At Skokie’s East Prairie School, history is repeating itself as a group of four sixth and seventh grade students prepare for the National History Bee and Bowl in June.
For seventh graders Yaseen Ali and Liam Gallup, it will be the third consecutive year competing, with seventh grader Psalm DeVera returning for the second year—this time with her little brother, sixth grader Jash DeVera in tow.
In the five years that have passed since teacher Danielle DeCamp first brought the History competition to East Prairie, the anticipation surrounding the contest has grown, with students enjoying the competitive aspect of being pitted against other schools, DeCamp said.
The group of young history gurus advanced to the History Bowl after they became the only East Prairie students among a group of 13 students from the school who scored high enough in a regional contest in Barrington last month.
The students face questions about a number of areas, including world events, modern history, wars, and world leaders.
“It’s so much different than a spelling bee, where you get a list of words to study,” DeCamp said. “You never know what questions you’re going to get — it could be about anything.”
Which is why, as a first-year competitor in the National Bee, Jash DeVera isn’t taking any chances. In addition to reading as much about world history as he can, DeVera and his sister spend up to 30 minutes a day quizzing each other.
“Of course, practice makes perfect, so I followed that philosophy and reviewed,” DeVera said. “I have read many articles and prepared myself with questions that could pop up at any time, because you never know what you’re going to get in the Bee.”
Other students in the group who will head to the history competition at Rosemont’s Donald Stephens Convention Center June 9-11 said they spend up to three hours a night prepping for the contest. Gallup said it’s a nightly ritual for him to crack open his encyclopedias or turn on his iPad to start reading about history and memorizing facts.
“I’ve always had a fascination with history because it tells the story of how we came to be and it shows what we can be in the future and what can be prevented,” he said. “I started watching the History Channel when I was six and used to build replicas of battles with my Legos and other toys.”
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Teachers don’t require their students to study for the contest, but sometimes parents give their kids a little extra push to perform well.
“My parents didn’t pressure me to compete, although if I didn’t they wouldn’t be too pleased, Ali said. “I am passionate about history because I love to read and learn more about it, (so) my parents are very supportive of my participation in the History Bee.”
Held in conjunction with the National History Bee, which is an individual competition, the History Bowl is a team-based history competition that allows students to work together with their classmates against teams from other schools, according to the History Bowl web site.
The competition starts in November, when all kids in grades fourth through eighth take a written multiple choice exam. The top 10 scores qualify for the regionals rounds.
Last year, six students competed in the national contest in Louisville, and the East Prairie team traveled down to Atlanta the year before. DeCamp hopes having the Bee close to home this year will encourage more supporters to come watch the contest and help boost the team’s morale.
“When they go to the Nationals it’s always so exciting for them,” DeCamp said. “They’ll always remember this great experience for years to come.”
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.