Project-Based Learning in the Social Studies Classroom: An Introduction to National History Day in MA
MHS Event
This teacher workshop covers the following dates and times:
8 Virtual Sessions: Thursdays, 26 February-16 April, 4:15-6:30 PM
1 In-Person Class Session: Participants will choose one of the following in-person regional contests to attend (7:30 AM-3:30 PM):
- Saturday, 2/28/26 Leicester Middle School, Leicester, MA
- Sunday, 3/1/26, Mater Dolorosa School, Holyoke, MA
- Saturday, 3/7/26, Stoneham High School, Stoneham, MA
- Sunday, 3/8/26, FK Library, Boston, MA
- Sunday, 3/15/26, Foxborough High School, Foxborough, MA
Fee: $120
Credit: Participants can earn 67.5 PDPs or 3 graduate credits through Worcester State University (additional fee of $375.00 for graduate credit).
Register for this teacher workshop
Project-based learning (PBL) builds student engagement, fosters effective communication and collaboration, and allows students to wrestle with complex questions. National History Day (NHD) research model guides students in grades 5–12 through a semester of historical inquiry, interpretation, and creative expression. Harnessing the effectiveness of student-centered, project-based learning, NHD asks students to conduct deep primary and secondary source research on a historical topic of their choosing and to present their work as a documentary, website, performance, paper, podcast, or exhibit. During this course, participants will explore the NHD program from the inside out and learn to use the tools of NHD to help students engage in self-directed research, deepen primary source analysis skills, and thoughtfully consider multiple historical perspectives. Each participant will develop a manageable and realistic instructional plan to bring the power of History Day to their students.
This program is geared towards Massachusetts educators in grades 5-12.
For any questions, please contact Paula Sampson at psampson@masshist.org.
This is a virtual course, with one required in-person day at one of our MHD Regional Competitions. It will be presented in English with English auto-generated captioning for virtual sessions, and ASL translation and live captioning are available upon request during registration (please place requests for live captioning or translation by 2/12/26). For more information, questions, or further accessibility requests, please contact psampson@masshist.org.
