The theme changes every year allowing students to explore a new direction no matter how many years they compete!  The theme is intentionally broad to encourage investigation of a wide range of topics from local to global, and from ancient time to the recent past. Students should begin their research with secondary sources to gain broader context, progress to finding primary sources, and then develop a historical argument.  The historical argument or thesis answers the important question of why this particular event, person, or idea was instrumental in shaping history.