In the photo series above, students work on replicating a stone wall for the project discussing the beginning of the Stonewall Rebellion and gay liberation movement in 1969. The other three projects will focus on Jackie Robinson and breaking the color barrier,Ghandi and the pacifist movement, and the cultural changes that resulted from Woodstock. The theme for the 2013 National History Day competition is, ‘turning points in history’.
The process to get ready for the regionals of The 2013 National History Day competition began at LaSalle in September, and has run the gamut from research and creative design to presentation skill exercises to technical ability. A public speaking exercise pitted four teams of 10th-grade global studies students against one another to discuss how militarism, alliances, imperalism, and nationalism caused World War I, the importance of each cause and the degree to which it contributed to the conflict.
In addition to learning the causes of the war, LaSalle History Teacher Jerald Hensler explained that the activity was designed to give the students experience and confidence in presenting their findings to their peers and others much like the National History Day competition but on a smaller scale, “I think the kids got a good understanding of the content because they were able to take ownership of it themselves, with guidance,” said Ashlyn Slater, a LaSalle student history teacher currently majoring in Social Studies and Adolescent Education at The College of Saint Rose. On March 18th, National History Day competitors will present their projects to a group of ‘mock’ judges especially invited by LaSalle to campus to help the youth prepare for the rigors of the formal competition later in that month. The mock judges attending LaSalle’s mock judging exercise will include officials from OCFS and SED as well as family court judges and social service staff from Albany, Dutchess, Orange, Rensselaer, and various other NYS counties. Watch for details in the March eNews.
Click here to read more about the National History Day competition. >>
Click here to read about last year’s LaSalle History Day competition mock judging exercise. >>