Oregon History Day

Oregon History Day, part of National History Day®, is a renowned, evidence-based middle and high school program in which students across the state develop historical research projects on a topic of their choosing based on an annual theme.

Over half a million students from every state in the nation participate. Most students participate in the classroom only, but they may also participate in the state and national contests, where judges evaluate their projects and provide feedback. Creating an Oregon History Day project is immensely rewarding for students, many of whom participate over consecutive years. Oregon History Day meets the state standards in multiple subjects and can support the teaching of standards related to Ethnic Studies, Tribal History / Shared History, and Holocaust and Genocide education.

2021 Oregon History Day Results

Congratulations, 2021 Oregon History Day and National History Day® Participants!

Thank you to the 125 students who participated in this year’s virtual Oregon History Day state contest, and congratulations to the 50 students who advanced to the virtual National History Day® contest. Your dedication to this program, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is inspiring to all. We hope to offer in person state and national contests in 2022.

We are proud of the work each participating student presented, with special congratulations to those who made it to the Finals Round of the national contest:

About Oregon History Day

Oregon History Day — facilitated by the Oregon Historical Society — is a student-directed, project-based, interdisciplinary learning program. Open to all middle and high school students, this culturally responsive program invites students to interpret a historical event that connects to the annual theme by creating a website, paper, performance, exhibit, or documentary.

Oregon History Day is a highly adaptable program. Students can select their own topic to research, or teachers can choose a broad category to guide their students’ projects. With the assistance of educators, librarians, and online resources, students analyze primary and secondary sources to develop and support their thesis. Oregon History Day also provides a standardized evaluation with integrated rubrics. The annual theme for 2022 is Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.

Please contact Kristen Pilgrim at kristen.pilgrim@ohs.org if you would like to participate in Oregon History Day in 2022. For more information on National History Day®, visit www.nhd.org.

History Day Participants

For Teachers

Oregon History Day, an affiliate of the National History Day® program, is a transformative and inspirational program for students and teachers....

Learn More

For Students

Learn all of the ins and outs for participating in History Day. Resources include downloadable documents and website links that will help you...

Learn More

For Judges

The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is looking for historians, educators, and other volunteers to judge student projects at our upcoming Oregon...

Learn More

Oregon History Day Registration, Due Dates, Fees, and Important Info

Learn about important deadlines and updates for the upcoming Oregon History Day and National History Day contests.

Learn More

National History Day® Social Media

  


2021 Oregon History Day Results

Entries in bold were invited to advance to the National History Day® contest, which will took place June 13–19, 2021. The National History Day® contest for 2022 will be in mid-June.

Junior Level (Grades 6 – 8)

 
Category
  
Rank
  
Title
  
Students
  
Schools
  
Teachers
 

Paper

  

1

  

WW2 Propaganda American Propaganda and Its Effects

  

Eisuke Hirota

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

  

2

  

Communicating Through Diplomacy: The Failed Zimmermann Telegram

  

Aryan Agarwal

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

  

3

  

Spinning a Story: How the Founding Fathers Built America

  

Kapil Kakodkar

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

      

The Navajo Code Talker

  

Clayton Powell

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Paper

      

The Cuban Missile Crisis: Inside the Miscommunication that Nearly Shattered the Diplomacy of the World and Restarted Humanity

  

Akash Pai

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

      

The Potential Armageddon: The Miscommunication That Led to a Nuclear Attack From the Rising Moon

  

Ethan Wang

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

      

The Name “The Philippines”: How the Spanish Colonized The Philippines and Destroyed Its Native Culture, and Why Filipinos have Spanish Last Names

  

Dhanya Sriram

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

      

Code Name Madeleine

  

Pavithra Iyer

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

      

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

  

Sarah Kurns

  

Butte Creek Elementary School

  

Emily Rao
 

Paper

      

Stepping up the Speed: Advancements in National Communication  the Financial Life of the Pony Express

  

Ananth Namboothiry

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Paper

      

Taking It Down the Road: The Proliferation of Commodities, Languages and Cultures Via the Silk Road

  

Alayna Gustafson

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Paper

      

The Untold History of Mesoamerica: Relations Between Teotihuacan and the Maya in the Third to Fifth Centuries C.E.

  

Sureika Shore

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Paper

      

Communicating Through Accomplishments on the Field and on Screen: The Story of Jim Brown

  

Andres Herrera

  

R.A. Brown Middle School

  

Anne Tierney
 

Paper

      

Joseph Stalin: A Brutal Totalitarian Dictatorship With Zero Room for Freedom of Any Sort

  

Kerem Acar

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Documentary

  

1

  

From Democracy to Dictatorship: The Impact of Nazi Propaganda

  

Dylan Powderly

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Individual Documentary

  

2

  

Transcript of Applause: Soong Mei-ling’s 1943 Speech to Congress

  

Eleanor Song

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Documentary

  

3

  

Every Day Is Earth Day

  

Brooke Barber

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Individual Documentary

      

The 1918 Pandemic: The Story of How People Communicated During this Horrific Event

  

Nihitha Vimalan

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Documentary

      

Connecting The East to The West (The Pony Express)

  

Rooks Maxwell

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Documentary

      

Camp David Accords

  

Leila Olson

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Individual Documentary

      

Temple Grandin

  

Bella Cox

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Documentary

      

The Underground Railroad Controversy: Don't Judge A Quilt By It's Cover

  

Pranavi Sammidi

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Documentary

      

Ludwig Van Beethoven: How He Changed the Way Music Communicates Forever

  

Ceraphina Deeter

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Group Documentary

  

1

  

Women Communicating Through Advice Columns

  

Eliot Wright, Faire Soule-Reeves, Kara Jamieson, Piper Powell

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Group Documentary

  

2

  

Hidden Heroes: The Unseen Work of Female Codebreakers In World War 2

  

Ashvika Singhal, Upasya Swarna

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Group Documentary

  

3

  

Marie Aioe Dorion: The Astor Expedition's Overlooked Interpreter  Survivor

  

Gautham Beesetti, Krishna Chintalapati, Sai Harshith Kodali, Saisaharsh Kolli

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Group Documentary

      

The Battle to Understand Communication

  

Arfaan Karim, Artem Arefev, Mahika Bhan

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Group Documentary

      

From a Flop to the Top: How Kpop Communicated Despite Language Barriers In the Music Industry

  

Monica Bao, Sophie Wang

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Performance

  

1

  

Hidden in Plain Sight

  

Allie Mcintosh

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Individual Performance

  

2

  

The Weave and Communication of Cartograghy

  

Teagan Riddock

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Individual Exhibit

  

1

  

The Kentucky Packhorse Library Project: Bringing Literacy to Appalachia

  

Sophie Jarosh

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Individual Exhibit

  

2

  

American Women Codebreakers: The Communication that Helped America Win World War II

  

Tejaswani Datla

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Exhibit

  

3

  

Transmitting Freedom: How Radio Free Europe Broadcasted to End Communism

  

Camille Laakmann

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Exhibit

      

Greetings From Earth

  

Jack Burge

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Exhibit

      

Architectural Dominance

  

Brianne Becker

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Exhibit

      

The Navajo Code Talkers

  

Kailea Buckley

  

Butte Creek Elementary School

  

Emily Rao
 

Individual Exhibit

      

Rosalind Franklin: The Discovery of DNA’s Structure and the Impact on Women in STEM

  

Jasper Gu

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Individual Exhibit

      

The Cultural Revolution

  

Lauren Lilly

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Exhibit

      

"I Have Nothing to Say"

  

Nicola Broadman

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Exhibit

      

The Women's Suffrage Movement

  

Brooks Hinkle

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Exhibit

      

The Voyages of the Vikings

  

Kristjan Burke

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien, Megan Kruer
 

Individual Exhibit

      

Victory mail is speed mail

  

Dakota Anderegg

  

Butte Creek Elementary School

  

Emily Rao
 

Group Exhibit

  

1

  

Navajo Code Talkers, the Why's and How's

  

Baxter Ellis, Jackson Chaddick, Knox Orchard

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Group Exhibit

  

2

  

Navajo Code Talkers

  

Brennan McEwen, Grant Morrison, Milan Cunningham

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Group Exhibit

  

3

  

Communication in History: Survivor Narratives Throughout Feminism

  

Autri Das, Sarah Lee

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Group Exhibit

      

Nazi Human Experiments: Communication on a Medical Spectrum

  

Asmita Kumar, Sasmita Kumar

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde
 

Group Exhibit

      

The Navajo Code Talkers

  

Jacob Meyer, JD Arthur, Raymond Schaefer

  

Butte Creek Elementary School

  

Emily Rao
 

Individual Website

  

1

  

Helen Keller: Communicating as a Deafblind Woman

  

Coral Platt

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Individual Website

  

2

  

OPERATION MOCKINGBIRD

  

Alicia Watson

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Website

  

3

  

Recounting Woodstock 1969 And Its Effects

  

Danika Morris

  

ACCESS Academy

  

Amy McBride
 

Individual Website

      

The Flight Of Communication

  

Noah Bien

  

Seven Peaks School

  

Patrick O'Brien
 

Individual Website

      

Stuck in between a Wall of Laws: Isolation in Japan

  

Anatoly Kuznetsov

  

Butte Creek Elementary School

  

Emily Rao
 

Group Website

  

1

  

Reforming the Idea of Communication: The Impact of Morse Code

  

Gayatri Gadre, Simone Shieh

  

Stoller Middle School

  

David Gilde

Senior Level (Grades 9 – 12)

 
Category
  
Rank
  
Title
  
Students
  
Schools
  
Teachers
 

Paper

  

1

  

Bankrupting Hate: Berhanu v. Metzger and the Communications of the White Aryan Resistance

  

Anja Jolin

  

St. Mary's Academy

  

Lindsay Gebbie
 

Paper

  

2

  

Political Cartoons in the 19th Century: Legacy and Impact

  

Roshan Ramakrishnan

  

Westview High School

  

John Santella
 

Paper

  

3

  

America's Lexicographer

  

Tobey Wing

  

Roots Academy

  

Christy Wing
 

Individual Documentary

  

1

  

Beatrice Morrow Cannady: Speaking Out Against Racism in the Film Industry

  

Sam Kubishta

  

Helix School

  

Lorin Kubishta
 

Individual Documentary

  

2

  

The Advocate: Beatrice Morrow Cannady

  

Alan Zhou

  

Sunset High School

  

Andrew Brown
 

Individual Documentary

  

3

  

Communicating One Panel at a Time: The NAMES Project Memorial Quilt

  

Madison Jensen

  

Helix School

  

Lorin Kubishta
 

Individual Documentary

      

The Problem We All Live With

  

Sydney Moore

  

Helix School

  

Lorin Kubishta
 

Group Documentary

  

1

  

Shaping Communication At Sea: Naval Flag Signalling

  

Elise Yu, Emily Song, Fiona Zou

  

Lincoln High School, International School of Beaverton

  

Jing Liu
 

Group Documentary

  

2

  

WATCH AND LEARN: How Sesame Street Made Learning Fun

  

Angela Zhang, Kevin Le, Theodore Miranda-Zellnik

  

Lincoln High School, Grant High School

  

Kimberly Hultgren
 

Group Documentary

  

3

  

The Slave Narrative Project: Communicating the Voices of the Forgotten

  

Anitohi Mercer, Victoria Keene

  

Helix School

  

Lorin Kubishta
 

Group Documentary

      

Princess of the Press: The Anti-lynching Campaign of Ida B. Wells

  

Hana Sadik, Sanika Saitawdekar

  

Sunset High School

  

Andrew Brown
 

Group Documentary

      

“Kill the Indian, Save the Man”:  A Chronicle of Language Extinction in Native American Boarding Schools

  

Hari Koneti, Jacob Lei, Sam Bouchard

  

Westview High School

  

John Santella
 

Group Documentary

      

OTTO

  

Dallen Nixon, Ewan Poore, Ivy Cater, Joey Stenbeck, Samantha Jenkins

  

Crook County High School

  

Aaron Raasch
 

Group Performance

  

1

  

Communication in Wartime: The Importance of Female Spies Throughout History

  

Amy Amato, Cassady Kirchner, Sophia Mahoney

  

South Salem High School

  

Michelle Forbes
 

Individual Exhibit

  

1

  

The Navajo Code Talkers: Communicating Their Way To Victory

  

McKenzie Rose

  

Echo School

  

Brandlyn Russell
 

Group Exhibit

  

1

  

Fighting Fire with the Fireside Chats: How FDR Unified the American People through Effective Communication

  

Janice Lee, Jayden Gwo, Kaylee Hong, Rajvir Singh

  

Westview High School, Sunset High School

  

John Santella
 

Individual Website

  

1

  

The Timber Wars: How Two Public Arguments Brought the Nation to the Table to Communicate a New Plan for Forest Management

  

Sitka Schmidt-Pilgrim

  

Franklin High School

  

Greg Garcia
 

Individual Website

  

2

  

The Pentagon Papers:Telling the Truth

  

Subin Lee

  

St. Mary's School

  

Maureen Bruins
 

Group Website

  

1

  

The 1898 Wilmington Massacre and Insurrection: Propaganda, Misinformation and Distorted Media Surrounding an Electoral Travesty

  

Darsh Mandera, Felix Petteni, Namrata Venkatesan, Sophia Pi, Wenjun Hou

  

Jesuit High School

  

Tracy Villareal
 

Group Website

  

2

  

Botched Battle Plans at Balaclava: Miscommunication During the Charge of the Light Brigade

  

Devin Von Arx, Lucia Zhang

  

Lake Oswego Senior High School

  

Mario Peri
 

Group Website

  

3

  

Top Secret: The Story Behind the Pentagon Papers

  

Medha Nagasubramanian, Noopur Barve

  

St. Mary's Academy

  

Deepashri Barve
 

Group Website

      

The Miscommunications That Could Have Prevented World War 1

  

Jonathan Hu, Karthik Krishnamurthy

  

Westview High School

  

John Santella
 

Group Website

      

Hangul

  

Yujun Kim

  

St. Mary's School

  

Maureen Bruins