Maine National History Day (NHD), sponsored by the University of Maine Humanities Center and the Margaret Chase Smith Library, is an annual event for teachers and students in grades 6-12 that promotes critical thinking skills through project-based learning. Students choose a category–website, paper, exhibit, documentary film, or performance–and compete in a statewide event held at the University of Maine each spring. The top finishers in each category travel to Baltimore, MD for the national-level competition in the early summer.

Why do History Day with your students? Because it adheres to a variety of academic standards, instructors can use History Day techniques in their classrooms to foster presentation and critical thinking skills.  This project-based learning experience allows students to choose their own topic (and become experts on that topic), develop research skills, and gain confidence and new skills.

For questions about judging, contact: John Taylor, Maine NHD Coordinator, 207-474-7133.