Students to Bring History to Life in Spirit of Competition

PHOTO: Family and friends, students and teachers view the 2-D displays at 2015 History Day competition. Image courtesy of Riverside County Office of Education.

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RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - More than 300 elementary, junior high and high school students from throughout Riverside County will bring the past into the present today, showcasing their technical and creative skills in the county's annual History Day competition.

The seven-hour event is slated to get underway about 9 a.m. at Arlington High School in Riverside.

Students will make team presentations, using documentaries, two-dimensional exhibits, websites and paper records to demonstrate how well they know subjects anchored in this year's theme, "Exploration, Encounter, Exchange
in History.''

A total of 185 entries were received for this year's event, during which students are expected to spotlight figures of historical significance, including explorers Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan, as well as vital early-world trade routes, such as the Silk Road, according to the county Office of Education.

The following school districts have teams signed up:
-- Alvord Unified School District;
-- Banning USD;
-- Beaumont USD;
-- Coachella Valley USD;
-- Corona-Norco USD;
-- Lake Elsinore USD;
-- Moreno Valley USD;
-- Riverside USD;
-- Romoland School District;
-- San Jacinto USD; and
-- Val Verde USD.

No teacher advisers are allowed to participate once the contest gets under way.

The top-scoring teams will advance to the National History Day-California State Competition, slated for May 6-7 in Rocklin. The national contest is set for June 12-16 at the University of Maryland, College Park. Last year, 44 Riverside County students went on to compete at the state level.

--City News Service