About Massachusetts History Day

Massachusetts History Day (MHD) is the state affiliate of National History Day (NHD), a highly regarded academic program for elementary and secondary school students.

National History Day is an inter-disciplinary research project for students in grades 6-12 that encourages exploration of local, state, national, and world history.  Each year more than half a million students, encouraged by thousands of teachers nationwide, participate in the NHD contest.  History day teaches students to:

•     Conduct in-depth research
•     Use primary and secondary sources
•     Work with libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews, and/or historic sites
•     Analyze and interpret their findings
•     Write and present their historical research

Students choose a topic that relates to an annual theme, research that topic, draw conclusions about their topics’ significance in history, and present their research in one of five presentation categories: Research Paper, Exhibit, Documentary, Performance, or Website. Students may then enter their projects into History Day competitions at school, local, state, and national levels. The program culminates in the Kenneth E. Behring National Contest each June held at the University of Maryland at College Park.

In addition to discovering the exciting world of the past, NHD also helps students develop the following attributes that are critical for future success:

•     critical thinking and problem-solving skills
•     research and reading skills
•     oral and written communication and presentation skills
•     self esteem and confidence
•     a sense of responsibility for, and involvement in, the democratic process

Check out our websites to learn more about Massachusetts History Day and National History Day!

Setup Needed...

What to Expect During the contest

The Judging Process

Nervous about judging at a contest? You're not alone! Most students are nervous. In reality, however, you've already done the hard work of creating a project. Look forward to your interview as a chance to discuss your project with the judges. Judges are volunteers interested in learning more about the process you went through to create your project and what you've learned about your topic. They aren't there to quiz or scare you! And remember, while it is a good idea to prepare for your interview, the most important thing that judges will be considering is your project itself.

• Sample Questions: Take a look at the same sample questions we hand out to judges!
• The History Day Evaluation Criteria: Information on how your entry will be judged

Judging materials courtesy of Minnesota History Day