Our son, Kyle, an 11th-grade AP history student at Bohemia Manor High School in Chesapeake City, is working on his 2008 National History Day project. This year’s theme is conflict and compromise in history. For the juried project, students are required to do original research, place the topic in a historical perspective, and interpret their findings.
For his assignment, he compares how three counties on Maryland’s upper Eastern Shore (Cecil, Kent & Queen Anne’s) handled conflicts and compromises related to school integration.
Over the Christmas holiday, Kyle started his documentary research, collecting primary materials such as newspaper accounts, school board minutes, and so. Right now, he’s focused on interviewing individuals with first-hand knowledge of that time, and he did his first interview with a lady from Kent County this evening. It was fascinating to hear the digital recording of that interview as he successfully applied new research skills to acquiring data and got information that provided deeper insights and understanding.
His plans are to become a high school history teacher, and it’s great to see him developing the skills of the profession with this learning opportunity. It provides valuable first-hand experience in working with primary sources and interpreting bodies of data. I’ll enjoy watching his effort unfold over the next month or so, hearing about his work, and seeing the final results.