Information for Judges
Typical National History Day judges examine bibliographies, process papers and projects, then provide students with thoughtful and valueable written feedback. The panel of two to three History Day judges confers briefly before watching a group performance. As they watch, they will jot down notes about the performance. At the close, these community members interview the students. Prompting the students, they might ask, "Did you find differences in fact, opinions, or perspectives between some of your sources, and if so, how did you go about resolving those differences?" Finally, the dedicated judges confer and come to a consensus as to which two groups will advance to the National History Day - California Competition.
What is History Day?
History Day is a theme-based research program that breathes life into California Content standards and Reading/Language Arts themes. The broad theme for 2025 is Rights & Responsibilities in History. The program is designed to be used in the classroom at two levels: process and competitive. All learners can develop their potential and develop essential reading, writing, and research skills through participation in National History Day - Tulare County.
Why Would I Want to Judge?
Judging National History Day is a community service that builds successful students. Students need authentic feedback after they have worked hard on a project. They need to hear from adults who value the importance of history, that what they did matters. Students need to express their ideas to real people. Research shows that the more students interact with adults, the more likely they are to be successful.
Who Can Judge?
Tulare County Office of Education seeks judges who are knowledgeable about history and who appreciate the hard work students put into their research. We need Historical Society members, superintendents, teachers, parents, professors and community members at large to serve on panels of two to three judges.
How Can I Learn More About Judging?
If you are interested in judging, please fill out the Judge Application Form online. For any questions, please contact Juliana Davidian at juliana.davidian@tcoe.org or (559) 651-3003.
Will There Be Training for Judges?
Judges will receive an informational packet prior to the event that can be reviewed independently. All judges will also be required to participate in a live judges' training prior to the event. Judges will learn about the judging process, scoring, how to come to a consensus, and how to score the projects.
People who have judged tell us that it is a very rewarding experience. Come and join the ranks of National History Day advocates. Come be a National History Day Judge.