There are two levels of participation:
- Process Level
Any class, school, or district can participate in the non-competitive, process level of participation. This level allows all students to improve their research skills. In a timeline of approximately 1-3 weeks, teachers can guide students through the research process. Projects augment the core curricular materials, and compliment the learning themes in English/Language Arts and History/Social Science. The culmination of the classroom projects at the school or district might become part of your district's multiple measure assessment program. Qualified presenters from Tulare County Office of Education offer classes to prepare teachers to use this program in the classroom. Teachers who complete these classes will receive certificates for all their students that present projects in their school or classroom.
- Competitive Level
Some classes, schools and districts have students that are ready to move to the next step, and enter the competitive level of participation. The timeline for these projects is much longer. Students write their thesis statement, build their annotated bibliographies by visiting libraries and interviewing primary sources. Then students document their learning process in a process paper. From their research, they create their exhibit or website to specifications, prepare a 10-minute presentation or documentary, develop and deliver a performance, or write a 2,500 word paper. Fourth- and fifth-graders prepare posters, being careful to keep within the guidelines in the California History Day regulations. These projects must include an annotated bibliography with both primary and secondary resources, and a process paper. Their posters, papers, exhibits, websites, documentaries or performances will stand on their own merit to be judged by experts in history. A panel of judges will interview them to validate their hard work, and recommend the finest projects to move on to California History Day Competition. Finalists from California move to the National History Day event held each year at the University of Maryland.
On February 14, 2020, Tulare County students in grades 4-12 represented their districts by entering their projects in the National History Day - Tulare County competition.
National History Day - Tulare County Competition categories included:
- Junior division: grades 6-8
- Group Performance
- Individual Performance
- Group Exhibit
- Individual Exhibit
- Group Documentary
- Individual Documentary
- Group Historical Website Design
- Individual Historical Website Design
- Historical Paper
- Senior division: grades 9-12
- Group Performance
- Individual Performance
- Group Exhibit
- Individual Exhibit
- Group Documentary
- Individual Documentary
- Group Historical Website Design
- Individual Historical Website Design
- Historical Paper
- Grades 4/5 only
- Group 2D Display
- Individual 2D Display
Students who are selected to advance to the California State History Day competition will attend the Project Critique portion of the competition in order to participate in a one-on-one critique session with a panel of judges. At this event, competitors receive rigorous and relevant feedback before moving on to the National History Day - California State Finals.
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