Students Dive Into History Day Topics

Updated March 31, 2022
January 31, 2022

Every year, Raiders participate in History Day, a nationwide contest where students are challenged to dive deep on one topic in history. Students have a chance to develop their expertise and then present what they've learned through an exhibit, paper, performance, documentary, or website. 

This year's theme is Debate & Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.

For many students, History Day is their first major research project. They are required to seek out quality sources, and synthesize the information into a clear final product. It can give students a chance to learn about something new, or become experts on something they were always interested in. 

"Doing this project when I was in high school is what made me realize I loved historical research and is what convinced me to major in history in college," said Social Studies teacher Morgan Lieske. "I  like to see students get invested in a topic that they are interested in, leading to them asking fun questions, find unique sources, and inevitably teaching me more about history. Although it is a long and difficult project, seeing their pride on the due date makes it all worth it!"

Through working on their History Day project, students develop skills that will serve them well in their other classes here at CDH as well as after high school. 

"I have gained confidence in citing resources, finding and gathering accurate and relevant sources, and improving my writing," said Siobhan Wheaton '24. "I chose my topic (Brown v. Board of Education), because I am an avid learner of Black history and civil rights, and participate in social justice. This project will take my writing to the next level in my honors English class, helped me better understand graphs in classes like math and science, and gave me a deeper understanding of Sociology and Psychology that will be useful in Religion classes."