The Importance of History Research Projects 3rd-12th
As ResponsiveEd classical education schools, Texas College Preparatory Academies (TCPA) emphasize history and understanding how to research. As part of the curriculum, elementary through middle school teachers provide students with opportunities to learn more about historical figures and express their creativity through projects. Many of the schools have cultural days and Living History Museum days.
One such initiative is the opportunity for seventh-graders to participate in a national history competition called National History Day. The competition saw many of our students advance from the campus level and were chosen to compete in a regional competition, and some moving on from there to compete at the state level. Read about their experiences.
Texas History Day/National History Day
Students from Tyler, Coppell, Austin and Richardson Classical Academies participated in the Texas History Day contest this year. Seventh-graders researched and created websites, exhibits, papers, performances, and documentaries about historical topics of interest. Students from each campus were selected to continue to the Dallas-area regional contest in February at Murphy High School.
Richardson Classical Academy had three students who rose to the top of the competitive entries and invited to advance to the state competition in Austin.
The academics department Director of History Tanya Donaghey hopes to establish this contest as a tradition at TCPA campuses. The projects are judged based on thorough research and use of primary sources. Students can utilize their creativity to create projects together or as individuals in the following categories:
- Performance
- Website
- Documentary
- Exhibit
- Paper
Congratulations to the teachers and students for their hard work!
For more information about Texas History Day/National History Day, please visit https://www.nhd.org/ or contact Tanya Donaghey.
