Lincoln Life Lessons WRITING CONTEST
– Call for Essay, Poetry or Narrative Entries –
Scholarships and Prizes will be Awarded
Student Writers Wanted!
Available only to middle school, high school and college students in North Dakota, the Lincoln Life Lessons writing contest
invites you to submit a 1,000 word or less original piece of literary work in honor of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial on
February 12, 2009. The theme for your work—Lincoln Life Lessons: Responses to Diversity, Freedom, History or Leadership—
requires a bit of backward glancing into what Lincoln stood for and the tasks he accomplished. See the resource suggestion list
or develop your own*. Your job is to meld three important ideas into one cohesive piece of writing: 1) Abraham Lincoln, 2) North
Dakota, 3) your world or your perspective. Prize packages and scholarships will be awarded in each category at each entry level.
Writing Categories
Poetry
Essay
Narrative (autobiographical or fictive)
Contest Entry Levels
th
th
th
Middle School – 7 , 8 , 9 grade students
th
th
th
High School – 10 ,11 , 12 grade students
College – any age full-time student enrolled on any one of North Dakota’s 13 college campuses
North Dakota English & history professors and professionals will judge your submissions according to the following criteria:
Content - 70%
Lincoln history/principle application
North Dakota history/culture application
Personal or Present-day application
(additional for narrative: action, descriptive detail, character believability, unstilted dialogue, etc.)
(additional for poetry: imagery, language conservation, word play )
Organization – 20%
Thoughtful, reader-friendly order
(for essay: close adhesion to thesis or central idea
solid introduction and conclusion relationship
secure transitions between topics/points)
(for poetry: creative attention to form and flow)
(for narrative: engaging opening, climax & dénouement)
Style – 10%
Voice / Creativity
Vocabulary / Language Convention
Editing
Contest Rules:
You must be a student enrolled in secondary (grade 7-12) or post-secondary full-time education in North Dakota.
Your essay or narrative submission must be 1000 words or less; your poem must be no more than 500 words.
Your work must be original and unaided. Please do not copy another person’s work.
You may enter in only one of the three categories.
Your submission must be typed in a clear, legible font. Do NOT write your name on the front sides of the essay itself.
Your entry must include the following TYPED information, adhered to the back side of the last page of your entry:
Name, age, date of birth, category, title of entry.
School name, address, telephone number and teacher's name (if applicable).
Home address and telephone number.
Paragraph describing artwork and connection to contest theme.
Your submission with entry form must be post-marked or delivered to High Prairie no later than December 12, 2008.
All entries should be mailed or delivered to
Frances Leach High Prairie Arts & Science Complex
1810 Schafer Road, Suite 6
Bismarck, ND 58501
Attn: Literary & Visual Art Contest
Please contact program coordinator Jennifer Haaland with any questions: [email protected], (701) 471 9492.
All letters become property of the Frances Leach High Prairie Arts & Science Complex. Please make a copy of your entry as no
letters can be returned.
* Possible resources are listed on the contest cover letter or can be found at www.highprairiecomplex.com, though credible
teacher-directed or student-discovered resources are also permissible.
- forms available at www.highprairiecomplex.com Write your way from the amazing past to a shining today & tomorrow!
Lincoln Life Lessons ART CONTEST
– Call for Watercolor, Pencil/Charcoal or Acrylic/Oil Entries–
Scholarships and Prizes will be Awarded
Student Artists Wanted!
Available only to middle school, high school and college students in North Dakota, the Lincoln Life Lessons art contest invites
you to submit an original art work in honor of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial on February 12, 2009. The theme for your work—
Lincoln Life Lessons: Responses to Diversity, Freedom, History or Leadership—requires a bit of backward glancing into what
Lincoln stood for and the tasks he accomplished. See the resource suggestion list or develop your own*. Your job is to meld
three important ideas into one cohesive creation: 1) Abraham Lincoln, 2) North Dakota, 3) your world or your perspective. Prize
packages and scholarships will be awarded in each category at each entry level.
Art Categories
Pencil or Charcoal
Watercolor
Acrylic or Oil
Contest Entry Levels
th
th
th
Middle School – 7 , 8 , 9 grade students
th
th
High School – 10,11 , 12 grade students
College – any age full-time student enrolled on any one of North Dakota’s 13 college campuses
North Dakota art & history professors and professionals will judge your submissions according to the following criteria:
Composition / Content – 50%
(20%) Expression of meaning measures how well the project has represented the artist’s choice of Lincoln & North
Dakota-related ideas and makes the theme clear to the viewer. The artist's statement will be considered in making this
judgment.
(20%) Expression of emotion refers to the extent to which the project can be expected to evoke an emotional
response in the viewer.
(10%) Composition--strikes a pleasing visual balance, static or dynamic, using the various elements of the project
Organization – 15%
(5%) Completed according to guidelines of size, options for artistic mediums, and includes accompanying
paragraph
(10%) Relevance---Close adhesion to the Lincoln/North Dakota theme and its connection to the artist’s world.
Style – 35%
(20%) Creativity --the newness and originality of the design.
(15%) Overall impression--addresses the project as a whole, and is often based on the first glimpse of the
finished piece. Without regard to the other criterion, does it stand on its own as a good and complete work of art?
Contest Rules:
You must be a student enrolled in secondary (grade 7-12) or post-secondary full-time education in North Dakota.
Your submission must not be smaller than 5 X 7 or larger than 16 X 20 inches inclusive of matting.
Your submission must be matted in your own choice of matting materials, but matting may not exceed the dimensions listed
above. Framed entries will not be accepted.
Your work must be original and unaided. Please do not copy another person’s work.
You may enter in only one of the three categories.
You may use any type of paper, but only the mediums listed in the three categories: pencil or charcoal, watercolor, acrylics or
oils.
Your entry must be accompanied by a brief paragraph that articulates your piece’s connection to the contest theme.
Your entry must include the following TYPED information, adhered to the back side of your work:
Name, age, date of birth, category, title of entry.
School name, address, telephone number and teacher's name (if applicable).
Home address and telephone number.
Paragraph describing artwork and connection to contest theme.
Your submission with entry form must be post-marked or delivered to High Prairie no later than December 12, 2008.
All entries should be mailed or delivered to
Frances Leach High Prairie Arts & Science Complex
1810 Schafer Road, Suite 6
Bismarck, ND 58501
Attn: Literary & Visual Art Contest
Please contact program coordinator Jennifer Haaland with any questions: [email protected], (701) 471 9492.
Frances Leach High Prairie Arts & Science Complex is unable to return art work. Please make a digital copy of your entry, or call
to make special arrangements.
* Possible resources are listed on the contest cover letter or can be found at highprairiecomplex.com, though credible teacherdirected or student-discovered resources are also permissible.
- forms available at www.highprairiecomplex.com Create a glowing expression of the amazing past that shines new light on today and the future!
Lincoln Life Lessons Literary & Visual Arts Contest
– ENTRY FORM –
Scholarships and Prizes will be Awarded
Creative Students Wanted!
Entry (Mark one only per entry):
Entry Level:
Middle School (7-9) _____ High School (10-12) _____
College (12+) _____
Literary Contest _____
Essay _____
Poem _____
Narrative _____
Entry Title: _____________________________________________
Entry Word Count: ____________________________
Art Contest _______
Pencil/Charcoal _____
Watercolor _____
Acrylic/Oil _____
Entry Title: _____________________________________________
Entry Dimensions (including mat) _______________________
Entrant Name:
________________________________________________________
Address:
________________________________________________________
Phone:
________________________________________________________
Grade & Age: ___________________________________
School Name:
________________________________________________________
Address:
________________________________________________________
Phone:
________________________________________________________
Teacher’s Name (if applicable): _______________________________________
Local Newspaper Name: ____________________________________________________
Address:
_________________________________________________________
Extra entry forms and guidelines available at www.highprairiecomplex.com
** Please keep a copy or digital image of your entry**
High Prairie Arts & Science Complex is unable to return entries. Please contact Jennifer Haaland,
Program Coordinator, 701-471-9492, [email protected], for special arrangements or with
questions.