HISTORY DAY IN MINNESOTA
Judge’s Orientation
Thank you!
Thank you for answering the call to judging!
30,000 students+ 13 regional events+ 1 state event= hundreds of
volunteers!
History Day
Five Categories Paper Exhibit Documentary Performance Website
Two Age Divisions Junior (6-8 grade) Senior (9-12 grade)
Annual Theme:Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History
The Contest
Regional Events: 4,500 studentsDefined by ECSU boundaries, contests occur
throughout the month of March
State Event: 1,200 studentsUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities
April 29, 2012
National Event: 55 students
Univ. of MD, College ParkJune, 2012
School Events: 30,000 studentsTake place in individual schools, organized by a lead teacher or coordinator—occur in February or March
EVALUATION
Assessing History Day Entries
Judge Ratings
History Day evaluates entries using the relative terms of:
“Good”
“Excellent”
“Superior”The goal is to focus on the relative merits or areas for improvement in each entry.
In your set of evaluated projects, focus on ranking them against one another based on the provided criteria.
Judging Criteria: Historical Quality
Judging Criteria: Relation to Theme
Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History
Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History Revolution, Reaction and/OR Reform “in History” = proof of Historical Impact
Judging Criteria: Clarity of Presentation
Judging Criteria: Rule Compliance Exhibits
500 student-composed word limit 6’ tall, 40” wide, 30” deep
Performances 10 minutes in length
Documentaries 10 minutes in length
That Empty Column
Through thoughtful comments you can: Provide positive, but
critical evaluation of each entry
Suggest improvements for future participation or other research projects
Support the students’ interest and encourage future research and study
[something positive]
You may want to…
Did you consider…
Other issues important
to this topic are...
…would strengthen your
bibliography.
…might help support
your thesis.
[something positive]
Final Checklist
Does the student’s work demonstrate historical research and scholarship?
Does the student present an argument about their connection to the theme “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History” (thesis)?(Remember, the student’s views may differ from your own, consider the evidence they have provided rather than their beliefs)
Is the student communicating his or her ideas in an organized and effective way?
Has this student done careful and reasoned work?
JUDGING PROCESS
History Day’s Contest Logistics
Begin with a Smile
Start with a smile and a handshake
Brief students on the judging process to set them at ease
Request copies of the student’s Process Paper and Bibliography
Performance and Documentary judges: Encourage students to begin their presentation set-up
Read through the Research
Skim the student’s Process Paper and Bibliography
Note any questions you might have about their process or sources
Retain one copy of this paperwork for your team to use during the deliberation process
View the Presentation
The judging rooms are open to the public
Exhibit Judges: Read the text of the display (students should not give you an oral presentation)
Performance and Documentary Judges: Give students the go-ahead to begin their introduction and presentation.
Performance and Documentary Judges: DO NOT start early
Take careful notes for reference during the deliberation and comment writing process
Ask Questions Asks students at MINIMUM 3 questions
About their topic About their History Day journey Clarification from the content or
paperwork Questions might include:
How did you choose your topic? Which of your sources was most
helpful? What is the most interesting thing
you learned? What was the most challenging
aspect of your History Day project and research?
Try to end the conversation with: Is there anything else you would
like to tell us that we haven’t thought to ask?
Do NOT use this time to: Provide Feedback Lecture the student about their
topic Tell the student how they stack up
against the competition
Discuss
After you have viewed all your projects, return to the judges’ room to discuss
Avoid discussing projects in judging areas where students, teachers, and parents eagerly await your opinions
Make sure that all members of the judging team have room to offer their perspective and feel good about the final decision
The BIG Decision
Before drafting comments, determine which projects stand out as the strongest
Exhibit Judges: Elect one judge to collaborate with other team representatives in viewing the category’s top entries and selecting the state qualifiers
Performance and Documentary Judges: Seek out the other teams reviewing the same category and discuss as a large group which projects should advance
Draft your Comments
Each member of the judging team should write his or her own comments
Comments do not need to be identical, but should not be contradictory
Record check marks and an overall rating that demonstrate consensus on the student’s overall evaluation
Did you Bring a Laptop?
When typing your comments: Save all your comments as ONE document Create one page for each project Include the Teacher Number (located in the
upper right corner of the comment forms) Include the student(s) name(s) and project title HD staff have a zip drive, once saved your
comments will be printed and attached to the HD form
Note the original form with your check marks, overall rating, and a message about comments on the attached sheet.
Submit the Paperwork
History Day professionals will be standing by to accept your paperwork. Please make sure you leave us your:
Contest Result Forms
Completed Comment Forms
Student Bibliographies (please separate those advancing to State
from the stack)
Unwanted event papers for recycling
Our Thanks
Your judge ribbon will earn you: Food Clothing Shelter
Take your judge ribbon to our concession stand and trade it in for a mug or T-shirt
CEU’s are also available upon request
Top Related