Fairfax History

Goal:

Students will utilize skills in research and historical writing to research and present an original reporting
on the unique history of Fairfax County. This can include unique stories of individual residents of Fairfax
County, of a unique event that happened in Fairfax history, or of a place or community in Fairfax County.

Finished Product:

Students will work as individuals or in pairs to complete one of the following finished products:

Each student will work to create a digital document that is to be approximately (or minimum)

 750-1000 word blog post in length with three or more images

 between 5-10 minutes recorded material with a 200 word description
 a single original piece of fine art with a 500 word description
 a photo essay of at least 5-10 photos with a 500 word description
 an originally recorded musical composition (with lyrics) with a 500 word description
 a historical re-enactment (recorded) 5-10 minutes long with a 200 word description
 a recipe that includes researched narrative connecting it to Fairfax County with image,
750 words long hat explains the connection of this food to the history of Fairfax County.
 An immigration story with Google My Map that is annotated to include historical media
and a 750 word narrative

The product should be digitized and submitted in a format to be published on the website
https://ffxh.weebly.com . Completed work will be submitted to Google Classroom. A works cited page in
MLA Format is required. A minimum of ten primary source and five secondary source documents are
required. Two class periods to research will be provided.

Essential & Supporting Questions:

Students should reflect on the essential question to help find a topic to research and story to present. The
essential question is open ended, and requires answering several supporting questions to adequately
research the content. There should be evidence of each supporting question in your final product.

Essential Question
How does Fairfax reflect the story of America?
Supporting Questions  Students will identify a place, event, or person
 How do the people who occupied these spaces
that they are interested in researching.
contribute to themes or eras in American
 Students will contextualize the place, event, or
history?
person to historical concepts from the
 Do the physical location, buildings, and other
appropriate era.
artifacts reflect the hopes and aspirations of its
 Students will determine the effect of these
occupants?
historical concepts on the place, person, or event
in question.
 Students will explain how the place, person, or
event impacted the historical concept.
 How has government action or inaction shaped
 Students will examine the political issues from
the history that happened here?
the historical era in question.
 Students will determine how federal, state, and
local policy will impact the place, person, or
event in question.


 Students will contextualize the economic

 How has the economic value of this place
issues from the historical era in question.
influenced the history that happened here?
 Students will determine how economic factors
impacted decisions of the place, person, or event
in question.

Suggested resources for research:

 Local history websites

 Virginia Room at Fairfax Library  Fairfax County Park Authority
 Fairfax City History Museum Museum Collection
 Fairfax City Historic Tours &  Sully Plantation
Programs  Colvin Run Mill
 Blenheim  Frying Pan Park
 Fair Facs Gazette  EC Lawrence Park
 Fairfax City historian  Green Springs Garden
 Reston Museum  Old Colchester Park and Reserve
 Reston History Blog  US Census Bureau Fact Finder
 Riverbend Park
 Lorton Prison Museum  City-data
 Turner Farm
 Fairfax County Virginia Historical  Library of Economics and Liberty
 Town of Clifton history
Markers  Black history in Fairfax
 Fairfax County Historical Society  Library of Congress digital
 Fairfax County History Commission collection
 Virtual Fairfax  Encyclopedia of Virginia
 Virginia Museum of History &  The Northern Virginia Partnership
Culture  Mount Vernon
 Library of Virginia  Gunston Hall
 Gum Springs Museum  Virginia Museum of History and
 Braddock Heritage Culture Guide to African American
 Fairfax Historic Records Center Manuscripts
 Exceeds (100%) Meets (90%) Approaches (75%) Does Not Meet (63%)
Argument or Develops the argument or perspective with Develops the thesis with relevant Develops the thesis with limited Does not develop the thesis with
perspective precise, relevant assertions in the presentation assertions in the presentation of their assertions meaningful assertions
(15) of their concept topic
Provides compelling and insightful evidence Provides evidence including 10 Inconsistently provides evidence, Lacks evidence
including over 10 primary source documents primary source documents and 5 including less than 10 primary source
and 5 secondary source documents secondary source documents documents and 5 secondary source
documents
Evidence
(15) Purposefully varies the use of direct quotations Varies the use of direct quotations Relies on only one type of evidence Difficult to detect evidence
and paraphrased or summarized information and paraphrased or summarized presented.
information

Develops and strengthens the assertions with Analyzes the topic and evidence to Attempts to develop the topic and Does not relate the evidence to the
Commentary detailed analysis of the topic and evidence develop the assertions evidence, but analysis is inconsistent or assertions
(15) superficial

Organizes ideas and evidence within paragraphs Organizes ideas and evidence within Organizes evidence and reasons within Lacks a clear organizational pattern
Organization and into a logical and coherent sequence paragraphs into a logical sequence paragraphs inconsistently within paragraphs
Unity (5)
Employs contextualization, change and Uses contextualization, change and Uses contextualization, change and Does not use contextualization,
Historical thinking continuity over time, and/or compare and continuity over time, and/or continuity over time, and/or compare and change and continuity over time,
skills (10) contrast in a way that accurately and creatively compare and contrast accurately. contrast inaccurately. and/or compare and contrast.
examines topic.
Addresses civic, economic, historical, and Addresses civic, economic, Addresses civic, economic, historical, Does not address civic, economic,
Civics, economics,
geographic influences in accurate and creative historical, and geographic influences and geographic influences inaccurately. historical, and geographic influences
history, and
methods. accurately. accurately
geography (10)
Maintains sophisticated style, tone, and Maintains style, tone, and Uses inconsistent or sometimes Writes in an inappropriate style, tone,
presentation appropriate to audience and presentation appropriate to audience inappropriate style, tone, and presentation and presentation for the purpose of
purpose and purpose writing

Shows consistent control of sentence formation, Shows reasonable control of Shows inconsistent control of sentence Shows little or no control of sentence
Style, punctuation, and usage sentence formation, punctuation, formation, punctuation, and usage formation, punctuation, and usage
Usage, and and usage
Mechanics (10)
Credits the sources of quoted, paraphrased, and Credits the sources of quoted, Credits the sources of quoted, Does not credit the sources of quoted,
summarized ideas using MLA style consistently paraphrased, and summarized ideas paraphrased, and summarized ideas paraphrased, and summarized ideas,
and accurately using MLA style inconsistently or may not use MLA style or does not use MLA style

Creative use supporting media expands on Supporting media is expands upon Supporting media inappropriately Supporting media is inexistent.
writing with artistry and accuracy to further writing appropriately. expands on writing.
Supporting Media understanding of content
(20)