National History Day Website on Three Mile Island Timely

Sophomore Fiona Lynch created an insightful and timely website for this year’s National History Day contest. The teenager titled her project: “The Three Mile Island Accident: How This Chemical Leak Threatened The Rights And Responsibilities Of People.”

The catastrophe at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania occurred on March 28, 1979 when the second of two units suffered a partial meltdown. While no deaths or injuries were reported, the accident led to the entire plant being shut down.

This year’s National History Day contest theme is “Rights & Responsibilities in History.” “Finding a topic for me was difficult in the beginning because I wasn’t really coming across topics that interested me,” Ms. Lynch wrote in her process paper. Nuclear accidents have always intrigued me and I thought finding something that correlates to nuclear accidents would go very well with the theme Rights and Responsibilities. The topic of Three Mile Island stuck out to me because it was a major nuclear accident, which took place in the United States. This topic really challenged the rights of the people as well as the responsibility for workers and important people of the power plant.”

The research process was a time consuming learning process for Ms. Lynch. She really delved into the topic and was able to develop an excellent website.

“I didn’t know much about this accident, so I had to begin by looking through research to better understand the topic,” the sophomore said. “I relied primarily on educational websites and databases to ensure the information I gathered was both accurate and reliable. Using these credible resources helped me obtain a well-rounded collection of facts and perspectives.”

Ms. Lynch used a variety of sources to complete her project. “Throughout my research, I discovered primary and secondary sources, each offering insights that were significant to my project,” she said. “The primary sources provided direct evidence, while the secondary sources provided interpretations and broader context. Incorporating these materials enriched the content by adding depth and credibility. I found many pieces of evidence that aligned with specific pages I was working on, which enhanced my ability to connect my topic to the theme Rights and Responsibilities.”

Ms. Lynch worked hard to balance all of the research. “I included a variety of quotes, both from everyday citizens and individuals in positions of higher authority, which greatly enhanced my project by providing multiple perspectives on the event and its impact,” she said. “These viewpoints helped illustrate the broader social, political, and emotional responses to the crisis, making my project more engaging. However, finding credible information, quotes and media was challenging, especially since this was my first time participating in National History Day and creating a website for my project. Despite these difficulties, the process taught me research skills, like how to evaluate sources for reliability and how to use primary and secondary materials to support my arguments. This experience also improved my learning on the Three Mile Island accident.”

Ms. Lynch plays on the Blue Devil tennis and golf teams and is a member of the Grandfriends club. She came to Huntington UFSD as a fourth grader and said she is having a great experience at the high school.

The Three Mile Island catastrophe put the breaks to a large extent on nuclear power in the United States. However, with all the clean energy goals associated with the fight against climate change, many are taking a new look a nuclear energy. In fact, there are plans to reopen the undamaged Unit1 at Three Mile Island in 2028. It will be renamed the Christopher M. Crane Clean Energy Center.

“This event is significant because it was the first nuclear accident of its kind in the United States, shaping how the country manages nuclear energy and safety today,” Ms. Lynch said. “The partial meltdown caused widespread fear, leading to evacuations of some and public panic, but it also united people. The incident exposed the need for better communication and stricter safety measures, prompting changes in nuclear regulations. Its legacy continues to influence discussions on nuclear power, safety and environmental responsibility.”

Click on this link to view the website: https://site.nhd.org/95525646