School Celebrates its 4th Annual National History Day

Freshman students share their presentation boards at the National History Day event in the gym on Thursday.

Paulino Mercenari, Managing Editor
April 18, 2022

On Thursday, Apr. 14, the school community celebrated its fourth annual National History Day. This event was an opportunity for freshman students to research a topic in history that they were passionate about and present it in the gym.

“We’ve been doing Gulliver History Day as a way to show students what long-term research is. It mimics the work that they’ll do in IB or if they move onto graduate school, and what in-depth research is like where you start with a topic, narrow it, and work with your research all the way through,.” explained history teacher Yuleisy Mena, one of the primary organizers of the event. “[The event] lets you play the role of a historian, allowing you to present your interpretation of the events based on evidence collected.

One group designed an in-depth poster board comparing Greek and Roman mythology. Students worked in groups and could research and present any topic of their choosing related to history. (Paulino Mercenari)

The event was an opportunity for students to work on their research skills, such as contextualizing and crafting arguments using historical evidence, in addition to interpreting and synthesizing historical research.

“History Day allows students to appreciate, research, evaluate and question all sources,” commented Mena. “It’s fun because many [students] can pick passion projects that are personal to them, and it’s a way to also show off their artistic talents for those who dabble in them.”

The presentational poster boards were reminiscent of other projects students may have completed. “Just like a science fair, it’s a way to expose historical thinking skills and the methodology behind the process while also having a visual of it,” said Mena.

Freshman Ana Garcia was able to take part in National History Day, displaying her project among many others.

“Our National History Day project is about the Lindbergh Baby case, a case that was over-publicized because of public devotion to the Lindberghs and the kidnapping of the child,” explained Garcia, standing next to her decorated poster board. “It influenced the cooperation between Congress and federal courts to reform the kidnapping law, which states that kidnappings will go straight to federal courts and be sentenced to life.”

Garcia’s board elaborated on the story, while also showcasing months worth of research.