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 choose a topic, create your project, and compete at local and national contests.
Student Resources
- Theme Book
- Theme Video – Debate & Diplomacy in History
- Theme Graphic Organizer
- Debate & Diplomacy in History Theme Resources
- Rule Book – NEW as of July 2020
- Contest Categories
- National History Day Student Resources
- How to Create Entries by Category
- Contest Evaluation Sheets – NEW as of September 2021
- Analyzing Primary Documents (Video)
- Evaluating Sources (Video)
- Digging for Historical Sources (Video)
- How to Create an NHD Project
- Guidelines for Conducting Interviews
- NoodleTools
- NHDWebCentral (required website platform)
- MLA and Chicago Style Guides (Chicago preferred by historians)
Oregon State and National History Research
Get a start on your research with these helpful and reliable resources.
- Research Resources
- Center for Pacific Northwest Studies (includes Oregon but focus on Washington)
- National Archives - Pacific Alaska Region (includes Oregon)
- Archives West
- Portland Archives and Records
- Multnomah County Library Research Tools
- John Wilson Special Collections at Multnomah County Library
- University of Oregon Special Collections & University Archives
- Oregon State Archives
- Oregon State Library
- National Archives
- Chronicling America (American newspapers)
- Historic Oregon Newspapers
- Library of Congress
- DocsTeach Documents, National Archives
- World Digital Library, Library of Congress
- IPL2 Information You Can Trust (resources vetted by librarians)
- The African American Registry (secondary accounts)
- The American Presidency Project
- Digital Public Library of America
- Our Documents (American history)
Oregon Museums and Cultural Centers
Oregon is home to dozens of museums and historical societies throughout the state, many of which offer research facilities and help. Here are some to get you started, including one in Washington.
- Oregon Museums Association — List of Oregon Museums
- Clatsop County Historical Society, Astoria
- Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum, The Dalles
- Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria
- Deschutes County Historical Society, Bend
- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Vancouver, WA
- The Museum At Warm Springs, Warm Springs
- The Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Eugene
- Oregon Historical Society, Portland
- Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Portland
- Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Portland
- Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Baker City
- Southern Oregon Historical Society, Medford
- Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, Pendleton
For more museums and organizations around the state, visit the Oregon Historical Society’s Affiliates and Partners page.