[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 74 (Tuesday, June 7, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1139]]


     RECOGNITION OF TOP STUDENT HISTORIANS IN COLORADO HISTORY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS G. TANCREDO

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 7, 2005

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize Emily 
Haskins, a student at Powell Middle School in Littleton, Colorado. 
Emily created a museum-style exhibit entitled ``Nazi Communication: 
Pompous Propaganda or Subtle Manipulation?'' and qualified to compete 
at the National History Day competition by placing third in her 
category at the Colorado History Day State Contest, where she was one 
of 638 competitors.
  Colorado History Day is the National History Day program affiliate 
for the state of Colorado. National History Day is a year-long 
education program that engages students in grades 6-12 in the process 
of discovery and interpretation of historical topics. Students produce 
dramatic performances, museum-style exhibits, multimedia documentaries, 
and research papers based on their own research related to a broad 
annual theme. Their projects are then evaluated in a series of local 
and state competitions, culminating in an annual national competition. 
Nationwide, more than 800,000 students are involved in the National 
History Day program. More than 4,000 Colorado students participate in 
History Day activities at the local level each year, and they represent 
every type of Colorado community, from the cities and suburbs of the 
Front Range, to rural plains towns and mountain communities. At the 
Colorado History Day State Competition on April 23, 2005, held at the 
University of Colorado at Boulder, 54 students qualified to represent 
Colorado at the National History Day competition June 12-16 at the 
University of Maryland, College Park.
  This year's National History Day theme, ``Communication in History: 
The Key to Understanding,'' encompasses endless possibilities for 
exploration. Students embark on journeys of discovery that teach them 
about various facets of world, national, regional, and local history as 
they produce their original research projects. By encouraging young 
Coloradoans to take advantage of the wealth of primary historical 
resources available to them, students gain a richer understanding of 
historical issues, ideas, people, and events. Students in this program 
learn how to analyze a variety of primary sources such as photographs, 
letters, diaries, magazines, maps, artifacts, sound recordings, and 
motion pictures. This significant academic exercise encourages 
intellectual growth while helping students to develop critical thinking 
and problem-solving skills that will help them manage and use 
information, now and in the future. For more than twenty-five years the 
National History Day program has promoted systemic educational reform 
related to the teaching and learning of history in America's schools. 
The combination of creativity and scholarship built into the National 
History Day program anticipated current educational reforms, making 
National History Day a leading model of performance-based learning.
  These impressive students represent educational excellence in 
America. Every student in Colorado should have the opportunity to 
participate in this enriching program.
  These students' teachers also deserve our respect. They are fine 
examples of the best in the teaching profession. Their encouragement 
and dedication has encouraged these students to strive for excellence 
and be successful in their endeavors. For this reason, I would also 
like to recognize Emily's teacher, Denise Shaw-Paswaters.

                          ____________________