Theme & Rules

Know what’s required—and how to connect your project to this year’s theme.

This Year’s Theme:

“Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History”

Bring this year’s theme to life with official resources from NHD®.

Download: NHD® Theme Book (PDF) – authoritative guidance, topic framing, and sample questions. Download the 2026 Theme Book.
Watch: Theme Overview Video – short explainer to kick off brainstorming. Watch the video at Youtube.
Download: Topic Brainstorm Sheet (PDF) – quick prompts to move from idea → question → thesis. Get the Brainstorm Sheet.
View Special Awards – Plan your project with prizes in mind, see our Special Awards page for more information on this year’s prizes and sponsors.

Contest Rule Book

All projects are evaluated under the current NHD® Rule Book.

Contest Rule Book (PDF) — Download Rule Book (PDF)
Contest Rule Book — Spanish (PDF) — Descargar (PDF)

Elementary Poster Category (Grades 3–5)

The Elementary Poster Category gives grades 3–5 a simple, age-appropriate path into historical research and visual storytelling. Use the rules, evaluation form, organization tool, and process-paper guide to plan a clear, well-sourced poster that meets THD expectations and builds foundational research and citation skills.

Poster Category Rules (PDF)
The poster is a scaled-down version of the exhibit category. This entry category is available only to participants in the Elementary Division (grades 3-5) as an introduction to NHD®. This is a Texas-only category and is not eligible for Nationals.

Poster Evaluation (PDF)
Judging emphasizes Historical Quality (80%) and Clarity of Presentation (20%): argument, research breadth, primary sources, context, multiple perspectives, theme connection, and significance—plus a checklist for size, flat construction, 350-word limits, process paper, five annotations, and on-poster source credits.

Poster Organization Tool (PDF)
A one-page organizer to plan your poster’s flow—title; context (background, buildup, change); thesis; significance (short-term, long-term, “so what?”); heart of the story; and multiple perspectives—with a reminder that posters must be flat and no larger than 30″×40″.

Poster Process Paper Guide (PDF)
Explains what the process paper is and what judges look for; offers sentence frames for how you chose your topic, researched it, built the project, and connected to the theme; capped at 350 words.

Category Requirements & Checklists

One-page, print-ready checklists to sanity-check every entry:

Historical Paper Checklist (PDF)

Exhibit Checklist (PDF)

Documentary Checklist (PDF)

Performance Checklist (PDF)

Website Checklist (PDF)

Annotated Bibliography Checklist (PDF)