News and Updates
Changes and updates for 2024 (new!)
Contest
Promo Video #1 (students from one school tell why they
love contest)
Contest Promo
Video #2 (one student tells why she loves contest)
Teacher-to-Teacher Tips
"Texas State German Contest at 40" newsletter
series (full of tips for contest prep and Pass auf!
study material)
Houstonfest Scholarships
Scholarships at State
State Promo Video Contest
Tips for Pair Discussion
Arrival at Heights High School
Lunch options
Daily log of changes to
state-qualifier list
Photo Gallery
Important Dates
Tue., Jan. 16, 2024, 11:59
p.m.: Houstonfest registration
spreadsheet due for regular price of $12/student (payment does not have
to be mailed until 1/22).
Mon., Jan. 22, 2024, 11:59
p.m.: Houstonfest registration spreadsheet
due
for late price of $15/student. Deadline to postmark Houstonfest payment.
Sat., Jan. 27, 2024, 9:00 a.m.:
Submission of entries in the 7 virtual Houstonfest events due (get link to
Google Form from your teacher).
Tue., Jan. 30, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Remote
judging of the 7 virtual Houstonfest events ends.
Wed., Jan. 31, 2024, 9:00 p.m.:
Houstonfest changes (adds,
drops, substitutions) due. After this point, no more changes will be allowed.
Sat., Feb. 3, 2024:
Houstonfest,
Heights High School, Houston.
Fri., Feb. 9, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: State
online registration due for "early bird" price of $12/student (payment does not
have to be mailed until 2/14).
Wed., Feb. 14, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: State
online registration due
for
regular price of
$15/student. Deadline to postmark State payment.
Sat., Feb. 17, 2024, 9:00 a.m.:
Submission of entries in the 7 virtual State events due (get link to
Google Form from your teacher). Also,
Mary El-Beheri Memorial Scholarship
applications due.
Mon., Feb. 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m.:
Entries in
promotional video contest
due to State director.
Tue., Feb. 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m.: Remote
judging of the 7 virtual State events ends.
Sat., Feb. 24, 2024:
Texas State German Contest, Texas State
University, San Marcos.
Sat., Mar. 2, 2024, 11:59 p.m.:
Houstonfest Scholarship applications due.
Sun., Mar. 10, 2024:
Gail Cope
State Scholarship applications due.
Tue., April 30, 2024:
Gail Cope Teacher Grant applications due.
|
Rules:
Research Paper
Entry Limit:
1 research paper per school, with 1-2 authors
Length Limits:
minimum 700 words, maximum 1000 words, not including Works Cited
This is a "virtual event."
You must submit your entry no later than one week before the contest. Specific
instructions for uploading the entry will be published on the contest website
and/or distributed to teachers each year.
Write a research paper in English on an interesting German-Texan
cultural and/or historical topic. The topic should not be commonly known: a
particular person, family, place, building, business, area, group, settlement,
organization, church, tradition, activity, practice, etc. The paper should
contribute to a greater understanding of German-Texan history and/or culture.
The entry must be typed and double-spaced and have internal documentation with
proper in-text citation and a Works Cited page, as per MLA (Modern Language
Association) guidelines. Follow the rules in the latest MLA Style Sheet, paying
special attention to rules for entering Internet sources. Use at least three
sources, at least two of which must be non-Internet. Digitally
archived sources originally published in hard copy may be counted as
non-Internet sources. Sources should include primary
sources and
secondary sources.
Primary sources are evidence in the form of artifacts, photos, letters,
interviews, music, charts, illustrations, etc. with a direct connection to the
era being studied. They may be personally documented by the contestant(s)
(photos taken, interviews recorded) or found in personal collections, archives,
libraries, museums, etc.
Secondary sources are documents that discuss or analyze primary
sources and topics - primarily other academic work.
All entries will be checked for plagiarism via turnitin.com or a similar
service.
-
Using MLA Style, include your name(s), your school,
the date, and the title of the paper at the top of page 1.
-
To include photographs, other images, and/or audio
materials, add an appendix after the Works Cited page. Images may be pasted
directly into the document. Audio files should be linked, e.g., via a Google
Drive link.
-
Convert the
completed research paper, including the Works Cited and any appendix, to a
single PDF file and upload it according to the instructions provided.
Download critique
sheet.
Read about
scholarships for the winners of the
Research Paper contest at State!
Help with MLA Style:
Purdue University MLA Formatting and Style Guide
Note: The judges will have an actual copy of the
latest edition of the
MLA Handbook (9th edition, 2021). If you use online "cheat sheets" that claim to summarize MLA rules, such
as the one linked above, rather than referring to the actual MLA
Handbook, you do so at your own risk. Make sure that any
website you are using is based on the new 9th edition from 2021. |
|
When is the next Houstonfest?
Saturday,
February 3, 2024 Where
is Houstonfest?
Heights High School
413 E. 13th Street, Houston, TX
77008
Link to Texas State German Contest
Texas
State German Contest on Facebook
Texas
State German Contest 40th Anniversary Facebook Group |