us history projects for high school students

15 History Project Ideas for High School Students

Indigo Research Team

If you have a deep interest in past events and feel a connection to different periods, pursuing history projects might be for you. 

Studying history allows you to understand the reasons behind decisions made over time and gives you valuable skills that can contribute to shaping a better future. Not to mention, passion projects for high school students have become increasingly important to make your college application better. 

So, if you are interested in history, here is the list of 15 creative ideas that you can start now:

Creative Ideas for History Projects

1. comparative research studies: history vs present times.

Comparing history and present times through research could be a great history research project idea for high school students. This study offers a valuable opportunity to delve into the complexities of historical events and societies. By examining two or more instances, you can develop critical thinking and analytical skills while uncovering patterns and trends that may not be apparent at first glance. These studies provide an avenue for exploring the similarities and differences between different periods and places, shedding light on the factors that shape societies and influence historical outcomes. 

When engaging in a history research project, it is crucial to start by selecting specific historical events or societies to compare. This allows you to focus on research efforts effectively. In addition to investigating political, economic, social, and cultural aspects, it is equally important to dive into the causes and consequences of these events. If you need help to do research, you can always find research mentors who can guide you through the process. 

2. Israel-Palestine conflict

The war between Israel and Palestine is one of the trending history project topics , so high school students can get a lot of information online. Learn about the root cause of the conflict by researching the historical background, key events, religion, and cultural values.

3. Ancient Civilizations scrapbook

A virtual Scrapbook is another creative idea for a history project for students. You can choose your favorite ancient civilization and start collecting old images and maps. Join maps and images and write short descriptions for the readers. Do extensive research and learn about their daily life activities to showcase their lifestyle. This project will spark your creativity.

4. Historical Fashion Show

If you have a passion for trends and fashion, the evolution of style is a perfect history project idea. Choose a specific period to take a stroll through the history. Your historical fashion show project will be more interesting if you consider a large period. Conduct research and present how ancient people used to cover their bodies. If you have enough time, you can create simple costumes from ancient civilizations to represent different eras. The video below can also be your reference in creating your historical fashion project.

5. History Box

High school students can create a history project by transforming historical events into three-dimensional masterpieces. You can choose your favorite history projects, such as a big discovery, a famous battle, or any other historical event that inspires you.

Take a shoe box, colored paper, and pens to transform your history project idea into a 3D scene. Incorporate small details like landscapes, buildings, and figures to tell the whole story. Write captions on each item to help other students understand the history.

6. Historical Cooking Show

Calling all foodie students! If you are passionate about cooking, you can try this European history project ideas. Choose your European cuisine and dig deep into how ancient people used to prepare food. Prepare old European dishes and record your adventurous video. Explain the whole recipe and how it reflects the culture of that time.

7. Inventions show

Create a visual show of inventors and inventions. Conduct thorough research, pick a few big inventors, learn about their contributions, and present your knowledge through digital presentation. You can also mention how their inventions changed the lifestyle of that era. This visual showcase will motivate you and your classmates to do something big and create a better future.

8. Historical Comic Show

Create a comic strip by using historical events. Choose a particular era and gather drawings and captions to narrate the key moments. This history project idea will polish your storytelling skills and make history more accessible and entertaining.

9. Podcasts from the Past

Creating a podcast series of historical figures can take your creativity to the next level. Interview "guests" from the past, portraying their achievements, struggles, and impact on society. Use your creativity to make it informative and entertaining for your audience.

10. Timeline Wall

High school students can use a blank wall to showcase significant events of a specific region. Suppose you want to showcase US history, then conduct research and list down important events of the past. Using different colors and markers, you can illustrate events on the wall.

11. Presidential Time Capsule

This is one of the best US history final project ideas. Students can represent different presidents by exploring their political achievements, personal aspects, and societal influences. You can create artifacts to showcase the life of a specific president. This US History project idea will enhance your artistic skills.

12. Oil Board Game

Are you looking for Texas history project ideas? This educational oil board game will allow you to explore the oil industry of Texas. You need extensive research to learn about the boomtown era, economic fluctuations, and the impact of oil discoveries. Players will take on the roles of independent oil entrepreneurs, navigating the economic landscape to strike it rich or face financial pitfalls.

13. ABC Past Book

Students can create an E-book just like a dictionary where each letter represents a historical event of a specific era or region. For example, A stands for Arts & Crafts Movement Worksheet and B stands for Berlin. You can add small captions and illustrations to enhance readability.

14. Black Man Museum

Black Man Museum is one of the outstanding black history project ideas because it allows you to honor the achievements and struggles of people of color. Conduct research and find a few historical black figures, gather all the information about their achievements. You can also share stories of black people in your community. This project will spark your public speaking abilities and deepen your understanding of the diverse contributions to society.

Following are a few more black history project ideas:

• The Montgomery bus boycott
• The civil rights movement
• Black women’s history
• The black panthers
• Contribution of black teachers in Society

15. Documentary on the Freedom Movement

If you’re passionate about India’s history and looking for Indian history project ideas, you can create a Documentary on the Freedom Movement. Find elders from your family or your community who witnessed the freedom of India and record their interviews. Ask about their experiences, sacrifices, and contributions to the freedom movement. This could be a good history research idea because the diverse perspectives can help you make your project more interesting.

How to Create a Successful History Project for a High School Student?

Before choosing your history project, ask yourself a few questions what do you like the most about history? How much time do you have to complete the project and what are your educational goals? These questions will help you choose the right project that will stand out from the crowd.

Here are some more tips that will make your history project rewarding.

1. Identify Your Interest 

The common rule to start anything is your interest, the more you enjoy doing something, the more it will motivate you to finish the project. Start thinking about the historical events, periods, and figures that capture your attention.

2. Consider your Class Curriculum

To obtain history project ideas, you could also browse on school's history book to explore topics that you find interesting. You can also consider themes that haven’t been covered in your class yet. Choosing a topic from your class content will help you to understand better and perform well in final exams.

3. Explore Current Events

Consider current issues that have relevance to history. Connecting the dots of the present to the past can make your project more engaging and memorable.

4. Create an Engaging Documentation

Creating visually appealing documentation is not only aesthetically pleasing but also a powerful tool for exploring historical events. Start with providing a visual representation of the chronological order of key events, timelines help learners connect the dots and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. 

Visual cues capture people’s attention and spark their curiosity, encouraging them to dig deeper into the interconnectedness between historical events and notable figures. Ultimately, creating engaging documentation will always be beneficial for your college application or future careers.

5. Use Historical Books and Resources

When working on a history project, it is essential to utilize reliable historical books and resources. These sources provide accurate and credible information that can support your research and strengthen the credibility of your project.

Start by identifying reputable books written by historians or experts in the field. Look for well-researched, peer-reviewed, and widely recognized books within the academic community. These books often provide comprehensive coverage of knowledge that you can rely on.

There are endless creative ideas for history projects. You should choose something that you’re passionate about. We assume that this article has given you a project idea and by choosing the above tips, you can bring life to your history project.

History is no doubt one of the most interesting topics to explore in a research project. If you want to start your research journey, the Indigo Research Program is here to transform your idea into reality. We will pair you with mentors from top universities and turn your project into publishable research.

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History Lesson Plans

The Opper Project , Using Editorial Cartoons in the Classroom: These standards-based, teacher-created, primary source lessons are based on editorial cartoons covering more than a century of American history.

Teaching History with Historic Clothing Artifacts : The History Teaching Institute in conjunction with The Ohio State University Historic Costume & Textiles Collection provides lesson plans to teach history using historical clothing artifacts.

Cold Cases: Lessons in Historical Skills and Methods : These standards-based, teacher-created, primary source lessons feature primary source materials from the Byrd Polar Research Center archives at Ohio State—all organized around the theme of polar exploration.

United States History Lesson Plans : Here you will find a variety of lesson plans for elementary, middle, and high school grades. Most of these use primary sources, and all were prepared by teachers.

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World War II Lesson Plans were created by participants at a summer institute for educators (Ohio Chautauqua).

The Scientific Revolution : These lesson plans examine science, society, and culture from the 16th to the 18th centuries.

Inventors and Innovators Lesson Plans were created by educators at a summer institute (Ohio Chautauqua).

European History, 1450 - Present : These lesson plans include several primary-source based lessons.

Central Asia in World History : These are lesson plans in World History, World History AP, Geography, Family and Consumer Science, English, Journalism, Media Studies, and Global Studies for teaching Central Asia in World History.

Back to History: American History Lesson Plans created by educators

Back to History: American History Primary Source Activities created by educators

Lesson Plans Based on Current Events : These lesson plans are related to content from the "Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective" web site.

The purpose of this lesson plan is to place a human face on the Holocaust , by focusing on survivor's testimony, letters and journals from survivors and those who were killed, and poetry.

This lesson plan focuses on the French Revolution and how it challenged political, social and cultural norms in European society.

This lesson plan addresses the effect the Industrial Revolution had on people and industry.

These lesson plans focus on American history and integrate a variety of primary sources.

The Slavic Center at Ohio State University also has many K12 teacher resources, including some online teaching modules by some of our History Department faculty and graduate students. Check out their website here .

Direct links to the online teaching modules:

• " From Population Exchange to Ethnic Cleansing: Forced Migration in 20th-Century Eastern Europe " by Dr. Theodora Dragostinova. Format: Youtube video with a  fully accessible transcript available .
• " An Introduction to Uzbekistan " by Henry Misa, Alisher Khaliyarov, and Dr. Madina Djuraeva. Format: u.osu.edu website.
• " Medical and Healthcare Innovation in Estonia " by Dr. Lorraine Wallace and Steven Mousetes. Format: Youtube video with a  fully accessible transcript available . PowerPoint available for download through  Knowledge Bank .
• " An Overview of Czech Language, History, and Culture " by Ashton Kimbler. Format: Youtube video with a  fully accessible transcript available .
• " Youth Culture in Postcommunist Romania " by Dr. Adela Lechintan-Siefer. Format: Google website with embedded content.

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