MS Student Advances to State in History Competition

Campbell Hall History teachers Alison Gavin and Ellen Pilon lead the middle school National History Day club whose motivated members dedicate themselves to individual or group, year-long research projects. Students select a particular topic of interest that centers on an historical theme provided by the nonprofit organization, National History Day (NHD), and at the end of the year, submit their final project to this nationwide competition. Their work is evaluated by professional historians and educators. Each year, more than half a million middle and high school students participate in this prestigious contest.

We are pleased to announce that Tony L. ‘25, whose documentary on how the electromagnetic telegraph broke barriers in history, made it to the state level! Congratulations Tony on this impressive accomplishment!

We asked Ms. Gavin to give us some insight into this unique club.

Q: How do you inspire students to participate in such a rigorous academic endeavor as an extracurricular activity?
Honestly, Campbell Hall middle schoolers are a wonderful, curious group of young people who naturally jump into exploring topics. I can’t tell you how many times a history student has bounded into the classroom ready to share a discovery, such as an interesting fact about a Supreme Court Justice (Justice Sotomayor loves salsa dancing!) or a family connection to an historical event. The National History Day competition feeds on students' natural curiosity because, although it has a theme (this year, “Breaking Barriers in History”), the theme is broad enough for students to explore a topic they are passionate about pursuing. For Tony L., it was the electromagnetic telegraph, which he initially researched for a history class project. For Ryder L. and Kjiel H., it was Superman and how the comic book character pioneered tolerance toward immigrants. For Sydney G. and Maggie L., it was delving into their Irish ancestors’ experience immigrating to America.

Q: What do you feel students gain from this experience?
The contest is well designed to encourage historical thinking in students. “Historical thinking” means students actually engage in the same activities a professional historian does - students look at primary and secondary sources on a topic and construct their own thesis about what happened. Students also have to think deeply about why an event happened (the historical context that led to the event), and why it matters (what impact the event had in the grand scheme of history). Oh, and last year, the county competition organizers gave students lunch from an In-N-Out food truck, so there’s that, too.

Q: Has your role as the club’s advisor impacted the ways in which you teach in the classroom?
You mean, am I scouting for NHD competitors from day one of school? Absolutely. Seriously, though, my experience with the contest does impact my teaching. Working with the NHD students is a constant reminder of how student choice and access to primary sources spark curiosity and learning.

Q: What are some of the most fun moments you’ve had as a club advisor?
We are a lunchtime club, so Ms. Pilon and I enjoy just chatting and munching with the students each week. Going to the Los Angeles County competition last year was a memorable and bonding experience for the team. There were so many students and schools represented and EVERYONE was there for the love of history. To see and hear students cheer with excitement at the awards ceremony as they would at a basketball game puts a smile on my face every time I think of it.