middle school, I have witnessed its success in student participation in the program. It is accessible to all students and they have an opportunity to have a product in which they can display proudly. A family night is also hosted to give students the opportunity to share their work with their community. Students also have the opportunity to submit their projects to the regional competition.
NHD teaches students research and writing skills along with inspiring students to expand civic engagement, encourage an exploration of history, and increase their confidence in their research skills
The grant would allow us to buy needed supplies and materials for the projects students will create. Students have the opportunity to create their own projects in the following categories: Documentary, Exhibit, Paper, Website, or Performance.
In my past experience at the 8th grade level, most students chose the Exhibit option followed by the website and paper. We would of course offer all options, but this grant focuses on supplies for the Exhibit since that is the most common project and accessible for the majority of our students. To implement the project, we will set aside class time in the spring following the NHD timeline for students to work on their projects each day. The supplies would be purchased no later than the trimester before we start.