Students in Christina Reidel and Dana Landesman's 9th and 10 th grade history classes participated in National History Day.
National History Day is a worldwide activity in which students study history through a theme and demonstrate their findings through written research reports and/or documentaries, websites, poster presentation and performances. All students participate at the school level, some move on to regional, state and national levels, accordingly.
This year students engaged with the theme of Leadership and Legacy. In groups or as individuals, students selected a historical leader of their choice and researched the qualities that contributed to their leadership, the historical context surrounding their leadership and legacy, and criticisms of their leaders. Students engaged in an authentic task. As such, they had the opportunity to share and discuss their work with a panel of teachers in Bronxville, and those who moved on to the regional level discussed their work with historians. Students thought critically about their sources and their preconceived ideas about their leader, and learned about the complexities of leadership. Students innovated to create documentaries and websites to show their learning.