Virginia History Day: District 4

Virginia History Day: District 4

Monticello is a proud sponsor for the Virginia History Day – District 4 competition, offering resources, judges, and support for teachers and students planning their projects for the Virginia History Day and National History Day competitions. Monticello is also pleased to partner with the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, the state affiliate for National History Day.

National History Day is a project-based learning program for students grades 4-12. This interdisciplinary research project helps students develop historical thinking and literacy skills while making the study of history engaging, relevant, and most of all, fun!

Learn how to participate, view teacher and student resources, and become a VHD judge for the upcoming competition.

Have a research question about a Virginia History Day project? Email our education team at [email protected].

Get District 4 info on Zfairs
Yellow comic speech bubble reading “National History Day 2027: Innovation in History: Impact, Influence, Change” on green.

2027 Theme: Innovation in History: Impact, Influence, Change

The theme for National History Day® (NHD) 2027 is Innovation in History: Impact, Influence, Change. Innovation goes beyond creating new tools or devices to finding new ways of thinking, organizing, and influencing society. To put it simply, innovation, at its core, is about change and the impact of that change.

To fully explore innovation in a historical context, we must look beyond the idea itself and examine its effects. How did people, over time, imagine, develop, and implement new ideas, technologies, or methods? And in what ways did those innovations influence societies?

Visit National History Day for further resources related to the National Contest.  Questions about the District 4 contest? Visit the District 4 Zfairs site or email [email protected].

Monticello Resources

Monticello's collections and research are full of stories about innovation and its impact. Students might explore:

  • Ideas that changed government, such as the Declaration of Independence and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
  • Tools and technology, from Jefferson's moldboard plow to the polygraph copying machine he used to copy his letters
  • Skilled labor and craft, including the enslaved artisans whose work in the nailery, joinery, and blacksmith shop shaped Monticello
  • Education, through Jefferson's founding of the University of Virginia

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