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+4th and 5th Grade Poster Contest

ASocialStudiesandLiteracyProgram

JUNIOR

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ThePosterContestAnIntroductiontoNationalHistoryDayThePosterContestisascaled-downversionoftheHistoryDayexhibitcategory,andisspecificallydesignedtopreparestudentsintheuppergradesofelementaryschooltocompleteHistoryDayprojectsinmiddleandhighschool.Thecontestisopento4thand5thgraders,andmustbedoneonaColoradoHistorytopicthatrelatestothefollowingyear’stheme.Completingaposterallowsstudentstopursuetopicsthatinterestthem,learnhowtowritethesisstatementsregardingthosetopics,andthendemonstratethesignificanceoftheirtopicinhistoryanditsrelationtothethemethroughevidence.Studentsaccomplishthisbyinvestigatingprimarysourcesofvariousformats(e.g.photos,interviews,newspaperarticles,maps,quotations,etc.),aswellassecondarysources.Ultimately,whenstudentsconstructtheirfinalposters,theyshouldincorporatetheirevidenceintotheirownwords,whileusing

meaningfulquotationsandotherprimarysourcetextinordertosupporttheirthesisstatement.ItshouldbenotedthattheposterisnotincludedinanyofthemiddleandhighschoolCUDenverNationalHistoryDayinColoradoContests.

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HowItWorks+

Studentswillbeginworkingontheirprojectsattheteacher’sdiscretion,butnolaterthanMarchorApril.TheywillhavetheirprojectscompletedbyMay.

Anin-schoolcontestwillthenbeheldtoselectthemostconciseandwell-roundedposters.

Thewinnersfromeachclassroom(top3)willhavetheirpostersdisplayedatamuseumoruniversityintheirvicinityonColoradoDay,August1st.

ThoseposterswillalsobedisplayedattheannualLuncheonalongsidemiddleandhighschoolHistoryDayprojects.Luncheonattendeeswillchooseagrandprizewinningpostertobepresentedattheluncheon.

PosterDesignParameters

Studentswillcreatetheirposteronastandard30”x40”posterboard,ineitherportraitorlandscapeorientation.ThepostermustbeaColoradotopicthatrelatestothethemefortheupcomingyear.Thefrontofthepostershouldbecreative,colorful,andfact-filled.Thebackshouldbeaprocesspaperthatdetailshowthestudentschosetheirtopic,conductedresearch,andconstructedtheirproject.Theprojectmustutilizeandanalyzeatleast3primarysourcesand5sourcestotal.Therearenolimitstowhatcangoontheposter,butthecomponentsmusthangandstayontheposter.

Postersshould…

• Haveathesisstatementandevidencetosupportit.

• Demonstrateanunderstandingofthetopicandtheme.

• Explainwhyitmattersinthecontextofhistory.

• Useavarietyofsourceformatsincluding:quotes,photos,maps,interviews,newspaperarticles,videos,etc.

• Havealistofsourcesused,organizedinasimple,MLA-typeformat.

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THE BASICS: A BREAKDOWN

SizeRequirements • Standardsize30”x40”posterboard.• Eitherportraitorlandscapeorientation.

Construction&Design • Therearenolimitstothecomponentsthatmaybeaddedtotheposter,buttheymusthangandstayontheposter.

• Frontside:Creative,colorful,fact-filledcomponentsthatrelatetoaColoradotopic.

• Backside:Processpaper.

RequiredComponents(Front)

• Athesisstatement.• AColoradoHistorytopic• Relationtothetheme.• Atleast2primarysources.• Atleast5totalsources.• Analysis/interpretationofsourcesdemonstratesthe

significanceofthetopicinhistory.

ProcessPaper(Back)

• Includesastudentnarrativethataddressesthefollowing:topicchoice,researchmethods,projectcreation,howthetopicconnectstothetheme,andthetopic’shistoricalimportanceinhistory.

• Writtenincompleteparagraphsusing“I”statements.• Nolongerthan500words.

CreditingSources • SourceslistedinasimpleMLA-typeformat.

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Primaryvs.SecondarySourcesPrimarySources:Fromthetimeperiodbeingstudied.Aprimarysourceisadocumentorphysicalobject,whichwaswrittenorcreatedduringthetimethataneventtookplace,apersonlived,and/oranideawasspread.Aprimarysourcecouldalsobeasourceproducedbysomeonewholivedduringthetimeperiodbeingresearched.Primarysourcesareasclosetotheactualhistoricaleventorpersonthatyoucanget.

Examples:

• Diariesorjournals• Newspapers• Speeches • Letters• Newsfootage,films,

cartoons,etc.• Interviews• Poems• Booksorarticles• Autobiographies• Plays,music,orart•

SecondarySources:Writtenseveralyearsafterthetimeperiodbeingstudied.Asecondarysourceinterpretsandanalyzestheevent,person,and/orideabeingstudied,aswellastheprimarysources.

Examples:

• Atextbook• Abookorarticleabouttheeffectsofanevent,forexampleWWI• Abookorarticlethatinterpretspreviousfindings• Encyclopedias

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AGuidetoProcessPapersOneofthelastitemsyouwillcompleteonyourposteristheProcessPaper.JudgesreadtheProcessPapertolearnhowyouchoseyourtopic,howyouconductedyourresearch,howyoucreatedyourproject,andhowyourtopicconnectstothetheme.Yourpapershouldbewritteninfullparagraphs,youshouldprovidedetailsofyourwork,anduse“I”statements.ThechartbelowismeanttohelpyoucomposeyoursentencesandputtogetheryourProcessPaper.Rememberthatyourprocesspapercannotbelongerthan500words.

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RequiredResponses IdeastoConsider&DetailstoInclude

SampleSentenceFrames

Howdidyouchooseyourtopic?

• Stateyourtopic.• Describehowyouchosethat

topic.• Stateanyothertopicsyoumay

haveconsidered.

I’vealwaysbeeninterestedin…WhenIheardthethemethisyear,Ithoughtabout…IbrainstormedpossibletopicsandtheoneIlikedthebestwas…because…Idecidedtoresearch…tolearnmoreabout…Istartedresearching…andthenIdiscovered…

Howdidyouresearchyourtopic?

• Wheredidyoudoyourresearch?Online?Inalibrary?Inanarchive?Didyouuse/conductinterviews?

• Wereyoulookingforanythingspecific?Didyoufindanythingunexpected?

• Whatwasyourbestsource(s)?

Ibeganmyresearchby…Iused…todomyresearch…ThenI…Myprimarysourcesincluded…Mybestprimarysourcewas…Mybestsecondarysourcewas…

Howdidyoucreateyourproject?

• Whydidyoudecideonthedesign,layout,colors,pictures,etc.?

• Howdidyouincorporateyourprimarysources?

Idecidedtodesignmyposterlike…because…Thecolorssymbolize…Thelayoutofmyinformationshows…Thecontentsofmyboardareapplytothetheme…Iincorporatedmyprimarysourcesby…

Howdoesyourtopicconnecttothetheme?

• Usethethemewordstorelatethethemetoyourthesis.

• Howisyourtopicinrelationtothethemehistoricallysignificant?

(Inserttopic)fitsthisyear’sthemebecause…Myresearchandprimarysourcesprovideevidencethat(topic)wassignificantinhistorybecause…Thiswassignificantbecause…

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FOR MORE INFO NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IN COLORADO

University of Colorado Denver

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Department of History

Campus Box 182, PO Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217

nationalhistorydayincolorado.org