National History Day in Ohio:

Hands On With Exhibits!

Megan Wood, State Coordinator, National History Day in Ohio

History Day Educator’s Conference: October 15, 2008

Conceptualizing the Exhibit

•Who is the audience?

•What does the exhibit say? (thesis)

•How do you say it?

The Main Message

• Thesis Statement

• An umbrella for all content

• A single sentence or statement

• Simple, clear language

• Present on the exhibit!

Other steps

• Content- Information to support thesis

• Storyline- The order to tell the story

• Exhibit Plan- How the exhibit is laid out

Main MessageStoryline Exhibit Plan

Approaching the Topic- Storyline

•Compare and Contrast

•Case Study

•Multiple Case Study

Approaching the Topic

Compare and Contrast

Approaching the Topic

Case Study

Approaching the Topic

Multiple Case Study

Visual Organization/ Visual Impact: Exhibit Plan

•Outlines

•Timelines

•Positive vs. Negative space

•Interactive elements

•Image selection

Exhibit Materials

•Exhibit Boards

•Adhesives

•Paper

•Cardstock

•Foamcore

•Cutting Utensils

•Creativity is key!

Effective Exhibit Text

- Short and Sweet

- Most important information first

- Clearly tie quotes and visuals to the story

- 50 word or less rule

Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle, forms of

warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts

and minds of the American citizenry just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy. Persuading the American

public became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of bullets and planes. The Government launched an aggressive propaganda

campaign to galvanize public support, and some of the nation's foremost

intellectuals, artists, and film makers

became warriors on that front.