iUniversity Prep seventh grader Cassidy McCarthy’s website project, “The West Virginia Mine Wars: Justice in the Coal Fields,” was selected to advance to the National History Day competition to be held in College Park, Maryland, June 8-12. This year’s theme for National History Day is “Rights and Responsibilities in History.”
McCarthy earned a berth to nationals after placing second at the Texas History Day state competition in April. At state, iUP sophomore Hayden Rockaway won third place for her paper "Ethical Responsibilities and Informed Consent in the Doctor’s Trial: The Nuremberg Code as the Basis for Protecting Medical Human Rights in the Modern World.” This is the second time, with the first in 2023, that Rockaway has received a medal at Texas History Day.
The THD contest is organized annually by the Texas State Historical Association. To qualify for state, students first advance through school and regional competitions with their entries in one of five categories: documentary, exhibit, performance, paper or website. Projects are evaluated according to historical quality and clarity of presentation. Projects that place first and second at state advance to nationals.
Since projects involve extensive primary and secondary research, the competition helps students discover history while also further developing their skills in critical thinking, project management, research and reading, and oral and written communication.
Learn more about THD by visiting their website at texashistoryday.com.