'Judy Garland to Eleanor Roosevelt' History Day projects advance to state level
By Roz Weis
Nine St. Benedict middle school students are advancing from the regional history day contest to the State History Day in Des Moines Monday, May 4.
Allice Gullekson, Taylor Lane, Anna Madrigal and Sarah Tappe will perform a play they wrote titled "The Angel of the Warsaw Ghetto: The Actions and Legacies of Irena Sendler." Noah Klammer's individual Website entry "Ida B. Wells: The Legacy of Iola and the Actions of Ida" will also travel to the state event.
Hanna Reilly and Will Yahr are taking their individual exhibits. Hanna's entry is titled "Eleanor Roosevelt, Human Rights in the World" and Will's entry is "Walter E. Disney: Innovator of Animation."
Katie Ott will share her historical paper, "Margaret Sanger: Nazi and KKK Collaborator, White Supremacist, Murderess, Socialist and Founder of Planned Parenthood," and Aubrey Ellickson will show her individual documentary, "Judy Garldnd: A Musical Legacy Cut Short."
National History Day (NHD) is designed for elementary and secondary school students. Each year, more than half a million students, encouraged by their teachers, participate in NHD contests nationwide. Students select historical topics related to a theme and conduct primary an secondary research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and at historic sights.
After analyzing and interpreting their sources and drawing conclusions about their topics' significance in history, select students present their work in original papers, Web sites, exhibits, performances and through documentary presentations.
The program culminates at a national competition each June at the University of Maryland at College Park.
The social studies teacher working with the History Day project at St. Benedict's this year is Patty Lien.
