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Peeping

Kids Write

History

The contest

Inspiring Students to Explore Local History

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Kids Write History is an essay contest of the West River History Conference to promote 4th-grade students’ investigations into local history by interviewing and recording conversations with family members, community elders, or loved ones.

 

By writing short essays about these influential people, personal memories are preserved and passed on to future generations.

 

Essays will be judged, and four winners will be awarded $75 and the opportunity to have their essays published.

 

Writing Paper

For 4th Grade students

1

Students

  • Pick a person that you admire and want to know more about.

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  • Interview them, asking questions about their childhood experiences or how they survived past events. 

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  • Plan a one-page essay to be written in class on the KWH stationary provided.

2

Teachers

  • Inform your students of the essay contest, during the first weeks of the school year.

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  • Set apart a one-hour time to allow students to write their essay. This essay should not be a polished homework assignment, but rather a language sample opportunity.

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  • Keep it to a one-hour time limit.

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  • Detailed contest rules are below, including submission guidelines.

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  • Submit essays by: 
    September 18, 2025.

3

Rules

  • Essays will be judged by a committee of educators and historians.

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  • There will be four winners, one from each of the following categories: Family Legacy, Community Impact, Historic Account, Biography.

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  • Essay winners will receive $75, the opportunity to attend a public award presentation at the 2025 WRHC in Deadwood, South Dakota, and publication of their essay in the biannual WRHC Collected Papers which is also permanently archived in BHSU Archives and Special Collections, accessible online.

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