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What's in our Archives?
Here's a Sample.
Dudley Observatory Prize
Division of the
New York State
Archives Student Research Awards
The New York State Archives runs
this annual event to encourage student research using historical records. The
Dudley Observatory, which recently celebrated its 150th Anniversary,
is offering additional prizes for research done in the Dudley Observatory
Archives.
Entries may be submitted by an
individual or a group of students.
Categories include:
Computer-based
project, such as website or PowerPoint presentation
Performance
Proposal for designation of a historical marker
Exhibit
Research Paper
Audio-visual production
Deadline: June
1, 2007
Projects on the Dudley
Observatory should be submitted to BOTH the New York State Archives
AND the Dudley Observatory
to be eligible for both prizes.
| Student Research Award The award
consists of a cash prize and certificate. It encourages students to explore
the wealth of historical records found in archives, libraries, and other
community organizations throughout New York State.
Contents
Introduction
The New York State Archives announces its 15th annual Student Research
Award to promote and recognize excellence in student research.
The award has 2 primary purposes:
- Encourage students to explore the wealth of historical records in New
York State
- Increase cooperation between schools and organizations that administer
historical records useful for education
Award
Student Research Award is a statewide competition open to all New York
State students in grades 4-12.
There are three awards consisting of a certificate and a cash prize for
students in:
- Grades 4-5
- Grades 6-8
- Grades 9-12
Certificates of Merit will be awarded to those entries, other than the
winners, that show a heavy reliance on historical records to support their
research.
Timetable
- Entries must be postmarked no later than June 1, 2005.
- Award recipients will be selected by September 15.
- Awards will be announced during Archives Week, October 2005.
General Requirements
- Individual students and groups of students (including the entire
class) may be nominated.
- All nominations for the award must be made by a teacher or
administrator in the school attended by the student or group of students.
- Entries submitted for competition must be researched and developed
during the July 1, 2004 - June 1, 2005 school year.
- Research products prepared for other competitions, e.g., History Day,
will be eligible if they meet other relevant criteria, especially the use
of historical records.
- Teachers of 4th and 5th grade students must contact the State
Archives before submitting an application.
- An annotated bibliography is required for ALL entries:
- Bibliography should contain all sources used in preparing the entry
- Annotations for each source must explain how the source was used and
how it contributed to the project
- Bibliography may be as long as necessary to include all sources used
- Citations and bibliographic references must follow a standard
bibliographic format
- Any case of plagiarism will result in disqualification.
- All entries must be accompanied by an Entry Form, with all information
completed. Submit 5 copies of the Entry Form.
Historical Records Requirements
A substantial portion of the student research must be based on historical
records from archives, museums, historical societies, libraries, local
governments, community organizations, businesses, families and/or
individuals.
Consulting Internet web sites such as the
New York State Archives,
Library of Congress, and
National Archives is encouraged.
However, the Internet should not be the student's only source of historical
records.
Examples of eligible historical records and where they might be found
include:
- Personal Papers
- Original letters, diaries, and journals
- Photographs and drawings
- Financial records
- Business Records
- Ledgers, correspondence, and journals
- Meeting minutes
- Advertisements.
- Research and development files.
- Business records are usually located with the business itself, or
with local archives, library, and historical society or with the family
that owned the business.
- Local Government Records
- Minutes of board meetings and tax assessment records
- Engineering and highway department records
- Police and court records
- Budgets and annual reports
- Many other types of records created by the local governments
- Local government records are usually located in individual local
governments such as school districts, towns, villages, counties, cities,
fire districts, public benefit corporations, and BOCES.
- Community Organization Records
- Correspondence, speeches, and membership lists
- Financial records, and meeting minutes
- Community organizations may include:
- Local churches
- Labor unions
- Political parties
- Service clubs
- Philanthropic and fraternal groups
- Records from of these groups may be located with each specific
organization or in local historical societies, archives, and libraries.
- State and National Records
- Census and vital records
- Property records
- Wills and probate records
- Copies of these records are often located in local government
archives. Local historical societies and libraries may have microfilm
copies of these records as well.
Published Primary Materials
Students may use published primary materials, but MUST also use
historical records (as described under the Historical Records Requirements
section).
Examples of eligible published primary materials and where they might be
found include:
- Board minutes and county board proceedings
- Broadsides, maps, and annual reports
- Periodicals and newspapers contemporary to the period that is the
subject of the research. Examples include:
- Godey's Ladies' Book documents 19th century fashion, crafts,
recipes, etiquette, etc.
- Harper's Weekly, the Civil War years
- Life magazine, the World War II years
- Published primary materials are generally found in:
- Special collection sections of local libraries
- Historical societies and museums
- Local governments
For more information on locating and using primary materials, refer to
the State Archives'
Consider the Source: Historical Records in the Classroom, mailed
October 1995 to all school district libraries and nonpublic schools in the
State.
Eligible Entry Types
Research Paper
- Traditional research paper based on a subject of your choice
- Research paper that reconstructs the past by analyzing and
interpreting the issues and events mentioned in a historical story,
ballad, folk song, folktale, diary, letter, poem, or an oral history
interview.
- Student uses an 1863 letter written by Col. Barber in Virginia to
his wife in upstate New York as part of a study to reconstruct the life
of Col. Barber. The objective is to show the impact of the Civil War on
the life of a New York soldier and his family.
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- Students must use historical records to analyze and interpret the
issues and events mentioned in the historical letter, diary, folk song,
etc. which they are using.
- Format requirements:
- All research papers must be typed or computer printed
- Double-spaced with pages consecutively numbered on 8 1/2 x 11 paper
- Text of the paper must be 1000 words or more. Notes, annotated
bibliography, illustration captions, and supplemental/appendix material
do not count in that total.
- Citations -- footnotes or end notes -- are required
- 5 copies of the paper must be submitted
- Research paper will not be returned to the entrant
Exhibit
- Category is limited to poster exhibits no larger than 24" x 36".
- Poster should be shipped rolled in a reusable carton.
- State Archives is not responsible for any damage or loss suffered by
the exhibit in shipment.
- Student-composed written materials that accompany the exhibit should
contain 500 words or less.
- Limit applies to labels, captions, etc.
- Limit does not apply to documents that may be used as an integral
part of the exhibit.
- Exhibits will be returned to entrants if shipped in a reusable carton.
- If the exhibit(s) are too large or too heavy to be shipped:
- A videotape, slide show, or photographs of the exhibit may be
submitted
- Copies of the exhibit labels, text and any additional information
that accompanied the original exhibit must be submitted with the entry.
- Call the State Archives if you have questions
Audiovisual Production
- Videotape productions must be VHS format
- 5 copies of an audiovisual production must be submitted
- Productions should be no more than 15 minutes long
- Videotapes will not be returned
Performance
- All performances must be videotaped on VHS tape
- 5 copies of the videotape must be submitted
- 5 copies of the script for the videotaped performance must be included
- Performance should run no more than 15 minutes
- Videotapes will not be returned.
Proposal for designation of historic marker, property, or district
- All proposals must be the result of research using historical records.
- Format requirements:
- All proposals must be typed or computer printed
- Double-spaced with pages consecutively numbered on 8 1/2 x 11 paper
- Text of the paper must be 1000 words or more. Notes, annotated
bibliography, illustration captions, and supplemental/appendix material
do not count in that total.
- Citations -- footnotes or end notes -- are required
- 5 copies of the paper must be submitted
- Proposal will not be returned to the entrant
- Proposals submitted to the State Archives for designating historic
properties or districts and historic markers are for Student Research
Award purposes only.
- To officially designate a historic property or district contact: New
York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Field
Services Bureau: (518) 237-8643, ext. 269.
Web sites, PowerPoint presentations and other computer-based entries
- All Computer-based entries must be submitted in an IBM compatible
format.
- Entries submitted on Zip disks or DVDs will not be accepted.
- If you have questions about electronic formats, please call or e-mail,
using the addresses listed below, prior to submitting an entry.
- 5 copies of the computer disks must be provided
- Disks will not be returned.
- Web site entries do not have to be submitted on disk but must have a
URL address.
- All entries must follow the guidelines mentioned above regarding
annotated bibliographies and the use of historical records.
- 5 copies of written materials must be provided
Selection
The Student Research Award Panel of Judges consists of teachers,
historians, and archivists. The Panel will review all entries and submit its
recommendations to the Board of Regents for approval.
Judging Criteria
The judges will select the award recipient(s) for each category based on
the following criteria:
- To what extent has the student used historical records?
- Does the bibliography demonstrate use of a variety of historical
records?
- To what extent has the student used information from these
documents?
- Is the entry historically accurate?
- Does the entry demonstrate an understanding of the historical context?
- Does the entry show evidence of creativity and imagination in
interpreting and integrating information from historical records with
other information?
- Does the entry include an annotated bibliography?
- Is the written material clear and well organized?
- Is the grammar, punctuation and spelling correct?
- Is all visual material clear, appropriate and visually attractive?
Rules Checklist
Use this checklist to help avoid problems and ensure a complete entry.
- Did you use historical records in conducting your research?
- Have you completed and included five copies of the Entry Form?
- Did you include an annotated bibliography using a standard
bibliographic format?
- Did you include citations?
- Have you supplied the appropriate number of project copies?
- Does your entry meet word length, time and size requirements?
- Are exhibit entries packed in reusable cartons?
- Are videotapes on VHS tape?
- Are computer-based projects IBM compatible?
- Did you meet the June 1, 2005 deadline?
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