HISTORY DAY
January 26-27, 2023
Welcome to the History Day resource page! We're so excited you're participating in this year's event. This page provides information and assistance with every step of your project process. If you have any questions, the Maine East Library is here to help before, during, and after school every day.
Topic Selection
This year's national theme for History Day is "Frontiers in History: People, Places, Ideas". Need a starting point? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Who are the people at the "frontiers" of various eras of history? Were they pioneers? Cowboys? Inventors? Explorers? Creators?
- What places are tied to frontiers? Are these places local to us here in Illinois, national, or even global? What do they look like, and what major events have occurred in those places that make you think about frontiers?
- What does the word "frontier" mean, to you or in general?
Writing a Research Question
Once you have selected your topic, you'll write your research question. This will be the basis for your entire project, and can be broken down into three steps.
- Start with the main topic and focus of your paper. (i.e. Women's Suffrage)
- Ask a question about your topic in one sentence. (Example: Who fought for women's suffrage?)
- Revise this sentence by using specific terms. (Example: Who were the key government figures who helped pass women's suffrage into law?)
Conducting Research - Databases
The following database resources may be of help to you as you research:
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Offers a comprehensive, contextual, and media-rich overview of United States history, covers the most-studied events, decades, conflicts, wars, political and cultural movements, and people.
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Traces global history from ancient societies to modern conflicts. Includes primary sources, biographies, reference overviews, videos, and articles to chronicle the events, people, and topics central to the story of humankind.
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Collection of digitized primary and secondary sources covering global history from ancient times to the present day. Information presented skews towards a westernized/Euro-centric perspective.
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When using Maine East's databases, always remember to:
- Sign in using your school Google account! There's a button in the top right corner with the Google logo.
- Save all of your articles for later use! You can save them directly to your Google Drive in both Gale and ProQuest databases.
- Cite your sources! Both Gale and ProQuest will create your MLA or APA citation for you, and you can copy and paste it directly into a Google Doc for your annotated bibliography.
For additional web-based resources, please visit our History Databases web page.
Having trouble finding the right sources as you conduct inline research? Our Research page has helpful tips.
Having trouble finding the right sources as you conduct inline research? Our Research page has helpful tips.
Print Resources
The print nonfiction collection at Maine East is another great place to start with your research. Search our catalog below for keywords related to your research question. Need additional help finding print resources? Ms. Cochran and Ms. Goldstein are happy to help!
Public Library Resources
Looking for additional resources in print or online? Your local library has a huge collection of nonfiction, databases, and primary sources you can utilize.
Ms. Cochran and Ms. Goldstein can help you sign up for a library card if you don't already have one!
Ms. Cochran and Ms. Goldstein can help you sign up for a library card if you don't already have one!
Niles-Maine Public Library
6960 W Oakton St, Niles, IL 60714 (847) 663-1234 http://www.nileslibrary.org |
Park Ridge Public Library
20 S Prospect Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068 (847) 825-3123 www.parkridgelibrary.org |
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Annotated Bibliography
No matter what kind of project you choose to submit for History Day, you must include an annotated bibliography. In an annotated bibliography, each citation is followed by an annotation, which is a descriptive and evaluative paragraph that informs the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources cited. Your citations should be organized in alphabetical order by the first letter in the citation, and each should be followed by its connected annotation. Below is a sample citation that might be included in an annotated bibliography.
For instructions and helpful tips on writing an annotated bibliography, visit the Annotated Bibliography page of our Research Checklist.
