By Hattie Thompson

Calling all Minnesota students! If you think history is boring, raise your hand.  Okay, we get it! But let’s think about it: whatever your passions and interests are, there’s a history to it.  And people of the past have had to break barriers to get where we are today. Feel like breaking some barriers of your own? Get involved in the 2020 History Day.  The theme for this year is “Breaking Barriers in History”.

How to become involved:

History Day is a way to dive deeper into your interests while giving you invaluable experience applicable to language arts and social studies. There is a wealth of information available from the Minnesota Historical Society History Day Office.

If you’d like to become involved, here’s what to do:

If you’re a teacher, go to http://education.mnhs.org/historyday/enroll and enroll as an educator.  If you’re not ready to enroll but still want to request information.

If you’re a student who is home schooled, or would like to participate on your own even if your school is not, have your parents enroll as an educator to begin receiving information.

After enrolling, you will receive the introduction packet, which contains information about themes, classroom tools, workshops and deadlines.

Students:  your first step will be choosing your topic that aligns with this year’s theme. Find interesting topic suggestions from the Minnesota Historical Society at this link: http://education.mnhs.org/historyday/sites/default/files/TopicsMinnesota.pdf. And the Plymouth Historical Society will publish additional ideas in our November 25th blog post.

Second, begin your research and decide on a format. You can choose to create an exhibit, documentary, performance, website or a research paper.  Your projects will be judged at your school’s history day event, and winners advance to the regionals, state, and nationals. If you need help along the way, consider attending a Hullabaloo, a free open house at regional libraries with activities meant to help you begin your research alongside other participants. 

Now that you know what to do, it’s time to dive into history! Watch for upcoming Plymouth Historical Society blogs with more History Day ideas!