About 700 middle and high school students from throughout the state will gather at the University of Colorado at Boulder on Saturday, April 29, to compete in the 19th annual Colorado History Day.
Among the dignitaries presenting awards to the students for their winning dramatic performances, video documentaries, exhibits and other entries will be U.S. Representatives Tom Tancredo and Mark Udall.
Colorado History Day will run from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. in several campus locations, primarily in the University Memorial Center and the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building.
The theme for this year's competition is "Turning Points," in which students in sixth through 12th grade explain how a particular person or event changed the course of history.
Titles of some of this year's entries include "The Great Monkey Trial: Turning Point Between Science and Religion," "The Declaration of Independence," "The Defeat of the Spanish Armada" "The 10th Mountain Division" and "The First National Park."
Several entries are devoted to the historic significance of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson and the Civil War, said Colorado History Day coordinator John Enyeart, a CU-Boulder doctoral student who is organizing the event along with doctoral student Nancy Brown.
Entries may be made in one of four categories: dramatic performances, exhibits, research papers and media, which usually are video documentaries, Enyeart said. The public is welcome to view the exhibits in the UMC Glenn Miller Ballroom and the dramatic performances in the UMC Forum Room.
Â鶹ÒùÔº compete in two divisions, one for students in grades 6-8 and another for grades 9-12. All categories except for research papers may be entered by individuals or by teams of two to five students. All research papers are done by individuals.
Colorado History Day will begin at 8 a.m. with an address by CU-Boulder history Professor Fred Anderson on "Turning Points" in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre. In case of inclement weather, the students will meet in the Humanities Building, room IB50.
Judging will begin at 9 a.m. in the UMC and the Hellems Arts and Sciences Building. The more than 120 judges will include CU-Boulder faculty members and graduate students, Colorado Historical Society and Boulder Historical Society members and retired schoolteachers.
Â鶹ÒùÔº will break for lunch between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. and the awards ceremony will commence at about 3 p.m. in the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre or in the alternate location in case of bad weather.
The top two winners in each of the 14 categories will be eligible to proceed to the national competition June 11-15 at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Colorado History Day is the culmination of the efforts of teachers and students, which in some cases may have lasted all year, Enyeart said.
"I almost wish my job was just doing History Day -- it teaches kids to read, to write, to interview as well as computer skills -- it helps students in so many ways," said teacher Barbara Allen of Baker Middle School in Denver, whose students are competing in the voluntary program for their 11th year.
Â鶹ÒùÔº qualify to attend Colorado History Day by being one of the top three finishers in their category in nine regional competitions. Regional competitions were held in Durango, Vail, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Alamosa, Greeley, Boulder and the Denver area.
Colorado History Day is sponsored by the CU-Boulder history department and has been held on campus for 19 years.
For more information call (303) 492-2919.