ATTENTION TEACHERS AND STUDENTS! It's time to start planning for the 2008-2009 National History Day contest.

During the 2008-2009 school year National History Day invites students
to research topics related to the theme The Individual in History:
Actions and Legacies. A combination of the right person at the right
time in history has powerful outcomes which can be both inspiring
and catastrophic. Please click here to view the National History Day website for materials related to this year's topic, or contact the Crile Archives Center for History Education - your source for  National History Day.

As is the case each year, the theme is broad enough to encourage investigation of topics ranging from local to world history, and from ancient times to the recent past. To understand the historical importance of their topics, students need to ask questions about time, place, and context; cause and effect; change over time; and impact and significance. They consider not only when and where events happen, but also why they occur, what factors contribut to their development, and what effects they have on broader history. In other words, NHD projects go beyond mere description to include analysis of information and conclusions about how the topic influenced and was influenced by other people, ideas, and events.

The Crile Archives and Center for History Education is developing this page to assist teachers with appropriate materials, and substantive teaching resources to assist area schools in design and development of award-wining projects. Click here for a list of sample topics from the National History Day organization.

If you are interested in assistance with your National History day project from the Crile Archives, please contact:

Dr. James Banks
Tel: 216-987-5594 or
E-mail: Dr. James Banks

Some of the primary documents and artifacts in the Crile Archive collection include:

• Diaries.

• Original World War II photos.

• Original government documents.

• Original copies of "Stars and Stripes" from 1918.

• Posters.

• The FBI file on the "Fire Bombing and Shooting at Kent State University'" 1986.

• Video documentary "Kent State: Reflections," (55 min.) previously seen on The History Channel.

• Student project interviews/discussion of Vietnam veterans and PTSD (unedited).

• Country Joe McDonald interview on music and anti-war feelings.