This document provides a quick guide to the different project options for National History Day: website, exhibit, performance, documentary, and paper. It summarizes the requirements for each type of project, including length limits, number of students allowed, and technical requirements. For each project type, examples are given of past winning National History Day projects.

1. QUICK GUIDE
Projects for National History Day Rules and
Tips

2. What projects can I choose
from?
Website (2 students max)
Exhibit (3 students max)
Performance (4-5 students max)
Documentary (3 students max)
Paper (individual only)
 http://www.nhd.org/StudentProjectExamples.htm
2

3. Exhibit
• Like a Museum
Exhibit
• Maximum Size
• 6 ft. x 40 in. x 30 in.
• Word Limit
• 500 Student-
composed Words
• The Challenge: To
Blend Graphic Design
with Written Script
• The 6-part exhibit:
• Introduction,
• Background,
• Beginning,
• Middle,
• End,
• Conclusion

4. 3 panel exhibit in 6 Parts
Background
Beginning of
Argument
Introductory
paragraph with
thesis statement
Middle of
Argument
End of Argument
Conclusion

5. 5

6. Documentary
• Like watching the History
Channel
• 10 Minutes or less
• Video, Power Point,
Imovie, Movie Maker,
Slide presentation,etc
• Can mix programs
• Photo Story 3 with Movie
Maker
• The Challenge: Blending
historic images (still and
moving) with narrations
and background music)
 2013 National Contest First
Place, Junior Individual
Documentary
Student: Rachel Priebe:
 "Kill the Indian, and Save
the Man": A Turn for the
Better or Worse?

7. Performance
 A Dramatic Portrayal
 10 Minutes or Less
 Students Write Script
 Find
Props/Costuming
 The Challenge: Fill
up the 10 minutes
with solid history and
good theatrical
presence
National Contest First Place 2013,
Junior Group Performance
Students: Hazel Homer-
Wambeam & Jackson Higgins
 The Golden Age of
Radio: Turning Points in
American Culture
 The Turning Point That Made
America Forever Free
National Contest 2013 First
Place, Senior Individual
Performance
Student: Matthew Broussard

8. Historical Paper
• 1,500 to 2,500 Words
• 6 to 10 Pages Double-
Spaced
• Traditional or Creative
Writing
National History Day Contest
| Student Project
Examples
• The Challenge: Writing to
Prove a Point
• Organization
• Verb Tense

9. Web Site
• Original productions
constructed using the NHD
web site editor
• Maximum of 1,200 Visible
Words
• Entire site may use no more
than 100MB of file space.
• No Outside Links: Students
may not use embedded
material hosted elsewhere
• site must be viewable in a
recent version of a standard
web browser
• The Challenge: Present
Historic Content in a
Blending of Category
Mediums
• Student will use aspects of
the Historical Paper, the
Exhibit, and Documentary
Categories
• On the Brink of Disunion:
The Election of 1860
2013 National Contest
First Place, Senior
Individual Web Site
Student: John Vodrey