The homeschool history fair of the ozarks
The Homeschool History Fair of the Ozarks represents a collaborative effort among area homeschoolers, the Greene County Historical Society and the Missouri State University Religious Studies Club to provide children with a first-class opportunity to demonstrate some of the exciting discoveries they are making in the field of history. The fair aspires to help make the study of the past an enjoyable endeavor, while introducing key concepts necessary for historical research.
Modeled after the National History Day (NHD) competition, organizers envision the Homeschool History Fair of the Ozarks as a lower-stakes affair as they allow younger students to participate in the event. While encouraging rigorous scholarship from children eleven years of age and older in keeping with standards adopted from the NHD, the fair is particularly focused on deepening younger students’ understanding of the work done by historians. In preparation for more challenging research when they are older and more experienced, children in the lower age divisions are introduced to such important concepts as the value of critical scholarship, differentiating between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, learning the importance of citing those sources, and becoming familiar with the organization of annotated bibliographies. These outcomes are achieved through the completion of worksheets that entrants will submit along with their finished projects. Over the course of several years, it is hoped that students who graduate to the upper divisions will be amply rehearsed in producing quality research projects. It is hoped that the fair will not be a burden on homeschooling families and the time they have allotted for study. Parents and students are encouraged to try and meld the fair project into the history studies they have already planned for the year. While there are special topics that are eligible for recognition, there are no limitations on the kinds of topics that can be entered. Moreover, topics might work best if they are tailored to the special interests of the child. Be creative. Be productive. And have fun. |
The HHFO
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