History Isn’t Just Something That’s Studied; It’s Made

MS: Last Thursday six students from The Catherine Cook School joined hundreds of other junior historians from around the state of Illinois to compete in the Illinois State History Expo in Springfield, Illinois. Each student submitted a Chicago-related project under the National History Day theme Innovation in History: Impact and Change.


Seventh grader Brigid Freed competed with her Individual Historical Exhibit titled Schwinn Bicycle Innovations. She explored the impact of the bicycle, specifically Schwinn and Co., on Chicago and society at large. Seventh grader Blue Stevenson completed her Individual Historical Exhibit on The Ferris Wheel: The World’s Greatest Ride. During her research, Blue made her own impact on the history of the Ferris Wheel by proposing a marker be placed at the site of the original Ferris Wheel. The Univertisty of Chicago was excited about the idea, and pointed her to the Chicago Park District, who owns and manages that space. While there are formal proceedures and costs associated with placing a marker, the Chicago Park District likes the idea and has provided information on next steps. Sometimes History Fair isn’t just about investigating history, it’s about making it!


Three of our eighth grade students also received special recognition at the State Expo, earning ribbons for superior level projects:

• Davey Keegan Barry for his Individual Documentary The History and Innovations of the Chicago Transit Authority.

• Nour Hatoum for his Individual Historical Exhibit Open Heart Surgery: A Revolution in Medicine

• Brett Jacobson for his Individual Historical Exhibit The Reversal of the Chicago River


Only two projects in each of the History Day project categories qualify to continue to the National History Day competition in June at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. In the category of individual documentary, Lane Lubell is one of only two Junior Division documentaries to advance to the National History Fair with his film: The History & Legacy of the Chicago Blue. Congratulations, Lane!


History Fair is a year-long project for all 6th through 8th graders. The success of these six students has inspired the middle school community to continue to persevere in pursuit of excellent work.