Ten Steps to a Successful History Fair Project

1. Decide Who to Work With. Choose your partner(s) carefully and divide the work among them so that each will contribute equally to the project.

2. Define the Theme or Subject Area. Some history fairs have an annual theme, or several different subject categories. Does the history fair that you are entering have a specific theme or subject area that you are supposed to follow? Some examples might be: state history, women in history, historical studies of buildings, etc.

3. Choose a Topic. Brainstorm some topics that you think would be of interest, narrow them down and pick one to work on. Be able to explain how your topic relates to the history fair's theme if necessary.

4. Ask Questions. Write down at least three questions that you want to find answers to about your topic. An examples of a good question starter is: What impact did ______ have on ______?

5. Write a Thesis Statement. While science fair projects usually have the student propose a hypothesis, history fair projects utilize a thesis statement. Your thesis statement will explain what you are trying to prove, such as why or how something happened in history. It's possible that your preliminary thesis may change as you conduct your research and learn more about the topic.

6. Conduct Research. Locate information and take notes on your topic, using both primary and secondary sources. A primary source is an original document, photograph, eyewitness account, artifact, court proceeding, etc. that was created at the time of an event. For example, Anne Frank wrote in her diary while she was hiding from the Nazis. A secondary source is a textbook, reference book, Web page, video, etc. prepared by people who were not involved in the actual events. Although a primary source is not where you will find most of your information, it is a good idea to use at least one original source. Students can also collect oral histories for their projects. If you are lucky, you may be able to find someone in your community to interview.

7. Prepare a Report. A written paper should include a title page, project summary, table of contents, purpose, thesis and the results of your research. Add your final thoughts, conclusion or theory about what happened. Also include a bibliography and acknowledgments. If you will be doing an oral presentation, make sure you understand your material and can communicate it well.

8. Plan a Presentation. Does your topic lend itself to work best as an interpretive exhibit, documentary, performance or other type of presentation? Draft a design, storyboard or script. Make a list of materials needed.

9. Create the Exhibit. Leave yourself at least a week to prepare a backboard and table display using charts, graphs, photos, drawings and/or models. A neat, well designed exhibit can't be thrown together at the last minute. Visit a museum for ideas.

10. Evaluate Your Project. How would you rate its historical quality? Is it interesting? Does it provide necessary information pertinent to your topic? Is it clear, simple and understandable? Does it contain anything that is irrelevant? How well does it relate to the main theme? What grade would you give your project?

Did You Know . . . ? Historical information can be obtained from libraries, universities, museums, historical societies, government archives, books, newspapers, magazines, almanacs, encyclopedias, photographs and videos, and other sources. The Internet is also a good place to find both primary and secondary sources, but make sure the site is credible. Most sites that end with .edu, .org and .gov are reliable, but be more selective of sites ending in .com because the information may be biased. Examples of good historical sources include: The Library of Congress (www.loc.gov), The Smithsonian Institution (www.si. edu) and The National Archives and Records Administration (www.archives.gov).

Web sites
www.usu.edu/utahfair/hisfair/hisindex.html (History Fair Help and Research Steps, from the Utah History Fair Web site)

http://dept.houstonisd.org/curriculum/socialstudies/fair/historyguide.htm (How to Create a History Fair Project. The downloadable History Fair Unit Plan is a great resource.)

www.nationalhistoryday.org (National History Day programs and competition)

http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/museum/programs/historyfair/invHomeSchooler.cfm (Homeschooling and the History Fair)

http://gfc.easytel.com/Cap/Historyfair.htm (History is based on facts as well as point of view. Original history is written at the time an event happened. Revisionist history is written years or decades later. Original authors and revisionist historians may not agree, depending on their points of view. This site offers ideas for researching an issue of interest and drawing your own conclusions. You may even come up with a new twist to what others have written.)

www.clearvue.com/video/productDetail.asp?objectID=1138&keywordID=129 (Create a history fair project skill booster)

http://academic.bowdoin.edu/WritingGuides/thesis.htm (How to write a history thesis statement)

Teri Ann Berg Olsen is a home educator, librarian and author of the book "Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom." Visit her Web site at www.knowledgehouse.info.