Theme

Each year, National History Day® chooses a historical theme that provides a framework for students’ research. The purposefully broad theme encourages investigation into local, national, or world history from any period of time. Conducting historical research through the focused lens provided by the annual theme allows students to develop perspective, make connections over time, and place their topics into historical context by considering the time and circumstances associated with their topics.

The 2024-2025 theme is "Rights and Responsibilities in History." 

REMEMBER: Projects are required to clearly relate to the annual theme and will be judged on how well the theme is tied into conclusions about the topic’s significance in history. Check out the theme resources below!

• Contest Theme Book
• Researching for an NHD Project PowerPoint Slides (for teachers)
• Getting Started with National History Day and 2025 Theme Overview (for teachers)
• Finding, Analyzing, and Constructing History: A Research Guide for Students by NHD and the Library of Congress
  
• National History Day Website - Webinars, Resources and Additional Theme Information!