In this episode, we dive into the art of choosing the perfect topic for your National History Day contest project. Explore the power of picking a subject that truly resonates with you – something that mirrors your interests, passions, and values. Discover the magic of finding unique angles in well-known events, bringing fresh perspectives to the forefront.
From uncovering the secret heroes of pivotal moments to tracing the unexpected ripple effects of major historical events, 'History Happens' encourages you to dig deep into the past, explore uncharted territories, and craft a project that stands out. With insights, tips, and engaging anecdotes, Miss Lesley and Mr Craig share their coaching wisdom and inspire you to embrace the historical journey.
Tune in to 'History Happens' and embark on an exciting adventure of historical exploration. Unearth the hidden gems of our past, craft an unforgettable project, and make history come alive.
In this episode, we dive into the art of choosing the perfect topic for your National History Day contest project. Explore the power of picking a subject that truly resonates with you – something that mirrors your interests, passions, and values. Discover the magic of finding unique angles in well-known events, bringing fresh perspectives to the forefront.
From uncovering the secret heroes of pivotal moments to tracing the unexpected ripple effects of major historical events, 'History Happens' encourages you to dig deep into the past, explore uncharted territories, and craft a project that stands out. With insights, tips, and engaging anecdotes, Miss Lesley and Mr Craig share their coaching wisdom and inspire you to embrace the historical journey.
Tune in to 'History Happens' and embark on an exciting adventure of historical exploration. Unearth the hidden gems of our past, craft an unforgettable project, and make history come alive.
Dr Gorn 0:00
And now for the NEH scholar, first place back to the first place gold medal
scholar for senior individual performance taking home the gold. Welcome to history happens the podcast that helps you understand and succeed at the National History Day contest with your host, Craig and Lesley Mattia.
Craig 0:23
Hello, and welcome back or welcome or welcome back either one to history happens, where Miss Leslie and Mr. Craig are trying to help you through that NH D project process. And this podcast we're talking about choosing your topic. Yep, absolutely. So this year's theme is turning points in history. It's the 50th anniversary of NHD. Are we supposed to go whoo, whoo.
Speaker 2 0:53
So, when you're choosing a topic, when you're thinking about a topic, to me, I think the most important thing is to find something that you enjoy something that's important to you something that that points to who you are as a person and what you what you enjoy. And what means the most to you in society,
Craig 1:15
if I'm sorry to interrupt, but if you if you don't know about our history, we've been doing this for years and years. But one of the and we're big believers in National History Day. But one of the main things that I find so appealing and why I'm so such a big NHD proponent is the ability for someone to choose something that they're interested in not necessarily choose what what the teacher assigns them. So So a student gets to pick a topic that matters to them, or matters to their family or intrigues them or finds it interesting. So big shout out to National History Day for giving the students that kind of flexibility agency
Lesley 2:04
agency that
Craig 2:06
I know, nice,
Lesley 2:07
kids will be proud of me,
Craig 2:08
I should go whoop, whoop on that two kids will be proud of me for you. Right, but they get to choose that and they get to get involved in something that that matters to them that interests them. So I'm sorry, interrupt, but
Speaker 2 2:22
as it should be. So to me. So the number one thing is to? Well, first of all, it has to be relevant to a turning point. In history, when you're picking a topic, it has to match this thing, which is a turning point. That's not a gradual thing, that some immediate decision. And
Craig 2:41
if you have if you haven't listened, go back and listen to our podcast on the theme turning points.
Speaker 2 2:48
That'll help you that'll get you started. Maybe get your get your mind working your juices, your juices turning to be able to pick the just the perfect topic for you. So how do you know if it's going to be a good topic, one thing that you can ask yourself is what was happening before, and then your turning point happened. And then what happened after, if you can show a definite change that this turning point caused, it's probably going to be a pretty good topic. So you're looking for a topic that once it happened, history changed. And we talked about this on the on the last podcast where you may not know that it changes right away. So it may not be an immediate? Well, it is an immediate change. But you really may not know it happened, or it really changed things until much, much farther down the road. There. There were there were there was legislation that was passed. But sometimes it takes so long for the legislation to change a community,
Craig 3:57
which is why we teach and why nationally stay recommends, you know, have a topic that's 20 to 25 years ago, so that time allow time is allowed to help kind of show the perspective and reveal good word. What that what that impact was or wasn't. You know, like I said, I I'm sure there's there's potential turning points happening all the time these days. They're out there and they exist, we just don't know which of these things that are happening are going to turn into true turning points where they have an impact that lasts you know, beyond the immediate
Lesley 4:38
and a topic doesn't necessarily have to be a successful turning point. A great topic can be a failure. A great topic can stop something that was really good from happening or intended for good and you can look at Ring reconstruction. Reconstruction was late laid out for a good purpose. But as soon as if you look at the at the negotiations of of 1877 that somehow tanked reconstruction, and then the Jim Crow laws start coming, start coming to the surface. So, a turning point doesn't necessarily result in something good. And a turning point can be a failure of something. So keep that in mind to get creative with this turning point. It just has to make a change in history.
Craig 5:35
And a reminder that again, there are turning points everywhere, not just in quote unquote, history. There's turning points in art, there's turning points in science, math. If you've been listening to the History Channel lately, and and the food that built America, I mean, there's some incredible turning points that we just take for granted these days.
Speaker 2 6:00
The History Channel is just this, this treasure trove of great topics, the food that built America, the men that built America,
Craig 6:08
inventions, inventions that the mega brands, I think they're coming out with now. So I mean, there's there's every show has probably five things and again, you know, little inside information, Miss Lesley and Mr. Krieger obviously a little obsessed about this. So we watch these things. It's like, boom, there's one Oh, there's one. Oh, well, there's one oh, you know, like every show goes on. And there's like 14 different ones that we
Speaker 2 6:30
have a very long list of very cool topics. That, you know, when when our students have narrowed down an idea or an era or a a war, or maybe a some judicial decision, we can help them narrow it down to something more unique, creative, very interesting, a different take on because you know, when you pick when you pick a topic, there may be 10 Other projects on that topic as well. But your take on it, your research or investigation, your analysis, that's what's going to make yours unique, I can have 10 different D Day topics, but, or general topics. But and we're going to talk about sizing it but some some people can do the mulberry Harbor, some somebody can do the soil composition a D Day, some can do the Ghost Army, some could do the SOP, or the OSS, or everybody has can have a different take on a general topic. But that specific element when you narrow down your topic, that's what makes it your project. That's what makes it unique.
Craig 7:41
And those are the things that we help our students try to try to succeed in and focus on and really fine tune things. And when we say our students, that can be you. If you contact us at Ask history happens@gmail.com or visit our website history happens.org We we try to help students gain weight and we aren't.
Speaker 2 8:06
We aren't real teachers, we are coaches, correct. Yeah. So we don't have a classroom. We we volunteer to help any student any parent, any teacher who is involved in National History Day what what our goal is to get more and more people involved because what because we 100% believe in the process. We think it makes better students we think it it makes it better society. We think it teach or we actually know that it teaches skills that unfortunately, we don't we don't necessarily teach anymore, but I want to continue on with what Mr. Craig
Craig 8:39
Wright I got, I got I got sidetracked on food. But there's I mean, you're live space, espionage. Technology changes throughout the throughout the years, obviously, you know, civil rights, women's rights, law. But even if you're into theater, or business or your family has a military history, dance, football, there's some amazing turning points in football that matter beyond even the sports landscape, if you will. So there are ways challenging to bring this project this activity into anything that that you find interesting, and we so we so encourage the students to find something that's interesting to them, because it really makes the whole project process so much more. It's
Speaker 2 9:40
motivating. It's a great driving force. Another another way to choose a great topic is if you come from a from a rich culture backed family. What were the turning points in in your family's heritage, either in their country or their customs or the religious background, the geography of of your family's culture, look into those things, you're gonna you can find some fantastic topics that really changed history sometimes not in not such a good way. But it is important to know.
Craig 10:23
And so often that's not something that really fits into the typical curriculum at a school so it gives you a chance to, to learn and discover more about your history, talk to your, your, your Nana's in your propose in your pupils in your horizon and
Unknown Speaker 10:43
godparents.
Craig 10:45
Exactly, and let them let them tell you how things were different and why they changed. And, and you'll love it, and they'll love it. And it really it really shines through in the project.
Speaker 2 10:57
Culturally, it's a great it's something great to hand down to, to your family for the next generation to if you put this information together, it'd be a fantastic way to to continue the stories.
Craig 11:11
Your grandmother will love you even more than she already does, if you
Speaker 2 11:15
absolutely, absolutely. Okay, so now you know that you get to you're the driving force and choosing your own topic and choosing a topic that means something to you. Let's talk a little bit about sizing your topic. So there's it's very Goldilocks kind of thing. So three bears and Goldilocks, you can have a topic that's way too big. And you can have a topic that's way too small. What you're looking for is a topic. That's just right. Just right. So for instance, if you want to do White House history, that's great. But what about it? That's way too big way too big. What have you said the White House during the during the War of 1812? Okay, that's interesting. But quite frankly, that might still be too big. What if you talked about the burning of the White House during the War of 1812? That's probably a really good size. And for me, I do a little spin off of Dolly Madison, saving the picture, the portrait of George Washington, and what the what the implications and the message of that were? That's kind of exciting. Let's let's do let's do the CIA. For those. Those of you guys and girls out there who loves spies and espionage and the CIA, you can do a topic on the CIA, but the topic of the CIA as a whole that's pretty big. It's pretty massive way too much porridge in that bowl. Do you like the three bears? Okay. Think about? Let's think about the OSS on D Day. So OSS was the precursor to the CIA. But the OSS was very involved on D Day. That's better. But it's still pretty big. It's still a pretty big topic because they were involved in so many different things. So what have you narrowed that down even a little more? Operation? Jedburgh? That was fantastic. How about one of one of my heroines, Virginia Hall, who became the very first CIA career officer, ever? That was a huge turning point. And for those of you who who know about the CIA, we recently had a female, the very first female director of the CIA, that would have never been possible had it not been Virginia Hall. So now we size down to Virginia Hall, or operation Jedburgh or something. Let's do another one. Let's do the progressive era. So you love that time, that Progressive Era, that's when the MK wreckers right first came out. That's when these investigative journalist really started digging and revealing corruption. What if we narrow that? That's great, but still pretty broad. Still pretty broad? What if we narrowed it down even further to Ida Tarbell and Standard Oil? That was huge. That's a perfect size topic. What if we did? Let's do let's do. Let's do George Washington. Greg, you want to do that one? Sure. It's too great.
Craig 14:24
Obviously, George Washington big, big has had a big impact on our country. But you can't do a project on George Washington because it's way too much to cover. There's so many things you could get into. So Okay. Well, he did a lot of things before he was President. Then he became president, maybe you want to say well, let me just concentrate on when he was president. Well, again, there were things that happened during his presidency that that just too many things to cover to just talk about that. So what if we limited it to when George Washington stepped down from President when they asked him to stay on and he said no, I I need to you know, we that's not the kind of country we want to have, we don't have a king, clearly that has had an impact. And that's, that's kind of the right topic size. To be able to, to delve into and really, really dig into and get into. Without it being overwhelming or, or, or too small of a topic.
Speaker 2 15:20
One of the challenges when students put their projects together is how do you narrow down the words? How do you narrow down the time to 10 minutes, if your topic is too broad, you're really only going to scratch the surface you need, you need to be able to have enough room for analysis. If you use all the time or all the the time allotment or all the word allotment, just to set the stage and to explain to the judge what was going on, then you're not going to have enough time to, to analyze to express your analysis and your student voice. So the size of the topic is so so important. And if you need help with getting getting help to size your topic and and carving it out just right, feel free to email us
Craig 16:11
love to help you. We'd love to help our experiences that students always feel like they need to have a bigger topic than what they really do. Because there weren't Oh, I could never have been, you know, they're not gonna have enough information. No, you're gonna have plenty of information, trust me. So we're going to always be working on trying to narrow that down. And you don't necessarily have to narrow it down right away. Maybe you are interested in George Washington, you don't know exactly what part of it do. Maybe that's why you start researching and start getting into some of those things and identifying those possibilities. And then you may pick out one of them, like him stepping down, or maybe there's something else that that catches your eye. But so you may not know right off the bat, but we will be working on helping you narrow that down pretty quickly. So that you can focus on on that and know
Speaker 2 17:02
that and know that your topic can change a little bit. As you start researching our daughter Macy chose Barbara Walters to in fact, it was turning points in history. It was turning points in history because that was the first national championship that that one of our kids won. And it was turning points in history and Macy's thesis revolved around Barbara Walters becoming the first host of a morning show of a news morning show. And that was great. She was rockin and rollin. Well, she read as an article or a legal document, I can't even remember what it was. And she realized her thesis was wrong. The thesis she wanted was not right. The turning point wasn't necessarily her becoming the first female host of a morning show or a news show what the turning point was, was when her agent hand wrote a clause into the contract. That said, if the male host dies, Ms. Walters would automatically receive the title of host. That was the turning point. And again, Macy didn't change her thesis until three or four months into the research. So write your thesis in pencil, you always want your research to drive your thesis. Your thesis does not drive your research. So your thesis is always in pencil, you keep that open mind, research will reveal the topic to you.
Craig 18:40
And we'll have more podcasts on thesis on down the road. Don't worry about Yeah,
Speaker 2 18:43
by then you'll be used to us. And we'll tell you to buckle up because that's a that's a heavy duty one. But by then you'll be you'll be ready for it for sure. So another thing Mr. Kragen, I like to do with topics is that we like to keep it fresh and new. Let's see if as you're picking out your topic, if you can find an interesting twist to it that many historians don't know. Or that you don't get an A traditional history book, or a just a general documentary that you may be watching on PBS or YouTube or something to that effect. So for instance, let's say you are interested in Gettysburg. You liked the civil you don't say you liked the Civil War, but the Civil War interests you you're looking at Gettysburg. Many people give the accolades to grant for for winning Gettysburg. But did you know that Anna Ella Carroll was actually can be considered the first the first female Secretary of War. Anna Carroll was very close to Lincoln. And she was providing war strategies. And there is a letter where grant actually gives her credit for for coming out with the winning war strategies, but of course, Lincoln couldn't proclaim that she was his best Secretary of War or his, her involvement with with the war strategy, because she was a woman at the time anyway. So that's kind of like a twist. You like you? Like Ginsburg, the judges think they know about Gettysburg, the judges think they know where you're going to go? What, and then you flip it on them. That's what makes a super, super interesting, super interesting topic. That's your student voice. Also,
Craig 20:43
ya know, our son Max did one on the Cuban Missile Crisis. And of course, Khrushchev and Kennedy get all the press, if you will. But he introduced the Robert Kennedy, right. But he introduced us to facility Arkhipov, and his role in in a nuclear submarine, which I won't, you know, you can go research that and find out but there's an interesting story there that a lot of people didn't know, certainly, our country didn't know till, till much, much later, 40 years
Speaker 2 21:11
later, 40 years later. Just to add to that, we won't tell the whole story. But yes, there were some great diplomatic moments in there. But the diplomatic moments would have never happened if it wasn't for this guy. Wassily Arkhipov. So research that and you could see the turning point that most people think was the turning point was not really the turning point.
Craig 21:35
Right, they might have attributed to Kennedy, and it's probably more more likely Arkhipov that certainly what what Max ours out in his Soviet fleet commander in his in his project, absolutely, there's also a chance for you to do, you know, some local topics to that, that other people wouldn't necessarily know about, which can be sometimes easier to research because it's close by and you have access to those sorts
Speaker 2 22:03
of historians gets so excited, and they get to help you
Craig 22:07
and they can still have an impact, even if it's even if it's a local community impact that doesn't, that doesn't necessarily downplay the impact that something that can have. So don't don't be afraid to think about something in your local community city state.
Speaker 2 22:24
It is it is possible to tie some local turning points into a statewide impact or a national impact or national movement of some kind.
Craig 22:37
I like to say, you know, everything has a history. And and so find out what that is. Which reminds me of another point, sometimes students are interested in in something a little more recent. And they think, Oh, this is cool. I'd like to do that. Well, again, we've talked about the historical aspect of 2025 years. And so one of history happens, Miss Miss lezlie Mr. Craig's tricks of the trade, if you will, if you are interested in something that's more recent, try and see if you can figure out how that was an impact of something else go backwards? And reverse reverse history, if you will? And say, Okay, well, yes. You know, Black Lives Matter is important, but it didn't come out of nowhere, what what caused it? Where did it originate, or what kind of things led up to it, or that's the impact of something else that happened. So, you know, consider that if you're interested in something more.
Speaker 2 23:35
So remember, if you're looking for a topic, in order for it to be historical, it has to be far enough away that we understand what the impact is. So the general rule of thumb, and it's not a it's not a defining number, it's not a definite number, but you're going to look at like 20 to 25 years to really know what the impact is. It's a lot of people want to do 911 type topics. We're kind of on the cusp of that right now, where we are learning some of the impact than we understand where the government failed. Where the FBI and the CIA weren't talking to each other. There's a lot of revealing things in the report that came out. We are understand the we're starting to understand the global impact that that had as well, and how it changed security laws here in the in the country for the better and worse on some people can debate each side. But what brought about 911 who was upset? Why would people want to to cause that much harm to people they don't even know. And to a country. Go back in history. There was a turning point. There was a turning point. One of the things that just you know, Mr. Craig, and I just goofing off googling things and watching History Channel. Listen, watching some of our history is that there were two treaties in World War One that irritated two leaders who started wars. And one of them was Hitler and and another one was Osama bin Laden. So you can look into that which I just find totally remarkable how, how one war, somehow the treaties in a war can spawn something 30 years later, and then or 25 years later, and then 50 years later, or I probably didn't do the math, right. Seven years later, hey, you guys better? Me and Matt, think about we're talking about interesting twists. We're talking about interesting twist. The Little Rock, was it Little Rock Nine? I'm pretty sure so Daisy Bates, look at Daisy Bates. Did the Little Rock Nine do this on their own? Who trained the Little Rock Nine? Who trained them? Look at Daisy Bates. That's the interesting twist to it. Not those students. But those but who
Craig 26:08
are they had an impact? And that's not an we're not trying to downplay that. Right. But but if you can find that, as missa missa, as he said, that interesting twist that Oh, hadn't really hadn't really thought about that part of it. That can always make it that much more interesting.
Speaker 2 26:23
I think. I think of Ruby Bridges to so many people do Ruby bridge, Ruby Bridges, topics. But you know, in that very same day, there were five other little African American children who integrated the schools in New Orleans that same day, maybe a project on one of them. Ruby Bridges seems to get all the attention don't really know, don't really know why she's still alive. And she's absolutely fantastic. You know, most of you all know that. That Miss Leslie is from New Orleans. But what about what about the other five kids look into that? Mr. Craig and I listened to his historic podcast. as we as we traveled around and we just listened to the MLK tapes. Listen to the MLK tapes. What we didn't know is that, of course, James O Ray went to prison for the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Well, did you know in 1998, there was a court case that overturned that and determined that James Earl Ray did not kill Martin Luther King Jr. Again, that's an interesting twist. That's an interesting twist to the story. So find that interesting thing that no one knows. And as you're looking for a topic, you can actually Google the top 10 Things People did not do not know about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Maybe you you Google. Turning Points in math in math. There you go. Craig. Look, Mr. Craig. Engineer, turning points in chemistry. Just Google it. What are the turning points in social justice? What is the turning point in dance? Turning Points in the music industry? Turning Points in comedy? Oh, that's a good one. Yes. Turning Point. Yeah. Because right right away. You and I are thinking Richard Pryor.
Craig 28:23
Oh, right. Right, right. Right, right.
Speaker 2 28:27
Gallagher and who's the other guy? George Carlin, Carlin, right. Holy smokes Saturday Night Live. That's another one. So
Craig 28:36
they're out there and and, and they're endless, but we can't tell you what you're interested in. You have to tell us what you're interested in. And then and then we can help you find the turning point. That matters to you. So anyway,
Speaker 2 28:54
let's let's go through let's go through this the the suggestions on how to find great topics real fast. So first of all, determine what what do you like what's important to you? What are you interested in? Mr. Craig went through about 15 or 16 different things. That's when he went through art, law, politics, science, math, food, invention, space, espionage, technology, women's rights, civil rights, dance, theater, business, politics, military sports, right? Figure out what is important to you. And then just do some simple things. Just google the turning points in theater, the turning points in business. I think it's an amazing topic this year. The father of public relations hoard super controversial, but it is out there for sure. How about this, the most unknown decisions in blank in civil rights the most? The most unsung heroes in World War Two, the most unknown own heroic acts in the Vietnam War the most let's see another place, go to the History Channel. Greg, you and I could talk to a commercial for the History Channel. Look, look for the men who built America, the food who built that built America, the inventions that built America, the History Channel, I think I wrote them all down, I have them all in a spreadsheet. I think they've got like 70, something seven zero episodes of different things. So So who created who created the first grocery cart basket? Who created the first grocery store? Did you know that before this one gentleman created his or rearranged his store? Anytime someone went to the grocery store, they would tell the clerk I'd like a loaf of bread, I would like a pound of flour, I would like a dozen eggs, and then the clerk would go get it for them. So this guy chip what?
Transcribed by https://otter.ai