The Region 6 Contest will be held in person at the Ohio Statehouse on March 9, 2024. Have questions about History Day? See the links below for a comprehensive rule book and for the sheets that judges use to evaluate students' work. If you have any other specific questions, don't hesitate to send an email to evolkmann@ohiostatehouse.org. 

Be sure to review the new Rule Book 2021.pdf as there are significant rule changes, additions and clarifications. A video playlist of category rules can be found here. A wealth of information, including catetgory checklists and past project examples, can be found on National History Day's website: https://www.nhd.org/.  

Rule Book (contains category rules): Rule Book 2021.pdf 

Eval Sheets for All Categories: 2022NHDEvaluationFormsRound1AllinOne.pdf 

Each year more than half a million students participate in the National History Day Contest. Students choose a historical topic related to the annual theme, and then conduct primary and secondary research. You will look through libraries, archives and museums, conduct oral history interviews, and visit historic sites. After you have analyzed and interpreted your sources, and have drawn a conclusion about the significance of your topic, you will then be able to present your work in one of five ways: as a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a website.

The Region 6 Contest will be held in person at the Ohio Statehouse on March 9, 2024. Have questions about History Day? See the links below for a comprehensive rule book and for the sheets that judges use to evaluate students' work. If you have any other specific questions, don't hesitate to send an email to evolkmann@ohiostatehouse.org.

A wealth of information, including catetgory checklists and past project examples, can be found on National History Day's website: https://www.nhd.org/. 

Rule Book (contains category rules): Rule Book 2021.pdf

Eval Sheets for All Categories: 2022NHDEvaluationFormsRound1AllinOne.pdf

What to Expect During the contest

The 2024 Region 6 Contest will be held in person at the Ohio Statehouse (1 Capitol Square, Columbus, OH 43221)

SCHEDULE

• 8-9am: Exhibits register in the Atrium of the Ohio Statehouse
• 8-10:30am: All other categories register in the Museum Gallery of the Ohio Statehouse (Arrive at least one hour before your judging time)
• 9am-Noon: Judging of all entries 
• Noon-1pm: Exhibits open to public
• 1-2pm: Second round judging (Junior Group Exhibits, Junior Individual Exhibits, Junior Individual Documentaries, and Senior Individual Exhibits will have a second round)
• 3-4pm: Awards Ceremony in the Statehouse Rotunda

JUDGING TIMES AND LOCATIONS

2024 Junior Division Schedule: Junior Schedule Combined.pdf

2024 Senior Division Schedule: Senior Schedule Combined.pdf

GENERAL INFORMATION

Ohio History Day Region 6 Contest is on March 9, 2024 at the Ohio Statehouse.

The Ohio Statehouse Address:

1 Capitol Square

Columbus, OH 43215

Parking can be found at our underground parking garage (rates can be found here: http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/about/general-information/parking/rates). There are also other lots and garages nearby.

Security:

Visitors may enter the building either through the underground parking garage or through the Third Street entrance. Please allow plenty of time to go through security. Everyone will need to walk through metal detectors and have their belongings go through a magnetometer. Note that each time you re-enter the Ohio Statehouse, you will have to go through security.

Here is some information to help you prepare:

Checking In

•Exhibits: You must sign in and set up your exhibit between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. All exhibits will sign in at the Atrium

•All other categories: Register in the Museum Gallery, on the ground floor of the Ohio Statehouse between 8:00am and 10:30am.

•The Capitol Square Complex is comprised of three connected buildings: The Statehouse, the Senate Building, and the Atrium. Please follow maps and directional signage to your judging rooms. Lost? Find a History Day staff member who can help direct you!

•Judging Schedule Times listed are final.

Map Final.pdf

JUDGING

Evaluating history is a subjective process, but criteria and methods have been established to achieve fair decisions. Here is a description of how the judging process will work at the State History Day:

Use of Evaluation Forms: Each judge will have an evaluation form for the entries they are judging. They are instructed to use these sheets to write positive, critical evaluations of each entry. Written comments are stressed in judging orientation because this is the principal feedback students receive from the event.

Oral interaction: Each judge, at their discretion, has the opportunity to question students about any aspect of their entry. This is most often a way to find out about the processes the entry went through to reach its current state, or to offer the student an opportunity to explain issues of their interpretation. The interview portion of judging does not weigh in final decision making. All History Day entries are expected to stand on their own and be understood without the need for a student to explain or clarify their issues. During final judging, there will be no question-and-answer session.

Ratings: All History Day judging decisions are made by the consensus of the judging teams. Judges are asked to place students in the following scale: Exemplary - Proficient – Developing - Novice. In effect, History Day judging is a jury process where the judges have to reach a shared conclusion, rather than an arbitrary point system.

Please Note: Ratings vary from one judging group to another. Each set of judges establishes their own standards for ratings. Ratings cannot be compared across different judging teams.

Final Judging: Categories with a single team of judges will have award decisions made by those teams. Categories with multiple teams of judges will have run-offs that will consider the top few entries from the initial judging groups. A new set of judges, or combination from the original teams, will evaluate the final entries and determine state award winners.

Run-Offs: Be advised that there will be judging run-offs in Junior Exhibit (group & individual), Senior Individual Exhibit, and Junior Individual Documentary categories. We hold run-offs, or a second round of judging, for any category that has enough entries to warrant two judge teams. The top picks from each judge team will then advance to a second round and compete against each other through a live showing or performance in the case of documentaries and performances (students in these categories must be present), or through a second review by judges during which students are not present in the case of websites, papers, and exhibits. Run-off judging times will be posted by 12:30 in the Museum Gallery. Please be prepared to be available for judging in the final round beginning at 1:00. Information about the second round judging for Exhibits, Websites, and Papers will not be available before the awards ceremony at 4:00 PM.

Final Exhibit Judging: Only judges and program officials will be allowed into the exhibit areas during final exhibit judging. Teams of final judges will evaluate the exhibits selected as finalists by the first round judging teams. The exhibit room will open to the public at approximately 1:30. Student presence is not admitted for final exhibit judging. They should be sure that 2 copies of their research description and bibliography are left with the exhibit after the completion of the first round of judging.

Taking Down Exhibits: Around 2:00 or a bit later, students can take their exhibits down once the judging is done. The alternative is to take them down following the awards ceremony. All exhibits must be taken down by the end of the day, or they will be thrown away.

Award Ceremony: This will take place in the Rotunda at 3:00. Please make your way there by this time.

REMINDERS

• On the day of the contest, be sure to check the schedule available at the check-in table for any changes.
• Remember to bring three copies of your written packet that includes title page, process paper, and annotated bibliography.
• Students who made documentaries should bring a backup copy on a flash drive.
• Be at the door of your judging location no later than 15 minutes before your judging time.
• You are welcome to leave after your judging to grab lunch or walk around downtown.
• Documentaries and performances are open to the public. The exhibit hall in the Atrium will be open to the public from 12:00-1:00.
• Documentaries and performances who move onto the second round still need to be available, however.
• There will be no public WiFi during this event, so please bring activities.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the Statehouse on March 9, 2024!

The Rule Book and Judging Criteria have changed! Please view the new Rule Book here: Rule Book 2021.pdf

How Does Judging Work?

Evaluating history is a subjective process, but criteria and methods have been established to achieve fair decisions. Here is a description of how the judging process will work at the State History Day:

Use of Evaluation Forms: Each judge will have an evaluation form for the entries they are judging. They are instructed to use these sheets to write positive, critical evaluations of each entry. Written comments are stressed in judging orientation because this is the principal feedback students receive from the event.

Oral interaction: Each judge, at their discretion, has the opportunity to question students about any aspect of their entry. This is most often a way to find out about the processes the entry went through to reach its current state, or to offer the student an opportunity to explain issues of their interpretation. The interview portion of judging does not weigh heavily in final decision making. All History Day entries are expected to stand on their own and be understood without the need for a student to explain or clarify their issues. During final judging, there will be no question-and-answer session.

Ratings: All History Day judging decisions are made by the consensus of the judging teams. Judges are asked to place students in the following scale: Superior - Excellent - Good. In effect, History Day judging is a jury process where the judges have to reach a shared conclusion, rather than an arbitrary point system.

Please Note: Ratings vary from one judging group to another. Each set of judges establishes their own standards for ratings. Ratings cannot be compared across different judging teams.

Below are the UPDATED evaluation sheets for History Day projects. Please make sure to review them, as they have changed.

2022NHDEvaluationFormsRound1AllinOne.pdf