17th Annual East Tennessee History Day to showcase student performances, exhibits, documentaries for a chance at state and national competition on March 2

 

WHO:   350 middle and high school students representing 28 schools in East Tennessee public school systems from Blount, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Sevier and Union Counties plus a number of private and home schools in the area to compete in 2018 East Tennessee History Day.  The event is hosted by the East Tennessee Historical Society and the University of Tennessee Department of History. Sponsorship also provided by Randy and Jenny Boyd and UT College of Arts & Sciences and Humanities Center.

 

WHAT:  The 17th annual East Tennessee History Day Competition features student historical research, knowledge, and creativity through history-themed projects in a variety of formats, including museum-style exhibits, papers, web sites, documentaries, and live performances.  The 2018 National History Day theme is Conflict and Compromise through History.  District winners will move on to Tennessee History Day in Nashville on April 7, 2018 and state winners then compete in the National History Day competition in June at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

 

WHEN:  Friday, March 2, 2018

Student Competitions: 10:00 a.m. – Noon for Round 1 Judging

Student Competitions: 12:40 – 1:45 p.m. – Final Round Judging

Awards Ceremony:      2:15 p.m. – Junior Category in 413A/B/C ballroom in University of Tennessee Conference Center

Senior Category in East Tennessee History Center Auditorium

 

WHERE: University of Tennessee Conference Center @ 600 Henley St. 4th Floor Atrium

East Tennessee History Center, 601 S. Gay Street – Senior Websites Competition & Senior Category Awards Ceremony

 

About National History Day Competition:

National History Day is the world’s leading program for history education and invites students from across the country to enter its annual competition. This year’s broad theme is Conflict and Compromise through History.

 

Students in grades 6-12 are asked to research topics related to the theme. Examples related to the theme can be found almost anywhere—in the military, politics, government, communities, social movements, or in fields such as science, the arts, education, religion and economics Inspirations can come from most any place including local history, textbooks, recent headlines, TV shows or even Twitter. Students must share their findings in one of five categories—exhibits, performances, papers, documentaries, and websites.

 

A performance entry would require students to research a topic, write the script for the play, design costumes and props, and perform the parts.  For documentaries, students research the topic, design or film the scenes and interviews, and write the script. Many students choose the exhibit category and illustrate their topics with colorful storyboards.

 

About East Tennessee Historical Society:

Established in 1834, the East Tennessee Historical Society is widely acknowledged to be one of the most active history organizations in the Southeast, and enjoys a national reputation for excellence in programming and education. For 184 years the East Tennessee Historical Society has been helping East Tennesseans hold on to our unique heritage -recording the events, collecting the artifacts, and saving the stories that comprise the history we all share.

 

The historical society pursues its education mission through publications, lectures, conferences, school programs, museum exhibits, and heritage programs such as the popular First Families of Tennessee and Civil War Families of Tennessee. The East Tennessee History Center houses the staff and programs of the East Tennessee Historical Society, the Museum of East Tennessee History, the Calvin M. McClung Collection and the Knox County Archives. For more information visit the website at www.eastTNhistory.org

 

About the University of Tennessee History Department:                                                          

The Department of History at the University of Tennessee provides an engaged and exciting place to learn about the past. They have an award-winning faculty that provides a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum. The History Department offers graduate programs in Modern Europe; American history, with special emphasis on Atlantic and transnational history, 19th century history, religious history, southern history, and African-American history; and, Medieval and Renaissance history, with particular strengths in Muslim-Christian relations, the Crusades, and Mediterranean-facing Europe. The Department houses editorial projects on the presidential papers of Andrew Jackson and James Polk. They also work closely with interdisciplinary institutes and centers on campus, most importantly the Marco Institute and the Center for the Study of War and Society. For more information on the Department of History visit history.utk.edu.