Crowd Packs WD Middle School for National History Night

It wasn't a museum, but there many exhibits in West Deptford Middle School's cafeteria, which turned into a packed house as parents from all over town came out for National History Night on Thursday. 

Gearing up for the National History Day South Jersey Regional Competition at Princeton University, 19 seventh-graders and 19 eighth-graders from the middle school displayed the fruits of their labors, with 22 exhibits and four documentaries produced by both individuals and groups in the school’s Gifted and Talented program.
 
“The kids love it because they get to pick their own topic,” said eighth-grade social studies teacher Monica Quinlan-Dulude.

She went on to say this is good practice for the students before they head off to regionals on Saturday, March 9. Once there, the students will present their display or documentary and submit to a 20-minute interview from the judges. Quinlan-Dulude explained that based on the the number of entrants in the competition, a certain number of top finishers will then be sent to state finals at William Paterson University, where they will then go on to compete against finalists from both Central and North Jersey.

Sixth-grade social studies teacher Jeff Christo said this year’s theme centered around “turning points” in history. Students were asked to select a poignant moment in history and conduct roughly two months worth of primary research, much like that of a historian. Christo credits the school’s technology for the ease of access to databases necessary to accomplish such research.  

“You learn things you never knew before,” says Jake Keuler, who along with Jason Minnite and Jared Scheltes, chose the Battle of Saratoga as the center of their exhibit.

Poring over three months worth of original diary entries and letters penned by generals in the Revolutionary War, the boys said they learned things not found in an everyday textbooks. Collaborating for several weeks, the group had not only managed to put together a display of excerpts and historical text, but also a full 3D rendering of the battle itself—compliments of some plastic figures.

“I’m kind of curious to see how far we go,” said Minnite, who feels really good about the group's chances.

Along with his peers, eighth-grader Jacob Jackson is not only excited to compete, but also looks forward to seeing the original works of other groups from the region.  

“I’m going to really enjoy seeing everybody’s project,” said Jackson, who crafted his display around the Great Potato Famine of 1845.

Jackson explained that he also spent close to two months researching letters, newspaper articles and writings in order to craft his exhibit.   

“It’s like running your own museum, making exhibits and displaying them to the public,” said Christo.

Christo said one of his favorite aspects of the exhibits and documentaries is the unique combination of history and individual creativity each student brings to the table.  

Other exhibits displayed historical events such as the invention of the Internet and the first moon landing. The four documentaries, screened in the large group instruction room, involved equally pivotal topics such as the influence of television on 1950s America and the significance of Coca-Cola in advertising.