The Thunder Bolt

The Independent Social Science Research (ISSR) course, designed to equip students with the tools to investigate the world around them, has seen outstanding success this past year. This year, we celebrated a record-breaking performance in the required class competition, with our students achieving remarkable success and demonstrating an incredible level of dedication to their research.

The goal of ISSR is simple but profound: to teach students how to be curious, how to ask the right questions, and how to find the answers. To help students practice these skills, the course uses the National History Day (NHD) framework. It serves as the vehicle for their major project, guiding students through months of deep-dive research. The true value of this competition lies in its ability to empower students to follow their passions and apply the research techniques they've mastered.

This year’s theme, "Revolution, Reaction, and Reform," challenged students to look beyond the surface of historical events. Whether exploring the long-term impacts of social movements or the immediate fallout of political shifts, students were encouraged to analyze history through a critical lens.

While many might think of history projects as simple essays, the NHD competition offers five diverse categories for students to showcase their work, including individual papers, documentaries, websites, performances, and exhibits, with the option for students to complete these projects either individually or as part of a group.

This variety allows students to play to their strengths, regardless of whether they are tech-savvy web designers, aspiring filmmakers, or gifted public speakers. While the international affiliate is currently virtual, there is a growing push to turn it into an in-person conference, which would allow our student-researchers to network and share their findings with peers from around the world.

Beyond the trophies and accolades, Mr. Andrew Creek emphasizes that the real value of the ISSR course lies in the "foundational skills" it builds. "It’s about learning basic research skills before post-secondary education," the instructor noted, highlighting that these abilities, such as critical thinking, citing sources, and analyzing long-term impacts, will serve students in every field, not just the social sciences.

As the program continues its upward trajectory, one thing is clear: our students aren't just studying history; they are learning how to document it, one research project at a time.

Learn more about this year's winners and what their projects entailed:

 

3rd Place - Individual Documentary – Lan

Lan’s project tackled the complex legal legacy of the Nuremberg Trials. His documentary investigated how the 1945 trials served as a catalyst for modern international law. While many see the trials as a straightforward success, Lan’s research took a more critical turn.

"The Nuremberg Trials were revolutionary," Lan explained, noting how they challenged the concept of national sovereignty for the first time. However, his thesis also highlighted the "selective justice" of the era, which is the idea that only certain parties were prosecuted while others were overlooked.

For Lan, the third-place win was a nice bonus, but it wasn't the highlight. He found that the research confirmed his existing interests in geopolitics and international law while teaching him about later courts like the ICTY and ICTR. "I'm more proud of the documentary itself than the third-place prize," Lan shared, noting that the project was driven by a genuine passion for the subject rather than just a desire to win.

 

3rd Place - Senior Paper — Hong Anh 

Inspired by Marie Curie’s monumental scientific contributions and her enduring humility, Hong Anh embarked on an immersive research project exploring these profound themes.The project explored the discovery of radium and polonium, focusing on Curie’s unwavering dedication to science. This choice was deeply personal for Hong Anh, who found inspiration in how Curie explored the world of knowledge.

The competition served as a valuable learning experience that increased Hong Anh’s appreciation for world history and the impact of great scientists. While the third-place win came as a surprise, the primary goal was to improve research skills rather than to win a prize. Hong Anh felt grateful for the support of Mr. Creek and walked away with a clear goal to return to future competitions with even stronger arguments.

 

2nd Place - Senior Individual Website — Charlotte 

Charlotte combined her passion for feminism and media to create a website exploring "The Lily," which was the first fully woman-owned newspaper in the United States. Her research focused on the reciprocal relationship between the press and the women’s rights movement of the 1850s. She specifically examined how the media both shaped and reacted to public opinion regarding controversial topics like the temperance movement and Amelia Bloomer’s dress reform.

This was Charlotte's first major research project, and she spent the entire first semester gathering sources before tackling the challenge of a digital website builder. She found the process of seeing how feminism and media are interconnected to be deeply rewarding. She views this experience as a valuable introduction to the world of high-level research.

 

1st Place - Senior Individual Performance — Luna 

Luna’s project took a creative approach to history by exploring Eliza, an early interactive AI model from the 1960s that functioned as a digital psychotherapist. Her performance highlighted how Eliza revolutionized ethical thinking in computer programming by forcing scientists to consider the emotional impact of their work. Luna argued that this primitive chatbot blurred the lines between human and machine, leading to essential updates in the Code of Conduct for the Association for Computing Machinery.

The presentation was an individual performance where Luna played two roles: the professor who created Eliza and his secretary who became emotionally attached to the program. This format allowed her to represent both sides of the debate regarding the humanization of computers. Luna spent the entire semester researching the topic, a process inspired by a college course she took on AI ethics. Although she had to scrap her first script and start over, the final product won first place and helped her discover a new passion for the creative process and historical analysis.

 

Courageous Historian - Senior Individual Website — Kota

Kota’s project explored the historical tension between religious doctrine and the emergence of modern geology during the Victorian era. His research focused on how the discovery of "deep time" and fossils challenged traditional biblical creationism, specifically looking at the work of geologist Charles Lyell. Kota was inspired by historical scientific clashes like Galileo’s struggle with heliocentrism, and he wanted to investigate how the discovery of mass extinctions forced a revolution in both scientific and religious thought.

The process of building the website took half a year and taught Kota the difficult balance of presenting complex evidence within a strict word limit. He focused on making deep geological concepts understandable for a general audience without losing the strength of his research. Kota was nominated for a special award for choosing such an unconventional and specific topic. For him, the nomination served as a great form of validation for exploring the unique and often overlooked conflict between early fossil discoveries and Christian beliefs.

 

Honorable Mention - Senior Individual Website — Khanh 

Khanh combined a personal interest in art and symbolism with historical research to examine how visual media mobilized the Vietnamese people against French Imperial forces. Her project analyzed the specific colors and imagery used in flyers and posters to inspire resistance during the First Indochina War. Khanh argued that these artistic choices were not just decorative but were essential tools for communication and mobilization in the fight against colonial rule.

The project took about five months to complete as part of the independent social science course. Khanh faced significant technical challenges using the NHD website builder, which often had issues saving progress, but she used the experience to master new formatting and presentation skills. Although she initially joined the competition without expecting an award, she was surprised and grateful to receive an honorable mention for her work. For Khanh, the biggest takeaway was the importance of stepping out of her comfort zone and trying new experiences, regardless of the expected outcome.

Learn more about Concordia's High School Program.