For the third time in his young school career, Jefferson McDonald will be competing in the National History Bee and Bowl, both with his team and as an individual from June 9 to 12, in Chicago. McDonald, a Cornwall-on-Hudson resident, is a fourth grade student at Tuxedo Park School.
McDonald’s interest in history started with the animated television program, “Liberty’s Kids.” The show, centered around the origins of the United States, depicts kids involved in major events during the Revolutionary War.
Three years ago, McDonald qualified for his first national competition. His mother, Christine, a history teacher at the school, said his entry wasn’t planned.
She said she wrote the questions for the school’s qualifying exam and decided to give the test to her son to see how he would do. Not only did he pass, but he survived the regional and state competitions to qualify for the bigger stage.
As a third grader, McDonald returned to nationals. He finished as one of the top 10 students in the New York region and was part of the team that finished second at the Connecticut State History Bowl at the junior varsity (grades 9 and 10) level.
In December, the 10-year-old became the youngest student to qualify for the high school level National History Bee. He’s currently ranked 123rd in the nation at the high school level. His most recent accomplishment was winning the New York State Regional History Bee.
The competition includes multiple rounds of essay-type questions. Each question provides clues to the answer, with the hardest clues at the beginning and the easiest at the end. The earlier someone answers correctly the more points they get.
Questions can range from the Byzantine Empire, to Ancient Greek Warfare, to the United States labor movement. McDonald’s favorite period in history is the era of the Napoleonic Wars.
“I really like the Napoleonic strategy, and the uniforms,” he said. “They’re just beautiful.”
To prepare, McDonald carries around a binder with sample questions. Once a question has been used in competition, it’s considered dead and can be used as a study guide. McDonald also reads history books, watches documentaries, and history-related videos online. He said he spends about two hours a day immersed in history. This doesn’t include the three hours a week he spends practicing with his bowl team.
McDonald admits participating in both the bee and the bowl is exhausting, but he enjoys doing it because its fun and competitive.
McDonald also learns about history through his parents, not because they’re history teachers, but because their family vacations follow a specific theme. Two years ago, for example, they visited the southern states and stopped at each of the sites where battles broke out during the Civil War.
This weekend, McDonald will travel to Atlanta to compete with his team in the National Quiz Bowl Championships.