OKLAHOMA CITY — Dozens of Oklahoma students, including those from Canton Schools, won first, second or third place in the Oklahoma National History Day competition at the Oklahoma History Center (OHC). Students in sixth through eighth grades competed on May 3. Students in ninth through twelfth grades competed on May 4. Some of the winners move on to the national competition in June.
Winners from the junior division attend sixth and seventh Grade Academy at Ben Franklin, part of Muskogee Public Schools; All Saints Catholic School; Canton Elementary School; Centennial Middle School; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School; and Stillwater Junior High School.
Winners from the senior division attend Broken Bow Schools; Canton Public Schools; Stillwater Junior High School; and Summit Christian School.
Centennial Middle School and Canton Public Schools won the sweepstakes award in the junior and senior divisions, respectively.
Gina Golshani of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School won the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award for the junior division. Stephen Frazier of Dove Science Academy won the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year award for the senior division.
National History Day is a highly regarded academic program that is student-driven and fosters critical thinking. The cross-curricular program meets Oklahoma standards for social studies and other subjects. Each year thousands of Oklahoma students in grades 6-12 take part.
Students qualified for the state competition after winning at one of seven regional competitions across Oklahoma. The top two students in each category at the state competition will be named Oklahoma Historical Society scholars and receive a free membership. Winners at the state level move to the national competition, which occurs at the University of Maryland at College Park from June 11-15. More than 750,000 students across the country participate every year.
OkNHD is projectbased learning that focuses on historical topics related to a theme. Students conduct extensive primary and secondary research through libraries, archives, museums and historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting their sources, students draw conclusions about their topic’s significance in history before presenting their work in original papers, exhibits, performances, websites and documentaries. Student projects are entered into competitions in the spring at regional, state and national contests, where professional historians and educators evaluate them.
The Oklahoma History Center is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society and is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, National Archives and is an accredited member of the American Alliance of Museums. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.