Putting It All Together: The Final Product

Typically, students know the type of final product they will create early on in the History Fair process, although sometimes the nature of the sources may cause a student to turn to another medium (for example, if visual sources are not available or effective for a documentary or exhibit, a student may need decide to write a paper or create a performance instead). Students should view our History Fair project samples or samples from National History Day's Web site.

Once the research, analysis, and interpretation is completed students will then turn to producing a presentation of their work for the public. The guides, below, will support student efforts to communicate effectively and imaginatively. CMHEC highly recommends that students read the Rules and Guidelines thoroughly before diving into final production.

Exhibits: Become a Museum Curator and Exhibits Designer

"Exhibiting History" offers a classroom or individual learning tool
"Exhibiting History" is a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation produced by CMHEC which may be used in the classroom with an LCD projector or by individuals on computers. In the presentation we encourage students to think of their exhibit as a "mini-museum" where superior research and interpretation go hand-in-hand with effective and imaginative design. The presentation offers a "labels approach" to the exhibit text that is different than the older captions approach. It communicates the thesis and central points of the interpretation so that resembles a museum exhibit and presents a less disjointed narrative.

Exhibiting History Presentation

This presentation has simple production values – no video, animation, or narration. It is composed of text and pictures on a white background so that the file is small enough to download or use as a printed copy with students.

	Watch Exhibiting History on this page with Adobe Flash  (3 MB)
	Download Exhibiting History PowerPoint Presentation  (16 MB) (Right or Option-click and choose SAVE AS...)

If your browser does not support the viewing of the PowerPoint file (the file extension is .ppt), you can download and install Microsoft's PowerPoint Viewer 2003.

If you would prefer, you can purchase a copy of the Exhibiting History CD from CMHEC for $10 (includes shipping and handling). Make check payable to the Chicago Metro History Education Center.

History Fair Rules and Guidelines
http://www.chicagohistoryfair.org/1_exhibits.html

National History Day
NHD offers an excellent guide to creating exhibits. A few recommendations and rules are not applicable to History Fair, but there is plenty of helpful advice. See in particular: "Orientation/Segmentation/Explanation" and "Levels of Text."
http://www.nhd.org/Exhibit.htm

"HELP! For National History Day Exhibit Projects"
An exhibit designer's booklet for doing History Fair exhibits produced by the pro's at the Hoover Institution. Cultivate the inner artist or graphic designer! (After the research and interpretation is completed….)
http://hoover.archives.gov/education/nhd/index.html

Writing Effective Labels
"Exhibit Label Basics, Part 3: Content"
How to write strong labels that do the job for your exhibit. Written for beginners, Kenneth DeRoux, Curator of Museum Services, Alaska State Museum, condenses the best tips on writing exhibit labels into a readable two page document. Thought not all tips apply to History Fair, it is very worthwhile.
www.museums.state.ak.us/Bulletin/labels3.html

Use an Exhibit Storyboard to Plan Your Presentation

You’ve done the research, developed the thesis and argument, found your evidence now you are thinking about the exhibit!  If you haven’t viewed the “Exhibiting History” PowerPoint, take 15 minutes to do so, then use this storyboard to ensure you have the sources you need for each section of your exhibit.

Download the Exhibit Story Board worksheet

Performances Blend History and Entertainment

For students who enjoy performing in front of others and want to take what they've learned as historians and communicate it dramatically, then the Performance category might be the right choice.  Characterization, props, costumes, and script-writing take the place of caption and fomecore.  Performances provide a chance to make history "come alive."

The following guide to doing History Fair Performances was written by Christy Neider, a former History Day student and history teacher;  it was revised and expanded by Sherry Rollo, also a History Day student and now a practicing attorney.  CMHEC also contains a library of videotaped performances that may be viewed.

From Research to Script
Props and Costumes
Performing Your Script

Download the entire Performances Guide  (pdf format)

History Fair Rules and Guidelines
http://www.chicagohistoryfair.org/1_performances.html

More tips from National History Day
:http://www.nhd.org/Performance.htm

Documentaries

History Fair Rules and Guidelines
http://www.chicagohistoryfair.org/1_documentaries.html

More tips from National History Day
http://www.nhd.org/Documentary.htm

Research Papers

History Fair Rules and Guidelines
http://www.chicagohistoryfair.org/1_papers.html

More tips from National History Day
http://www.nhd.org/Paper.htm

Instructions: Click anywhere in the center of the slideshow featured below to advance to the next slide. To go back one slide, click anywhere in the area of the left side of the slideshow. The presentation is about 58 slides long. (Requires Adobe Flash Player)

Download Exhibiting History PowerPoint Presentation (16 MB)

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