In 1950, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a home for his son David and daughter-in-law Gladys on 10 acres in the middle of citrus groves at the base of Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona. The design elevated the home in the form of a spiral rising from the desert floor, converting the treetops into the lawn and revealing 360° views of the mountains forming the valley. Mr. Wright title of the plans “How to Live in the Southwest.” Completed in 1952, the David Wright House is one of three spiral designs realized by Mr. Wright and the precursor to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The house is regarded as Mr. Wright’s last residential masterpiece.
We are excited to support National History Day (www.NHD.org) with this Spring Event.
NHD is a non-profit education organization that engages over half a million middle- and high-school students around the world annually in conducting original research on historical topics of interest. These projects are entered into contests at the local and affiliate levels, where the top student projects can advance to the National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park.
The idea was the brainchild of history professor David Van Tassel, who was worried about the decline of the humanities in general and history in particular in America’s schools in 1974. Van Tassel was particularly distressed by the boring rote memorization he saw in most history classrooms. He wanted to reinvigorate the teaching and learning of history.
He employed a contest format to motivate students to study the past—and engage in the art of historical inquiry. Van Tassel didn’t want a history-light spelling bee, instead he wanted students to ask provocative questions, conduct research, and analyze information to draw conclusions. He called it “History Day.” The name stuck, but the day turned into a year-long educational experience.
Today NHD contestants become writers, filmmakers, playwrights, web designers, and artists as they create unique, contemporary expressions of history. National History Day is a learning adventure that teaches critical thinking, writing and research skills and boosts performance across all subjects – not just history. To facilitate this, NHD provides a framework and curriculum materials for teachers and guidance for students.
