Butte County Office of Education

BUTTE COUNTY NATIONAL HISTORY DAY

COMPETITION INFORMATION

The Butte County History Day is a one day competition that is the culmination of preparation by students who have worked all year on their History Day project.

 

Saturday, March 7, 2020

 

Nelson Avenue Middle School

 

2255 6th Street

 

Oroville, CA 95965

 

 

BCHD is a one day competition that takes place from

 

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Select the link below to view this year's schedule of events.

 

Items below will be updated as the competition draws near.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Online Registration Form (Deadline: February 13th, 11:59PM)

 

Upload Historical Paper (Deadline: February 13th, 11:59PM)

 

Upload Documentary Instructions (Deadline: February 13th, 11:59PM)

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind that this is a interview - judges lead the discussion. The only category that needs to have a prepared presentation are performances.

 

Your interview will be about 10-20 minutes in length depending on your category. You will be asked questions from 2-3 judges who are volunteers from the community. The judges will ask you questions that allow you to showcase your knowledge of your topic and highlight your project. They will not "quiz" you. Remember, the judges are just there to learn about your project, and you are the expert!

 

Typical questions might include

 

How did you choose your topic?

 

What were your most helpful sources?

 

How does your topic fit with this year's theme?

 

They may ask specific questions about your topic or what you discovered during your research.

 

Please do not say what school you are from.

 

 

 

Posters are put into heats of 6-10 projects. All students from a heat will enter the judging room together at the same time along with the judges for your heat.

 

During the session, that will last about 45 minutes, you will be able to walk around and look at the projects in your heat. You will be provided with post-it notes that say, "I like the way you . . ." and you will complete the sentence and give feedback to the other posters in your heat. At a certain time, the judges (2-3 volunteers from the community) will call you up and ask you a few questions.

 

The judges will ask you questions that allow you to showcase your knowledge of your topic and highlight your project. They will not "quiz" you. Remember, the judges are just there to learn about your project, and you are the expert!

 

Typical questions might include

 

How did you choose your topic?

 

How did you research your topic?

 

How does your topic connect to this year's theme?

 

How did you create your project?

 

What did you learn that surprised you?

 

What source was the most helpful?

 

What would you like to know more about?

 

Have fun and enjoy the process!

 

Please do not say what school you are from.

 

 

 

All students must be interviewed on the day of the competition in order to qualify for awards and advancement to the state finals. We do not allow students to be interviewed before or after the competition or to be interviewed remotely by phone or skype. You MUST be present. If you have a legitimate conflict on the scheduled date, you can request a specific time frame within the interview window (9:00 am - 12:00 pm) for your interview and if possible we will accommodate your needs. All requests must be e-mailed to mgarrahy@bcoe.org. Note: For group projects, at least one member of your group must be present to qualify for awards and advancement to the state finals.

 

 

 

Documentaries, Websites, Papers:

 

You submitted your project before the competition. You do not need to bring anything with you, but we recommend bringing a back-up of your project, process paper, bibliography.

 

Exhibits, Performances & Posters:

 

You should bring your project, props and costumes (if applicable). In addition, please bring 4 copies of your Process Paper/Bibliography with title page and leave these on your project when you set them up (exhibits & posters). Performance students can hand them to judges during their interview.

 

Please consult the NHD-CA rulebook to see the requirements for your title page, process paper & bibliography. https://www.nhdca.org/contest-rules

 

 

 

If you have an exhibit or poster these must be set up the night before the competition or by 8:45 a.m. the morning of the competition. For all other projects, or if you are set up, then you will just need to show up in time to check in and report to your room for your scheduled interview.

 

 

 

You can check-in from 7:00 - 8:45 am. and set up your project the morning of the competition prior to the start of interviews/judging.

 

Note: Parents can help carry objects but exhibits must be set-up by students.

 

 

 

Check the contest schedule for specific times.

 

In general you can not take your exhibit or poster down until after all judging (including finals judging) has concluded. We also ask that you leave it up until after the public viewing.

 

Any projects left after Butte County History Day will be discarded.

 

 

 

Once you are finished with the judging process, you have no obligations until the awards ceremony. We invite you to stay around and enjoy some of the historical entertainers. We suggest bringing something to keep you busy such as homework, a book or games. We also encourage you to support your classmates by watching performances or documentaries, or explore student projects from other schools.

 

 

 

Students doing a Performance will need to get all props set up on stage. We recommend coming early and getting your props prepared so you are ready when it is your turn to set up. Students are given 5 minutes to set up, 10 minutes for their performance, and 5 minutes for the interview. Students must set up their own props.

 

 

 

 

We will award 3 champion medals for each category. Champions will advance to the NHD-CA competition that takes place in May.

 

 

We will award 1 Runner-Up medal for each category. The Runner-Up will be invited to the NHD-CA competition if the champion is not able to attend.

 

 

We will recognize projects and provide special awards for based on criteria set up by the sponsoring agency. Your teacher recommended you for any that apply. In addition our special award judges look for projects that fit the criteria.

 

Examples of Special Awards:

 

African American Award

 

Medical History Award

 

Civil War History Award

 

Women's History Award

 

 

 

 

The public is allowed to watch documentaries and performances as long as their are seats in the rooms. Check the schedule for start times. Please wait for breaks to enter the rooms.

 

 

 

The public can view these projects during the public viewing period. Check the contest schedule for the times listed for public viewing.

 

 

 

 

These rooms are closed to the public. However, links are available in the event program for you to view these projects online.