Relation to Theme Questions

1. Does the entry clearly relate topic to theme?
   The topic must relate to the theme. This does not mean that the judges should presuppose the relationship. The relationship to the theme should generate the thesis statement and then the thesis (the relationship to theme) should be proven throughout the body of the entry. For example, when the theme was Frontiers in History, I judged an exhibit on the Apollo moon missions. Other than the title which read something like "The Apollo Moon Missions: A Frontier in History," there was no proof in the body of the exhibit that convinced me that it was a frontier (yes, yes, I know it was a frontier but the student should convince me). The exhibit was just a litany of names, dates, and facts. As a judged, I ruled that the entry did not clearly relate to the theme.
2. Does the entry demonstrate the significance of topic in history and draws conclusions?
   There are a lot of interesting stories and facts in the past but many are not important to the big picture. Is it important that Civil War soldiers wore a four-button wool sack coat or is it important that these same soldiers took part in a great war that redefined America? Which of these two ideas, the four-button sack coat or the war that redefined America, gives meaning to our existence today? The other part of question 2 is to draw conclusions. Students should wrap up with a statement of how they have proved their thesis or what this topic means to us today. In a sense, how are things different because of their topic?