Written by: Sarah Crossingham, Mitch Meier, and Alyssa Wagner - DMS 7th Grade Geography Teachers
For the last two months, 7th-grade students at DMS have created project entries for National History Day. In this competition, students from all over the country use different platforms to present research topics connected to the contest’s theme. The theme of this year’s competition is “Communication in History.” Having broad themes yearly allows students to think critically and be creative when choosing a topic; they also discover more about history and study a subject matter they are passionate about. It can be pop culture, wars, technology, whatever sparks students' interest. They then apply this idea to the theme of National History Day.
We have enjoyed watching the students shine through their projects. Savannah Boyll picked to research Frida Kahlo. She learned about this Latin American artist in art class and thought it appealing that Kahlo found beauty in her flaws and wasn't afraid to be herself. She resonated with this and chose this as a motto to live by. Kahlo's work is all self-portraits communicating the culture and life through her pieces. Boyll created a website to present in hopes of qualifying for the next round of competitions.
Nate Ashenafi, Cody Ulmer, and Dawson Wilkinson created a museum exhibit about the communication that took place when the Apollo 11 spacecraft traveled to the moon. When this group learned this year's theme, they felt that Apollo 11 was a great example of how communication has improved over the years and how the trip to the moon created an opportunity for even more communication advancements from earth to space.
Addison Grayson and Ashlyn Eckelberg created a museum exhibit about Alexander Hamilton. Grayson chose this topic because she enjoys the musical “Hamilton” and wanted to expand her knowledge. At first, they were going to create a website but then changed to an exhibit. According to Grayson, “I think NHD helped me in many ways. I got to learn about a topic I already enjoyed and about my partner and myself.” The opportunity to work with someone on this project was significant for this group. They worked exceptionally well together and were very much on the same page.
Lily Zier chose to make a website about sign language. She chose this topic because she was very interested in learning more about how people who cannot speak or hear communicate. According to Zier, “I believe that NHD will help me as a student by teaching me about why communication is really important. As I did my project, I got to research about why communication is needed for our society and the many benefits that come with it.”
These are only three of the projects presented at the BAC on Friday, February 26th, 2021, in hopes of making it to the regional competition. After that comes the state contest, which is held in Bismarck and finally nationals typically in Washington D.C., but will be held virtually this year due to COVID-19 protocols. This is a valuable project that helps students analyze sources, make claims, and compete against students across the nation. The 7th Grade Dickinson Social Studies teachers are beyond proud of all of their students' effort and commitment to National History Day and their journey thus far for this project.