The Linder Contest

ENTRY FORM
2006 entry deadline to be determined.

Title of entry:_________________________________________________________________

Primary resource/s used:________________________________________________________

Class/assignment description:____________________________________________________

How I decided on the topic: ____________________________________________________________________________

Places I visited for primary resources:
____________________________________________________________________________

What I learned from the research and writing process:
____________________________________________________________________________

Student Information

Name: ____________________________________ Grade:_____ School:__________________

Home address: _________________________________________________________________

City: __________________email:________________________ Home Phone:________________

Honor Pledge

I affirm that the entry submitted for competition was researched and prepared by this student, during this academic year.

Student's signature: ____________________________________________ Date: ____________

Parent's signature: _____________________________________________ Date: ____________

Teacher's signature: ____________________________________________ Date: ___________

For information contact Linder Contest Coordinator Cathy Abernathy at (919)-489-0394 or email cefabernathy@aol.com

Please submit printed reports, electronic Word documents, or PowerPoint presentations--
By postal mail to Historic Preservation Society of Durham, PO Box 25411, Durham, NC 27702-5411
In person at the HPSD Office, Snow Building, 331 West Main St., Suite 210
Via email to cefabernathy@aol.com or info@preservationdurham.org

revised 7/10/05

The Linder Contest

The purpose of the George Linder Student Research Paper Contest is to expand student awareness of Durham's local history and to encourage students to explore the people, events, and activities in Durham County. Over the years, Durham's growth and development can be compared and contrasted to the historical trends and themes of the southern region and the American nation.

The Linder Prize competition is open to any student residing in or attending a public, private, or home-school in Durham County. Research papers will be evaluated in two separate categories: Middle School, students in grades 5-8; and High School, students in grades 9-12.

Research papers will be based on local Durham history -- historical events, institutions, landscapes, buildings, people with their work and activities, or any other area of local historical interest. Students will conduct original research using at least one primary (unpublished) resource, verify facts, collect information and data, interview individuals, organize notes, and prepare a well-written paper. Photographs or illustrations may accompany the text. Acceptable formats include paper, PowerPoint, or word documents as appropriate to the purpose of the historical research project.

Oral history interviews will focus on events in Durham or experiences of Durham residents related to state, national, or international history. Media copies of the interview and transcripts of the significant, if not all, portions of the interview will be supplemented by a brief narrative paper, which includes a summary of the interview, a biographical profile of the interviewee, sample questions, and an interpretive conclusion.

Contest Rules

1. All work must be completed by the student. Each entry must be endorsed by a parent/guardian, the teacher, and the student certifying that the student conducted the research and prepared the paper. Each paper must be accompanied by a completed Entry Form.

2. Each entry must have a Bibliography with primary sources: i.e. documents, newspaper articles, diaries, letters or oral history interviews and secondary sources that were used: i.e. books, periodicals, or government documents. Footnotes must be used to indicate the portions of the student's paper that have come from specific sources. Material taken directly from a book or article must be placed in quotation marks and referenced in a footnote.

3. Topics must relate to the region now within the current boundary of Durham County.

Judging

1. All research papers will be judged on the following criteria, awarding a maximum of 100 points:
              -Historical accuracy & documentation - 40 points
              -Contribution to knowledge of Durham County - 30 points
              -Originality - 15 points
              -Outstanding research and writing qualities - 15 points.

2. Entries will be judged by representatives of the Historic Preservation Society of Durham and the Durham County Library. Papers by Middle School and High School students will be judged separately and have grade appropriate criteria. The decision of the judges is final. The number of awards may be limited, if entries do not meet minimum criteria or standards.

Awards

1. The contest winners will receive the Linder Contest awards at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Historic Preservation Society of Durham.

2. Prizes to be awarded in each category: first place $100, second place $75, and third place $50.

3. The papers of contest winners and other selected entrants may be published or demonstrated as examples of outstanding original local history research.

Revised 7/10/05