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Illinois History Fair

The 25th Illinois History Expo will be held on May 3, 2012.

Here is a list of events for the day:

8:30 a.m.	Project setup begins at the Prairie Capital Convention Center
10:30 a.m.	Opening Ceremony, First Floor Auditorium, Prairie Capital Convention Center
1:30-2:30 p.m.	Public viewing of projects
2:00-2:45 p.m.	Budinger Room closed for ribbon and evaluation placement
2:45-3:45 p.m.	Awards Ceremony

Student Historian Program

The Illinois History Fair is an education program that offers students four different project categories to enter research projects on state and local history. There are numerous reasons why your students and school will benefit from researching and writing about Illinois' history. Getting started is easy. First locate your regional fair, date, and coordinator. The next step is to consider attending a teacher workshop. Special awards for students are presented at both the regional fairs and the Illinois History Expo. Students may also research history fair topics for National History Day in College Park, Maryland.

Quick Links:
Goals and Standards
Student Handbook (pdf)
Contest Rules (pdf)
A list of project title from the 2010 Illinois History Expo
Contact Project Coordinator (217/782-2981)
Researching Illinois topics for the Ernest Ott German History Award
Back to Student Historians Home
Building Great History Fair Websites with Prezi

The student handbook Your Guide to Becoming a History Detective is available for download (pdf) which covers everything you need to know about participating in the Illinois History Fair.
Table of Contents
Topic Selection
Choosing Your History Expo Topic	page 3
Focusing and Defining Your Topic	page 3
Thesis Statement	page 4

Researching Your Topic: Finding and Organizing Information
Finding Sources	page 4
Research Sources: Primary and Secondary	page 4
Organizing Your New Information	page 4
Sample Note Card	page 5
Research Sources	page 6
Primary and Secondary	page 6
Locating Sources	page 7
Sources	page 8

Summary Statement & Bibliography
Title Page	page 9
Summary Statement Questions	page 10
Bibliography	page 10

Now that you have found sources and compiled the relevant information to tell the history as well as to support your thesis statement, you must now make a presentation or write a paper. Some topics are more suited for certain presentations. For example, documentaries and exhibits rely on images to help tell the story. If your topic has few available images, you may decide to compose a research paper. Each Illinois History Expo category has recommended ways to present information. However, it is YOUR project, so let the creative juices flow, work hard, and you will proud of your effort!

Presentation Categories:
Research Paper	page 13
Exhibits	page 14
Media Documentary	page 16
Performances	page 18
How Illinois History Expo Projects are Evaluated	page 19

View the Goals and Standards (pdf) of the Illinois Learning Standards that are addressed by participation in the history fairs and Statewide Expo.

Images taken from past fairs. Find out how
your school can email to get involved, or call Pete
Harbison at (217) 782-2981.

STUDENT HISTORIANS

We are continuously seeking individuals that are interested in assisting with our history fair. One way you can help is by paricipating as a category judge. Your interest is the only experience necessary. Typically the state history fair needs approximately 125 judges for a successfu event. If you or any of your colleagues are interested in being a Judge for the History Fair please contact Pete Harbison at (217) 782-2981 or Email Project Coordinator .