Judging Criteria
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Historic QualityThe most important aspect of an entry is its historical quality, which determines 60% of the total evaluation. The judges' evaluation will rest on the students' success at conducting historical research, interpreting their research and drawing conclusions. A superior rating generally reflects positive responses to the following questions:
Adherence to the ThemeThe entry must clearly explain the relation of the topic to the annual National History Day theme. This section is worth 20% of the total evaluation. The topic should be placed in historical context, and the entry must demonstrate the student's understanding of the significance of the topic in history. The entry should not confuse fame with significance. In other words, the entry should answer the questions, "So what? Why was this important?" It should not be just descriptive. The relationship of the entry's topic to the yearly theme should be explicit and should be integrated into the entry itself.
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Clarity of InformationAlthough historical quality is most important, entries must be presented in an effective manner. This section is worth 20% of the total evaluation. Do not be carried away by glitz; simpler is often--but not always--better. The following questions will be considered by judges when looking at clarity of presentation:
Evaluation FormsCopies of all of the judging forms used in the Guam History Day and the National History Day. competition are available for downloading here. These forms are also used by many teachers as rubrics for evaluating student projects.
Sample Evaluation Forms Evaluation Forms 1st Round
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