Join the Manatee History Day Club!
Click here for a list of our 2020 Manatee History Day winners
Want to get a taste of the History Fair?
Join us for History Day Club!
History Day Club is for students to research an event or concept in history, depending on the year's theme, and present it creatively.
Middle School and High School students may participate as individuals or in groups of up to 5 students and might advance to State or National competitions if they choose to compete.
Meetings this year will be digital.
Sign Up - Sorry, sign-ups for 2020 have closed.
You MUST register by the end of the Monday before the meeting.
Zoom meetings are on the following Thursdays:
• August 27, 2020 (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
• September 10, 2020 (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
• October 15, 2020 (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
• November 5, 2020 (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
• December 10, 2020 (5:30pm - 6:30pm)
Email us at history.day@manateeclerk.com if you have any questions!
The first club meeting will be an introduction to the contest and this year’s theme. The remaining meetings will provide students with an opportunity to ask questions about their research or the contest rules.
Topics will include how to write a thesis statement, where to find reliable primary sources, tips for analyzing primary and secondary sources, how to create a strong annotated bibliography, and more!
*If a student is unable to attend a club meeting via Zoom link, please reach out to us by email at or phone (941) 749-7165.
We are happy to provide information and materials from the meeting.*
About Us
Please note: We've Changed Our Name! Manatee History Fair is now Manatee History Day!
The Manatee History Day Club is led by staff members of Manatee Village Historical Park.
Background Information:
Manatee History Day is the local affiliate of the National History Day (NHD) program. Every year National History Day frames students’ research within a historical theme. The theme is chosen for the broad application to world, national, or state history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past. The theme for 2021 is Communication in History: The Key to Understanding. The intentional selection of the theme for NHD is to provide an opportunity for students to push past the antiquated view of history as mere facts & dates and drill down into historical content to develop perspective and understanding.
The NHD theme provides a focused way to increase students’ historical understanding by developing a lens to read history, an organizational structure that helps students place information in the correct context and finally, the ability to see connections over time. Instead of reading a textbook, students are asked to do research for information during that time period. Students use sources such as newspapers, diaries, letters, photographs, government records, and oral history interviews to answer questions about the past. Students present their findings in a creative way by making their own exhibit boards, dramatic performances, documentaries, websites, or research papers.