Connecting past and present

Visitors to the museum last Wednesday were in for a treat. In addition to viewing the museum’s usual exhibitions, they were also given the unique opportunity to see 12 new exhibits and meet their creators. Nineteen finalists from the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest displayed and discussed their projects with visitors. I was truly blown away by these middle and high school students. They spoke confidently and professionally about their research and exhibits. Their months of hard work and dedication showed in their projects.

Marissa Lords and Tyler Stephens with their “Fighting For Victory One Stamp at a Time: Buster Hill” exhibit.

Students put a great deal of thought into the presentation of their research. An old-fashioned radio and fireplace created an atmosphere at the “FDR and the New Deal” exhibit. The students who created the “Alice Paul: ‘Jailed for Freedom’” exhibit made strategic choices about the tone of their project. “We wanted to show that Alice Paul was an ordinary woman and we kept it grayscale to convey what it was like in jail,” said Srishti Srivastava.

For many of the finalists, their research discoveries opened dialogue and created connections with people involved in their topic, propelling history out of the past and proving its relevance in the present. For her project "Justice Sandra Day O'Connor: Solidifying the Supreme Court," Jennifer Silver received a response from the Justice herself and a copy of the letter was included in the exhibit. Jacob Deitz, one of the creators of the “Abe Saperstein” exhibit said: “I never imagined that anything would happen because of National History Day, but the local newspaper wrote about us and the Harlem Globetrotters came to our school,” Jacob Deitz said.

Marissa Lords and Tyler Stephens, the creators of the “Fighting For Victory One Stamp at a Time: Buster Hill” exhibit, found the inspiration for their project in WWII memorabilia. “We found a pledge signed by Buster Hill, a young student, that said he would support the war effort in anyway he could,” said Marissa. They continued their research using a 1943 “School at War” scrapbook that described the war efforts of an elementary school class in Connecticut. “We published the names from the scrapbook and immediately we got a flurry of phone calls from people who had written in the scrapbook years ago,” said Marissa. “The stories of these children have taught me that everyone really does make a difference,” she said. “Even I have been able to make a difference by giving this history back to people who didn’t know what they were able to accomplish.”

Allison Scharfstein is an intern in the Office of Public Programs at the National Museum of American History.

Comments

[Ashley]

Sometimes kids are so interested in pop culture they feel like everything else is impeding on their time.

Stamps ARE a fabulous way to bring history and literature into a young person's life - but you might have to start subtly.

For instance, if you have a young person who is into Harry Potter, START THERE! http://www.ashleystamp.com/category/australian-stamp/

Let them start the exploration with what interests them -- and they will inadvertently learn other things, and before you know it, they're interests are expanding!

[Ron Stone]

Wonderful projects. It's great to see young people so involved in history. Many high school and college graduates today know very little of our history. I saw a Jay Leno video clip where he asked some really basic information to adults on the street that included several simple history questions. I could not believe the lack of knowledge. More history projects like these are needed in our schools today. Great work by these gifted students.

[Michelle]

Thanks for the reminder that scrapbooking is a great way to preserve our history, regardless of changes in technology.

[Dave]

"They continued their research using a 1943 “School at War” scrapbook". I didn't realise scrapbooking had been around for so long!

[Riley]

I'm glad these kids got to learn about stamps, because stamp collecting is pretty cool. People think it's lame but stamps and coins are actually a lot of fun -- and you can make money doing it!

[Erin]

I think the kids with the "Fighting For Victory One Stamp at a Time: Buster Hill" exhibit are fabulous future interns of the Postal Museum?