National History Day
Creating Exhibits Entries
Survival Guide
Group Topic:
_______________________
Names:
_______________________
_______________________
Creating Exhibit Entries
Exhibits are designed to display visual and written information on
topics in an attractive and understandable manner. They are similar
to exhibits found in a museum. People walking by should be
attracted to an exhibit's main idea and, therefore, stop to learn more about the topic. To
be successful, an exhibit must create an effective balance between visual interest and
historical explanation.
The most common form of exhibit entry is a three-panel display. This style is the least
complicated to design and build but is still a very effective way to present information.
Here are some tips for this style:
 Be sure the title is the main focus of the center panel.
 Use the center panel to present the main ideas.
 The side panels are best used either to compare issues about the topic or to explain
related detail.
 Artifacts or other materials may also be placed on the table between the side panels.
Labeling
The labels used for the title and main ideas are very important because they direct the
viewer's eye around the exhibit. One way to make labels stand out is to have the writing
on a light-colored piece of paper with a darker background behind it. This can be done
with construction paper, tag board, or mat board. Dark black lettering makes labels
easier to read. Photographs and written materials also stand out more if they are placed
on backgrounds.
Exhibit Design
Although students will be able to explain their exhibits during the initial judging, a
successful exhibit must be able to explain itself. This makes it important to design an
exhibit so that the photographs, written materials and illustrations are easy to
understand.
It is tempting to put as much onto the panel boards as possible, but this usually makes
for a cluttered and confusing display. Students should try to select only the most
important items for their exhibit boards. Clarity and organization are the most
important goals for an exhibit design.
"HELP! For National History Day Exhibit Projects" Go to the link below for an exhibit
designer's booklet for doing National History Day exhibits produced by the pro's at the
Hoover Institution. Cultivate the inner artist or graphic designer! (After the research
and interpretation is completed…).
http://hoover.archives.gov/education/nhd/index.html
Exhibit Design Guidelines
Two hand-outs illustrate the importance of design in the creation of a National History
Day exhibit. Orientation, Segmentation and Explanation addresses overall exhibit
design and Levels of Text demonstrates the importance of titles and font size in clear
exhibit design. You may want to look into using fomecore or gatorboard for a more
professional looking project.
Three-Dimensional Exhibits
A three-dimensional exhibit is more complicated to construct but can be an effective
presentation style. As in the three-panel display, one side should contain the title and
main idea. As viewers move around the exhibit the development of the topic can be
explored. It is not necessary for the exhibit itself to be able to spin. It may be set on a
table (or on the floor) so that people can walk around it.
Word Limit
There is a 500-word limit for student-composed written materials on an exhibit. View
examples of how to count words and what constitutes student-composed materials:
500 Word Limit For Exhibit Category:
The word limit counts toward any student-composed written materials that are used on
an exhibit (excluding the title page, process paper and annotated bibliography). For
example:
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A date counts as one word, while each word in a name is individually counted.
Therefore, “January 1, 1990” counts as one word, but “John Quincy Adams”
counts as three.
Words such as “a,” “the,” and “of” are counted as one word each.
The limit does not include words found in materials used for illustration, such as
documents, artifacts or graphs not created by the students, or to quotations from
primary sources such as oral history interviews, letters or diaries. These materials
are not student composed.
Brief citations crediting the sources of illustrations or quotations included on the
exhibits do not count toward the 500-word limit.
Words in timelines or scrapbooks do count toward the limit if they are student
composed. But, if a timeline is a transcription of a secondary or primary source
then it is not student composed and does not count toward the word limit.
For more information, check the NHD website explaining exhibits:
http://www.nhd.org/Exhibit.htm
Elements of an Effective Exhibit
Orientation
Make sure the title and subtitle of the exhibit are
prominent features of the design.
Make the main idea or thesis clear to the viewer.
Segmentation
Organize the exhibit into subtopics.
Use design elements to make subtopics clear to
viewer.
Explanation
Use clear and concise captions and text to:
1. Identify pictures, objects, or documents, or
2. Interpret information for the viewer.
Levels of Text:
Introduction to the use of labels on historical displays
A TOWN BUILT
ON IRON
The main title introduces the topic and attracts viewer interest
“The Evolution of
Hibbing, Minnesota,
1880 — 1980”
The subtitle focuses the topic and limits what the project will interpret
Moving the Town
A subject label breaks down the topic into smaller parts for explanation
and organization. These labels guide the viewer around the display.
The original townsite of Hibbing was located over a rich lode of
iron ore. Because the ore was more valuable than the town, the
buildings of Hibbing were moved to a new site in 1919.
Captions are the most detailed label and provide opportunity for
interpretation. These should be short, active, and clear.
Exhibit Label Basics, Part 3: Content.
Bulletin 9 Summer 1999
By Kenneth DeRoux, Curator of Museum Services, Alaska State Museum
This is the third part of a 3-part series on making exhibit labels. Part 1 (Bulletin 5)
discussed basic guidelines for label design, including kinds of labels, length, size, and
placement. Part 2 (Bulletin 7/8) described techniques for making and mounting labels.
Here I will discuss some basic considerations for label content.
Purpose
Labels provide a means for visitors to connect with objects in a museum. They may
provide only the most basic identifying information for an object, or they may provide
additional levels of interpretation, tying together numerous objects, facts and ideas into
a thematic exhibition. (For a discussion of different types of labels, see Bulletin #5). In
all cases, labels should be easily visible, readable and enhance the viewing experience.
Effective labels go hand-in-hand with clearly conceived ideas about how exhibits are
organized and presented. Ideally, they should be an integral part of your exhibit design,
rather than added to an exhibit after the fact.
Keep it simple.
Most museum visitors spend relatively little time on any one exhibit. They tend to keep
moving, stopping at what interests them. They will often spend more actual time
reading labels than looking at objects, since an object can be "seen" in a few seconds.
Even so, the label should serve to reinforce the experience of the object.
A strong label will often begin with a concrete reference to the object(s) being discussed,
such as "This wall clock stopped at the precise time of the Good Friday Earthquake of
1964." The basic units of information should answer the questions what?, where?,
when?, who? how? and why? Ask yourself "What questions will the visitor ask about this
material?" and try to answer them. Keep the label directly related to what the viewer is
seeing. Don't forget the why? Question. Why is this object in the museum? If there is
some story connected to it, your visitors will love to hear it.
Reading labels should not be like reading an exhibit catalog. Remember that you are
writing for people who are reading standing up and possibly bending forward. Resist the
temptation to provide too much additional or extraneous information. Large blocks of
text will turn away many viewers. The rule-of -thumb for comfortable label length is
between 75 and 150 words. If the label must be longer, make sure it is broken into
paragraphs or blocks of text no more than 100 words in length. Sub-headings above
each paragraph will give viewers easier access to the material. (This paragraph is 95
words.)
Tips
Here are some frequently mentioned guidelines for writing effective labels:
 Use simple sentences. Keep them short but vary the length. Don't use sentences
more than 25 words long.
 Avoid excessive use of commas.
 Explain unfamiliar words and concepts - you don't want to make your visitor feel
uneducated.
 Write so that an eighth-grader can understand the vocabulary, but provide
information that will keep an adult interested. Some word processing programs,
such as Microsoft Word®, can check for readability as well as spelling, grammar and
passive voice.
 Use active verbs. Avoid the passive voice, which is excessive use of the verb "to be",
(is, are, was, were). In passive voice, the object acts upon the subject, such as "Gold
dust was used by miners to pay debts," instead of " Miners paid debts with gold
dust."
 Don't provide more than 6 or 7 key items of information per label.
 Relate dates or unfamiliar concepts or practices to dates, etc. that the viewer is
familiar with.
 Read the label out loud to insure that the words have an easy flow to them.
 Always proofread, then proofread again.
Advanced tips
 Use graphics, photographs, maps or other visuals where possible to involve the
viewer more directly in making connections.
 Direct the viewer's attention to specific aspects of the object.
 Occasionally, and where appropriate, ask the viewer open-ended questions about
what he/she is seeing.
 Offer up puzzles that might be presented by the material.
 Don't edit out all emotion or controversy from your labels. But when presenting
controversial material, try to be unbiased.
 Strive to be aware of bias (cultural, political, etc.) within your own writing and
correct for it if necessary.
 Develop a style manual for labels for your museum. This helps establish consistency
in formatting as well as for grammar, punctuation, and usage.
 Finally, don't sacrifice clarity for economy. Editing labels down to reduced lengths
can sometimes produce unintended inferences. It is better to use a few extra words
so that the information is clear.
Copyright 1999 Alaska State Museum. Permission granted to reproduce for limited
educational purposes.
Rights and Responsibilities in History
Storyboards for Exhibits
Due Date –_________________
Storyboards allow the creators of an exhibit to visually plan the creation of the final
product. It is essential to use this graphic organizer to plan, segment, and create each
exhibit. It is also extremely important to be as detailed as possible when creating the
storyboard.
Each page attached will represent one section of the exhibit. Each section will contain
visuals (clear pictures), documents, quotations, graphics of some sort
(charts, maps, etc.), and/or pictures from interviews. ORGANIZATION is
essential when creating an exhibit to further enhance the power of your final product.
Important reminder: Be sure to segment your exhibit into the national theme of
Rights and Responsibilities in History. It must be very clear all throughout the
exhibit. Be very specific when explaining the contents of each section!!
Refer to the NHD Guide for the dimensions of the exhibit. Most exhibits will be in the
form of a tri-fold. All tri-folds must be constructed by the individuals creating the
exhibit. Refer to examples in Mrs. McFarland’s room.
Format
Exhibit Component #1 – Rights and Responsibilities
in History
Exhibit Component #2 – Rights and Responsibilities
in History
Exhibit Component #3 – Rights and Responsibilities
in History