Old Stone House Museum 109 Old Stone House Rd., Brownington, VT 06860
How to Participate in the 2015 NEK History Day
Deadlines
February 16, 2015
Student project registrations and fees due (no changes after this date)
March 11, 2015
NEK History Day at NCUHS in Newport, VT
10-11:30 a.m. Teachers and students arrive at NCUHS gym
 Teachers sign-in at registration desk
 Students locate their space and set up
 Documentary projects will be judged when they are set up
and the students are ready to operate equipment and be
interviewed
11:15 a.m.
Performance projects are presented to everyone in auditorium
 Performances will be judged and performers interviewed
before they leave
 All participants return to school
3 p.m.
Exhibit judges arrive to begin judging with their team
5 p.m.
Exhibit judges confer with other judges to make preliminary
decisions
6 p.m.
Students return to NCUHS (eat dinner before arriving)
 Exhibits and Documentary students must stand next to
their project and talk with parents and community
members; performers will perform their projects for
parents and community members
 Exhibit project students will be interview and final
decisions made by judges
7-7:30 p.m.
Special performance while judges continue final decisions
7:30 p.m.
Awards Ceremony
General Rules (these rules apply to all entries):
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Students in grades 5-12 or ages 10-18 may participate individually or in small groups of no more
than five students. (Grade 5 students may participate at the state level as well, but not at the
national level.)
Projects should be driven by inquiry questions, “Why?, How?, What?, When?, and Where?”
Your topic can be regional, state, national, or global. Selecting a topic that interests you
personally is important! Keep your topic narrow in scope. If you plan to compete at the state or
national level, you must pick at topic in the chosen theme, which this year is “Leadership and
Legacy in History.”
4.
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Your research should focus on the use of primary sources such as diaries, letters, documents,
records, photographs, paintings, artifacts, maps and interviews. Ideally these resources are
collected in person and not just via the internet. You may also use secondary sources. Note that a
local focus may make it easier to access primary sources.
Assistance from teachers or parents should be minimal, that is: suggestions are allowed, but
actual hands-on help is not. Teachers should be your “guide on the side” and point you to
appropriate sources: libraries, websites, and local experts. Parents might help you by taking you
to visit archives, sites and people.
Every entry must have
a. a title page with title of entry, your name(s), and word count
b. a process paper of approximately 500 words in which you explain why you chose your
topic, how you conducted your research, how you created your project, and what
conclusions you reached
c. an annotated bibliography listing both primary and secondary sources used, with a
short description of each source and how it was used. Primary and secondary sources
must be listed separately.
Be prepared to answer judges’ questions and discuss your project with them!
Example of a common exhibit display form
Exhibit Rules:
1.
Your exhibit must be no larger than 40 inches wide, 30 inches deep and 72 inches high. You may
use panels, and your exhibit can be three dimensional. At the NEK History Day, we require that
each exhibit fit on half of a 6’ table. If needed, you may reserve floor space with the Coordinator.
2. Your exhibit must contain graphic and written information that communicates the subject to the
viewer. Photographs, drawings, timelines, maps and other images should illustrate the text. Your
exhibit can also include objects that relate to the topic (i.e. sheep’s wool, a model of a building or
machine.) There is a 500-word student-generated limit to all text that appears on your exhibit
(excluding citations, your title page, process paper and annotated bibliography). Title should be
clear and visible. NEW: You must include credits of visual sources. These sources must also
be cited in the annotated bibliography. The credit does not count toward the 500-word
limit.
3. NEW: You must include the number of student-composed words in exhibit and number of
words in process paper on title page.
4. Your exhibit may also include a video or slide show (3 minutes maximum) if it is an integral part
of the content; however, it must operate by battery as the access to electricity is quite limited—
only the documentaries will have electricity.
5. The title page, process paper, and bibliography (see above under General rules) must be
included. (Many teachers require students to write a report to accompany their exhibit and it is
fine to include the report with the exhibit. The judges, however, will be looking for and judging
the process paper and bibliography not the report.)
6. At the NEK History Day, you may dress in costume during judging, but at the state and national
levels, costumes are allowed only in the Performance category.
Documentary Rules:
1. Documentary entries may be audio recordings, slide shows, or video programs. The slide show
can be made using a slide projector and tape recorder, or a computer program such as Power
Point or iMovie.
2. The program may not exceed 10 minutes, with an extra 5 minutes for set-up and 5 minutes for
take-down. Announcement of the title and your name(s) is the only live narration allowed. The
only people who can appear on camera are you and the subjects of your interviews.
3. Stand-alone displays are prohibited. Interactive computer programs and web pages in which the
audience or judges are asked to participate are not acceptable; judges are not allowed to operate
any equipment.
4. Material can be scanned, photographed, and/or videotaped. Audio material can include portions
of interviews as well as narration and music. Slide presentation and videos may contain images
from books, ready-made slides, etc. but the bibliography must clearly state from what source
each image was taken.
5. You (the student) must operate all equipment including camera and editing equipment.
6. The title page, process paper, and bibliography (see above under General rules) must be
included. (Many teachers require students to write a report to accompany their exhibit and it is
fine to include the report with the exhibit. The judges, however, will be looking for and judging
the process paper and bibliography not the report.)
7. NEW: Number of words in process paper must be included on title page.
8. At the NEK History Day, you may dress in costume during judging, but at the state and national
levels, costumes are allowed only in the Performance category.
9. At the end of your documentary, you must include a list of acknowledgments and credits for all
sources. (This will be part of the 10 minutes running time.)
Performance Rules:
1. The performance may not exceed 10 minutes in length, beginning after the announcement of the
title and student name(s), with an extra 5 minutes for set-up and another 5 minutes for takedown.
2. Your performance should contain references to actual historical events, quotations or evidence.
It will be judged on historical content and dramatic appeal. The use of slides, tape recorders,
computers, or other media devices are allowed. There is no limitations on props and costumes,
3. First person interpretations or debates are welcomed and encouraged in the Performance
category!
4. The title page, process paper, and bibliography (see above under General rules) must be
included. (Many teachers require students to write a report to accompany their exhibit and it is
fine to include the report with the exhibit. The judges, however, will be looking for and judging
the process paper and bibliography not the report.)
5. NEW: Number of words in process paper must be included on title page.
Please note: If you are planning to compete at the state or national level, you need to check their websites for
further rules and information that apply to their competitions. THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RULE CHANGES
FOR 2015 AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
In addition to these three categories that are judged at the NEK History Day, the state and national levels of
competition also judge Paper and Web Site categories. Please see the Vermont History Day website
(vermonthistory.org) or the National History Day website (nhd.org) for these two additional category rules.