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Saturday, March 5: History to "Come Alive" at Sacramento County History Day

Annual Event is Open to the Public

Sacramento County History Day logotype

On Saturday, March 5, close to 300 students from 24 area schools will use dramatic performances, artistic displays, and vivid documentaries to celebrate local, U.S., and world history at the 2016 Sacramento County History Day.

Throughout the day students will present history-based exhibits, 2-dimensional posters, research papers, documentaries, dramatic performances, and interactive websites. This year's theme is “Exploration, Encounter, Exchange in History.”

Sacramento County History Day is being held at Inderkum High School (2500 New Market Drive, Sacramento). Most student presentations are available for the public to view. Families can try their hands at gold-panning, origami paper-folding, lassoing a “bronco,” and much more.

The Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), along with the Center for Sacramento History and a team of dedicated volunteers, hosts Sacramento County History Day. The local event is associated with National History Day, a year-long educational program that encourages elementary, middle, and high school students to explore local, state, national, and world history.

At each competition level, student projects are evaluated by a team of community members, as well as volunteers from the history and education fields. Competition divisions include Elementary (grades 4-5), Junior (grades 6-8), and Senior (grades 9-12). Qualifiers move on to the State History Day Competition, taking place May 6-7 in Rocklin and also coordinated by SCOE.

In addition to teaching the relevance and importance of history for all grade levels and ages, the program helps students develop problem-solving, oral and written communication, research, analysis, critical thinking, and presentation skills that are directly tied to the Common Core State Standards. Students also gain self-esteem, confidence, and a sense of responsibility for/involvement in the democratic process.

Live Cable TV Broadcast/Online Stream

Saturday’s 4 p.m. awards ceremony, emceed by film/music historian Matías Bombal (Matías Bombal’s Hollywood), will be broadcast live by Access Sacramento on Comcast and CCI Cable Channel 17, AT&T U-Verse Channel 14, and on the Access Sacramento website. Repeat showings of the awards ceremony are scheduled to air (on cable and online):

  • Sun. March 6 at 8 a.m.
  • Mon. March 7 at 12 a.m.
  • Wed. March 9 at 8 p.m.
  • Thurs. March 10 at 12 noon
  • Fri. March 11th at 4 p.m.
  • Mon. March 14 at 10 p.m.
  • Tues. March 15 at 2 p.m.
  • Wed. March 16 at 6 a.m.

Event Schedule

Saturday, March 5, 2016
Inderkum High School, 2500 New Market Drive, Sacramento

  • 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.—Students present their projects to the judges (not all categories open for public viewing)
  • 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.—Student performances (in theater)
  • 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.—Historical entertainers and "hands-on" history experiences
  • 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.—Public viewing of displays and exhibits (in main gym)
  • 4 p.m.—Awards ceremony (in atrium)
Student learning to pan for gold
Students posing under History Day sign