National History Day (NHD) has an annual field trip to the Virginia State Capitol coming up on Feb. 10. This is the first year that National History Day has gone on this field trip, although Lylburn Downing Middle School has been going for years.
According to its website, NHD’s core program “is its competition in which students in grades 6–12 choose a topic and dive deeply into the past by conducting extensive research in libraries, archives, and museums. They then present their conclusions and evidence through papers, exhibits, performances, documentaries, or websites, moving through a series of contest levels where they are evaluated by professional historians and educators.”
The criteria you have to meet to go on the field trip is you have to qualify for Nationals the previous year. This year, three freshmen students have qualified to visit; Russel Bucy, Sarah Edgar, and Emil Hierman
The first thing students will do upon arrival from 8:00 to 8:30 is setting up their projects. After this they will attend orientation at 8:30. Following that the students will be introduced to some of Virginia’s legislators and have an informal meet and greet from 9:00 to 10:30. The meet and greet is the bulk of the event.
“The students share and present their projects and usually the elected officials ask them questions about their research projects. It is similar to a science fair, but with historical topics focused around a theme,” said Williamson.
This year, the theme is “rights and responsibilities.”
After presentations, they will have lunch on their own from 10:30 to 11:30. After this from 12:00 to 12:30 the students will visit the Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate. Then everyone will have a guided tour though the Virginia state capitol building. Finally from 1:30 to 2:00 the student will have a self guided tour of the Governor’s mansion.
If you are intrigued or interested by this and you would like to join National History Day then contact Ms Williamson on gmail at [email protected] or in room 123.
