December 1, 2020
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Mrs. Laura Daniel, a teacher at Dekalb Middle School in Smithville, Tennessee, is one of only 58 teachers selected for a National History Day® (NHD) fall professional development program. This new course focuses on using online Library of Congress primary and secondary sources to develop and support student research skills and is a feature of NHD’s membership in the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) Consortium.
The 58 teachers selected represent 40 of National History Day’s affiliates across the country and around the world. The NHD network of 58 affiliates includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and international school programs in China, South Asia, and South Korea.
“This course has particular value now as teachers and students continue to address challenges of non-traditional learning settings required by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said National History Day Executive Director Dr. Cathy Gorn. “The crucial skills Mrs. Daniel is learning and honing over the course of this series will benefit her students for many years to come. As a Library of Congress TPS Consortium member, we are incredibly fortunate to be able to offer this opportunity for teachers.”
For several months, Mrs. Daniel works with her peers around the country and National History Day staff to build knowledge for teaching with primary sources. Upon completing the series, she will have demonstrated the ability to pair Library of Congress resources with active learning strategies to inspire, engage, and support her students.
About National History Day® (NHD)
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, which seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. The National History Day Contest was established in 1974 and currently engages more than half a million students every year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by HISTORY®, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Park Service, Southwest Airlines, The Better Angels Society, Jacqueline B. Mars, and BBVA. For more information, visit nhd.org.
About National History Day in Tennessee
National History Day is a year-long education program for students in grades 6-12 that engages both educators and students to improve the teaching and learning of history in public, private, and home schools. Students who participate have shown dramatic improvements in research techniques, writing skills, historical