Four Three Fires Elementary fifth grade students have qualified to compete at the Michigan History Day Competition state finals after claiming one of the top three spots in their category and age group at the Michigan History Day district competition held in Macomb County in late February. At the district competition, the students competed against fourth and fifth-grade students from several counties in Southeast Michigan. The state finals will be held Saturday, April 28, at Bay City Central High School.
The theme of the 2018 Michigan History Day Competition was “Conflict and Compromise in History.”
Working together, Addison Caldwell, Harper Collins, and Emily Wagner created a group exhibit titled “Out of the Darkness, Into the Light, about Helen Keller, Anne Sullivan, and Louis Braille.”
Additionally, Duncan Gary created an individual exhibit on the Black Sox Scandal, which involved game-fixing during the 1919 World Series.
After selecting a topic relating to the competition theme the students used both primary and secondary sources to learn about their topic and then wrote a thesis statement, process paper and included an annotated bibliography. The students also had to create a presentation to share with the judges. The students completed much of their work during lunch, recess and after-school As they prepare for the state event, the students are using the comments they received from the judges at the district event to help improve their exhibits.
“Addison, Harper, Emily, and Duncan all worked very hard on their projects. Their hard work and dedication really paid off at the district event, and we are all looking forward to the state competition,” said Cheri Carroll, Three Fires Elementary fifth grade teacher.
Carroll’s students have participated in Michigan History Day for several years and often advance to the state competition.
About the Michigan History Day Competition
Michigan History Day, an affiliate of National History Day sponsored by the Historical Society of Michigan, is a year-long educational program where students in grades fourth through twelfth grade pick a historical topic related to an annual theme, conduct original research using primary and secondary sources, analyze their findings and draw conclusions about topics of significance in history and create final projects to showcase their work. The projects, which include papers, documentaries, performances, exhibits, and websites, can be entered in a series of competitions from the local to the national level.
