Eighth Graders Participate in History Day
In late December 2021, eighth graders at North Shore Middle School participated in the third North Shore History Day in four years. It was unfortunately missed last year due to Covid. Teacher Mr. Kevin Dahill said, “This year’s History Day theme was Debate and Diplomacy in History. We had 133 projects from all 8th grade students ranging all sorts of topics in American History including The Truth About Watergate, When the Berlin Wall Came Down, The ‘Unsinkable’ Titanic, Roe V. Wade, The Cuban Missile Crisis, Jacqueline Kennedy A Worldwide Diplomat, and The March on Washington – just to name a few!”
Students spent several weeks in class reading and researching their self-selected United States history topic connected to the History Day theme. Students then selected a project type to communicate their learning and created exhibits, papers, websites, documentaries and even their own performances to showcase their learning and exceptional talents. Additionally, teachers and administrators throughout the district joined the celebration of learning as judges for the in-house competition. In addition, many remarked at the sophistication of student research and depth of student knowledge.
Mr. Dahill announced that the following students will advance to Long Island Regional at Hofstra in the Spring:
| Individual Exhibit | Individual Documentary | Paper | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
1-Sareena Modi |
1- Ryan Potter 2- Adam Bajdechi 3- Chris Zilinski |
1- Bowen Jin 2- Nicoletta Kenney 3- Michela Talamo |
1- Lacus Zhang and Quincy Bartlett 2- Mika Ikawa 3- Lotte Johnson 4- Giada Settino |
| Group Exhibit | Group Documentary | ||
| 1-Melina Makridis and Erin Lily La Rosa 2-Grace Harding and Sienna Peraica 3- Luna Espinosa De Rozas, Elsa Lanne, Lia Serravelle |
1- Lucia Cagno and Mae Curiale 2- Jaime Moynihan and Andy Ye 3- Joanna Kenney and Delilah McAuliffe |
In addition, he recognized some special awards to students who also displayed exemplary work including:
Acceptance and Equality Award: Jaxx Mordhorst and Joanna Kim
Military History Award: Genevieve Hudin
Artistic Vision Award: Michael Munz
Women’s History Award: Ava Varasano and Penelope Ruderman
Civil Rights Award: Emilia Aguirre, Nicole Tom, Julia Gerci
Music in History Award: Gianna LoPresti
Congratulations to all of the students, teachers, judges, and parents that helped make History Day a memorable experience – the breadth of projects, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills were outstanding!
Article written with assistance from MS Teacher, Mr. Kevin Dahill
Photos by Shelly Newman
