Students Honored for National History Day at Governor’s Humanities Awards

 

Each year more than half a million students across the United States participate in National History Day, a yearlong program that encourages young people to explore history and teaches them to understand historical issues, ideas, people and events. Students choose a historical topic related to the annual theme and conduct research using primary and secondary sources, looking through libraries, archives and museums, conducting oral history interviews and visiting historic sites. Students present their work as a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary or a website.

National History Day StudentsThe 2010 theme was Innovation in History: Impact & Change and more than 2,500 students across Missouri participated. Of these students, 521 went on to the National History Day in Missouri competition held in Columbia, with 49 finalists advancing to the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest held at the University of Maryland, College Park in June. Two of the Missouri students named finalists at the national level were available for the 2010 Governor’s Humanities Awards on Oct. 13 and honored for their accomplishments.

Justin Shock, “Out of Darkness”
Justin Shock, currently a freshman at Gideon High School, was drawn to the National History Day competition because of his love of history and acting, both of which are evident through his research project and presentation.

“I find it interesting to learn about what made this world what it is today and the people responsible for molding it,” said Shock.

Shock’s research project, “Out of Darkness,” was a performance on the tale of Louis Braille and the hardships he faced as a child and adult in developing the system of Braille, an invention that has changed the lives of the blind and their families all over the world.

“I chose to do my script over this topic because I feel this invention changed the world as we knew it,” said Shock. “The blind are able to do many of the activities we do, such as going to work, crossing the street or playing instruments. Their families can rest at ease, knowing that they are able to care for themselves on a day-to-day basis.”

Shock received first place at his regional competition in Cape Girardeau, first place at the state competition in Columbia, and ranked ninth at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest.

“Justin did an outstanding job on his project,” said James Breece, Shock’s sponsoring teacher. “If you saw him perform you felt like you were in the room with Louis Braille. He literally spent hundreds of hours preparing his project. In the end his hard work paid off.”

Shock also competed in National History day in 2008 in the Junior Group Exhibit, “Drop It Like It’s Hot-Harry S. Truman and the Atomic Bomb,” and with an individual performance in 2009, “John Brown: Martyr or Mad Man?,” which earned him third place at the regional level.

“My favorite part of competing in National History Day would have to be meeting people,” said Shock. “I loved making new acquaintances and learning about other topics, as well as sharing mine. It is fun being around others who share the same passion as you!”

Shock is a member and huddle leader of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, his high school basketball team, Art Club, Pep Club, All-District Choir, and is freshman class vice president. He has also participated in the Modern Woodmen Oration Contest and placed second at districts in 2008, first at districts in 2009 and 2010 and third at the state level in 2010. Outside of school, Shock enjoys traveling to other countries, hanging out with his friends and texting, participating in church activities and spending time with his family.

P.J. Lawhon, “The Box That Made the World Smaller”
Pembroke Hill School junior, P.J. Lawhon, has been participating in National History Day since the sixth grade.

“My history teacher at the time told the class about National History Day and encouraged us to look into it. It seemed like everyone else in middle school was participating on a science or math team at the time. I thought it would be fun to do something different, so I decided to try it,” Lawhon said. “The first year I wrote a paper. However, at the first regional competition at the Truman Library I discovered there was a performance category, and I knew that was what I wanted to do in the future. “

For his 2010 project, “The Box That Made the World Smaller,” about the invention of the shipping container, Lawhon told the containerization story by portraying three people: Malcolm McLean, the father of containerization; Harry Bridges, the West Coast labor leader who fought to protect dockworkers jobs from the impact of automation; and a current business school professor, who describes containerization’s role in the development of low-cost manufacturing overseas, leading to the outsourcing of American manufacturing jobs, inexpensive consumer goods and global trade.

“I chose containerized shipping for my project because it was one of the most important but least appreciated innovations of the twentieth century,” said Lawhon. “I was intrigued that such a transformational innovation could remain relatively obscure despite its dramatic worldwide impact on people and economies.”

Lawhon received first place at his regional competition at the Truman Library, first place at the state competition and first place at the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest, competing against more than 2,500 students from across the nation.

For Lawhon, the best part of National History Day is getting to spend the entire year learning about one thing, event, or person in depth.

“Each year I pick a topic that interests me and then really dig into the topic,” said Lawhon. “I really enjoy interviewing people, so it was great to locate, contact and meet with many shipping, port, railroad, trucking company executives, economists, historians and labor leaders. It’s always surprising to me how helpful adults want to be when you ask – so many people go beyond what you would expect to make time for interviews and to provide information and documents.”

Lawhon’s first project, “The Seeds of Independence,” was about the Indian mutiny of 1857. In 2007, he placed first at regionals, second at state and received a special award for Best Entry from Missouri at the national level with “Last Days in Stalingrad,” about the siege at the battle of Stalingrad in World War II. In 2008, he placed first at the regional and state levels and was selected to perform for the public at the Smithsonian Institution at the national level with “The 1707 Act of Union: Bought and Sold for English Gold?” about the union of the parliaments of Scotland and England in 1707. In 2009, Lawhon won first at regionals and third at state with “Andrew Jackson Higgins: “The Man Who Won the War for Us” about the inventor and builder of the landing craft used at Normandy for the D-Day Invasion.

“For me the study of history isn’t about memorizing facts, names and dates,” Lawhon said. “It’s about looking at events and people from different points of view to reach my own understanding of what happened and how it affected the world then and now.”

Lawhon chose not to compete in National History Day this year and instead is helping younger students who are participating in the competition. He has been active in student government throughout high school as a class officer or representative and is a member of the Latin club. Lawhon is also a member of his high school thespian society, regularly appearing in the fall and spring school plays, along with a few plays in professional and community theaters around Kansas City.

Other Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest finalists from Missouri include Emily Duncan of Liberty Junior High School in Liberty and Matt Vallorani of Holy Infant School in Ballwin. Both Duncan and Vallorani were honored with a certificate, but were unable to attend the Governor’s Humanities Awards. Duncan received eighth place for her project, “The Discovery of Insulin: A Medical Marvel for the Sugar Sickness,” and Vallorani was awarded ninth place for his project “Steam Engine & Industrial Revolution.”

The Missouri Humanities Council supports National History Day in Missouri with grants for communication and outreach activities and through board member involvement in organizing regional events, coaching students and judging submissions.

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