High School History Day
Thursday, February 20, 2025
10am-2pm
You may have thought that history is old. Stuck in the past. Stories of long-dead people that just keep getting told over and over again. But it isn’t like that at all. There are always new ways of looking at the past, new kinds of sources being discovered, new people asking different questions. History is about exploration and discovery – join us to discover new things about people you thought you knew and events you thought you understood. Because history never gets old.
Entire classes (grades 10-12) and individual registrants welcomed!
Registration is now open until February 5, 2025!
If you have any questions please contact history-inquiries@uwo.ca.
Choose from a variety of lectures and tutorials
Lectures - Led by History Department Professors
Killing Hitler / Changing History
We visit Vienna on the eve of the First World War – when Hitler, Stalin, Trotsky, and Freud all happened to live in the same neighborhood. Our question: how might history change if any one of them was eliminated? “What-ifs,” counterfactuals, and the perils of altering history will be discussed.
Rob MacDougall
Public History: Turning your Love for History into a Great Career
Public history is a growing field in which students and practitioners work in various settings, from museums and archives to video game publishing and documentary filmmaking. Learn all about this exciting career choice for those with a passion for the past!
Michelle Hamilton
Old Plague, New History: The Black Death of 1348
The great pandemic of the late Middle Ages reshaped Eurasia. After nearly seven centuries, historians and scientists are joining forces to write a new account of how it all began.
Mitch Hammond
Canuck Sounds: Canadian Popular Music from the ‘45 to Spotify
If you don’t know what a ’45 is, you need to come to this session! It blends music samples with discussion of the technological, nationalist, and external factors that have influenced what Canadians have been listening to since the Second World War.
Peter Krats
Tyranny and Freedom: What Montesquieu Said
One of the greatest philosophers of the Enlightenment, Montesquieu left us with many ideas that have shaped the modern world. What did he say about tyranny and freedom, and how can it help us in 2025?
Eli Nathans
History and Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence tools are about to revolutionize the work of historians, from the analysis of huge quantities of digitized documents and images to the reconstruction of fragmented historical artifacts. We’ll examine how AI can assist in uncovering hidden patterns and lead to new interpretations of the past, as well as the potential challenges and ethical considerations that arise with the use of AI in historical research.
Bill Turkel
Candy, Chewing Gum, and Cards: London’s O-Pee-Chee Company
Learn how the most iconic candy, gum, and trading cards in Canada were produced right here in London, and became a national success story!
The History of Your Family
Does the story of your family, or even your own personal story, challenge or reflect what you have heard in the classroom? How can your life history impact how we understand the events of the past?
Cody Groat
Tutorials - Led by Members of the History Department
Letters from the Front: Exploring Wartime Lives
We’ll explore the life of twenty-year-old Londoner Harry Dickson through his letters and personal effects: from graduating London’s South Collegiate High School to operating a bomber over the skies of Germany in the Second World War.
Kristen Jeanveau
’At Rest’: The Life and Death of Private Edward Martin Robert
Death in war ends a life, but often leaves behind a few artifacts that we can use to understand the life better. We look at the life and death of one young soldier, through the artifacts that survived after he was killed in action.
Olivia Holland
Who Do We Think We Are?
We look at how Canadian identity is perceived at home and around the world – what people, events, and symbols represent the essence of being Canadian, and why? What are the risks and rewards of basing our identity on history?
Scott MacGregor
Truth and Reconciliation in Namibia
Africa is haunted by settler colonialism, particularly the German presence in what is now Namibia in south-western Africa. Focusing on the Genocide of the Herero and Nama, we consider Germany’s efforts at reconciliation with the Namibian government, and the political reactions to this process.
Shaun Hislop
Dark History: The Bernardo – Homolka Murders
One of Canada’s most harrowing criminal cases can be used to explore the long-standing debate over capital punishment. Through the historical evidence, including the events, trial proceedings, and outcomes, we consider the complexities of this contentious issue.
Taylor Northwood
So You Think You Can Read Cursive Writing?
After vanishing from the curriculum for years, cursive writing is back! But why should you care? This workshop gives you lots of tips on reading cursive and explains why that ability will make you a better person!
Heather Ellis
Are You a ‘Clean Girl’?
The “Clean Girl” aesthetic is all over social media, but have you ever wondered where it came from? Join me in exploring the historical origins of popular social media trends and their implications for people who don’t “fit in.”
Natasha Hall
Metal Detecting vs Relic Hunting
Hidden under our feet are all sorts of artifacts from the past – all that’s required is a little patient digging! But what can they tell us about the past, and what are the ethics surrounding metal detecting for historical artifacts?
Kara Brown
Finding History in Unmarked Graves
Learn how primary sources such as burial records, death certificates, censuses, and newspaper articles helped reconstruct the unique and fascinating lives of those who endured rural poverty and were buried without grave markers at the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery potter’s field.
Rebecca Small
’Do you hear the people sing?’: The Revolutions of 1848
You know the subject from Les Misérables – but do you know the real story behind the Revolutions of 1848? We look at a few of the many revolutions that struck Europe at the time, and learn that there was more at stake than just singing.
Malcolm Tatic
What If the Titanic Never Sank?
The three Olympic-class passenger liners (Olympic, Titanic, and Britannic) were the class of the field before the First World War – but only one of them was still afloat when the war ended. We revisit the glories of ocean travel a century ago, and explore how those grand vessels changed history.
Huanyu Li
What Did ‘Normal’ Mean?
During the Second World War, most governments assumed that a normal adult should be able to serve in the military – but what did “normal” mean? We consider the classification of the human body in an effort to determine what constituted a “normal” body and mind – and therefore what constituted an “abnormal” body and mind.
Anna Lalli
Who Is the Most Important Person Who Ever Lived?
In this workshop, we look at fame in history. What makes a person “important” – and why are certain people and events remembered, while others get forgotten?
Jonathan F. Vance
Turpentine, the Skull of a Convict, and a Boiled Swallow: Shake Well
We visit 17th-century England and discover remedies for common ailments and practices that blurred the lines between medicine and magic. Uncover the secrets of early cures, from soothing salves for everyday aches to potent potions for more sinister purposes, and explore the use of curious ingredients, some long forgotten and others that remain a part of modern medicine. Learn the healing power of the garden, protect yourself from enchantments, and understand just how helpful a good skull could be in the medicine cabinet.
Jennifer Baker
Schedule
*Please note, the below schedule is a general outline, timings may change slightly and will be confirmed before the day!
The day will begin at 10am with a general introduction. After that, students and teachers will break into their sessions. A free lunch will be provided, as well as drinks and snacks throughout the day. Sessions will end at 1:40 to allow teachers and students to regroup and board buses between 1:45-2pm.
Introduction: 10:00-10:30am
Session A: 10:35-11:20am
Session B/Lunch group 1: 11:25am-12:10pm
Session C/Lunch group 2: 12:15-1:00pm
Multimedia Interactive Historical Extravaganza: 1:00-1:40pm
Transfer to buses: 1:45-2:00pm
If you have any questions, please email history-inquiries@uwo.ca.
