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Fairfax Elementary Students Partake in History Day Project
May 19, 2023 -- Fairfax Elementary 4th graders are exploring new frontiers as part of this year’s Ohio History Day. Students interpreted the theme, New Frontiers: People, Places and Ideas, in their own unique ways, with projects ranging from the more traditional topics such as the Underground Railroad and women’s suffrage to early leaders of the LGBTQ+ movement and modern leaders like LeBron James.

As Ohio History Day states on its website, “What’s important to remember is that frontiers can be about more than just physical spaces.” One group studied the frontiers – or barriers – that Jesse Owens overcame as an Olympian while another looked at the “final frontier” of space travel in their study of the NASA Glenn Research Center. Others focused on Neil Armstrong, the War of 1812, and the important role played by the Lockbourne Air Force Base during World War II. One group wanted to research a more modern change-maker and chose LeBron James and his I Promise School in Akron.

Students were able to select their own groups from across the three 4th grade classrooms and spent two afternoons each week for more than a month working on their projects. At the culminating event on May 12, teachers, fellow students, and family members were invited to view the completed projects. There were plenty of tri-fold displays and several slide shows of information. There was also an interactive game and a comic book about the Apollo 11 mission.
 
One group of girls wrote and performed their own play about the women’s suffrage movement. Set in both modern times and the 1850s, it focuses on one 21st century young woman who thinks voting is a waste of time. Her friend is horrified by her apathy and manages to bring them both back to the mid-19th century to witness Susan B. Anthony and her peers getting arrested for demanding the right to vote. Complete with costume changes and well-placed humor, the play really drove home the importance of voting. As one of the four girls said, “I used to think that voting maybe wasn’t all that important. But now I think that if you have the chance, you should absolutely do it.”
 
That sentiment alone should show that History Day was a rousing success.