Question

News: Education

In 2025, four middle school students from Iowa stepped onto a stage before a panel of judges. They began to sing. The students were performing a song called "Old Enough to Vote." It was one they had written about the 26th Amendment. This change to the Constitution lowered the voting age in the United States from 21 to 18.

The students' performance was part of the National History Day® (NHD) competition. And it earned the group a gold medal in the contest.

A Bit of History

The NHD history contest is held each year. More than half a million middle and high school students take part. The contest is modeled after science fairs. Students research important events in history. Then they bring the topics to life. Some students write papers or create exhibits. Other students make films or build websites. Still other students put on live performances. Judges determine which projects receive awards. However, NHD is about more than winning a prize.

Kelly Figueroa is a social studies teacher in Illinois. She has coached students through many years of NHD contests. Her students have created projects on a variety of historic events. These have ranged from an important court case from the 1850s to the 1960 U-2 spy plane incident. She told Achieve3000 Literacy that when students explore a topic they are genuinely interested in, they "develop critical thinking, research, and public speaking skills."

Tough Lessons

Leia Moore, 14, has participated in NHD twice. Her first project told the story of a group of young women known as the "Radium Girls." In the early 1900s, they worked with a dangerous substance called radium. It made them very sick. So, the women spoke out about what had happened to them. They fought for worker safety.

NHD leader Cathy Gorn knows that there are hard truths in history. Yet she doesn't think this hurts students. In an interview with The New York Times, she argued that examining the tough stuff likely makes students feel more patriotic. "It makes them understand that people can work hard, and work together, to change things for the better."

Moore was inspired by the courage of the "Radium Girls." Their health was worsening. Yet they stood up to government leaders and factory owners to help others. Moore noted that there are still places where people labor in dangerous conditions. But she hopes projects like hers will help change that.

The Future Is Not Yet Written

One of the main principles of NHD is that history is not about the past. Instead, it informs the present and shapes the future. For example, one recent NHD participant did a project on an influential environmental book from the 1960s. She used its ideas to think about the future of her family's farm.

Many students credit NHD with helping prepare them for their future. NHD teaches students to think and reason. It also teaches teamwork and leadership. But Figueroa suggested that NHD equips students for the future in another way, too. It helps them become good citizens. This, she said, "is vital for a healthy democracy."

Think about and discuss these questions:
Based on what you read, what are some reasons students might want to take part in this competition?
What event or topic from history would you want to learn more about, and why?
Question 3


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Think about the article. How are Kelly Figueroa and Cathy Gorn different?

Figueroa is a student from Iowa, but Gorn is a coach in the NHD competition.
Figueroa is a teacher in Illinois, but Gorn is the leader of the NHD competition.
Figueroa is a coach in the NHD competition, but Gorn is a student from Iowa.
Figueroa is the leader of the NHD competition, but Gorn is a teacher in Illinois.

Answer 1

Figueroa is a teacher in Illinois, but Gorn is the leader of the NHD competition.