Discover Tennessee History
Stories, Strategies, Source
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Jackson State Community College
9:00 am to 3:30 pm, CDT
Join Discover Tennessee History for our first conference featuring sessions from each of our member organizations. Sessions will explore topics such as reading artifacts, the Tennessee frontier, integrating literacy and children’s literature, woman suffrage, historical thinking, Civil Rights Movement in Tennessee, improving student research skills, and secession and union. Each session will support the new social studies standards.
Dr. Carroll Van West, state historian and director of the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, will open the day with a keynote speech exploring why Tennessee History matters.
Registration for the conference is $15 and includes lunch and curriculum materials. Advanced registration and payment is required.
| 8:30 a.m. | Registration | Lobby |
| 9:00 a.m. | Welcome | 114 |
| 9:15 a.m. | Keynote Speech | 114 |
| 10:15 a.m. | Break | Break |
| 10:30 a.m. | Session 1 | 135A, 234, 247 |
| 11:45 a.m. | Lunch | 247 |
| 12:45 p.m. | Session 2 | 135A, 234, 247 |
| 2:00 p.m. | Break | Break |
| 2:15 p.m. | Session 3 | 135A, 234, 247 |
| 3:30 p.m. | Dismissal | Dismissal |
Title: Tennessee’s Role in the Civil Rights Movement: Exploring Key Moments Using Historical Thinking Skills
Description: This session will explore key moments in the Civil Rights Movement from each grand division of Tennessee: Highlander Folk Center (East), the Nashville Sit-ins (Middle), and the Tent City Movement (West). Using historical thinking skills including change over time and contextualization, participants will examine each to determine their impact in the state and on the larger Civil Rights Movement.
Title
A New Tennessee: How the TVA Reshaped the State
Description
The creation of the TVA reshaped Tennessee in almost every way possible as it tried to remake the economy, the land, and even the people of the state. Join the Tennessee State Museum staff as we introduce ways to bring the Great Depression and creation of the TVA into your classroom using personal stories, artifact based activities, and resources from the new museum.
Title
Suffrage Showdown: Stories, Strategies, and Sources for teaching the journey to the Nineteenth Amendment
Description
Join the Tennessee State Library and Archives as we navigate through the woman suffrage story of the summer of 1920 in Tennessee. Through fun, hands-on, classroom-ready activities complete with primary sources, teachers will explore both sides of the votes for women movement.
Title
A Story of Emancipation and Secession: Using Primary Sources to Examine the Tennessee Stories of Freeman George Erskine and Confederate Chaplain George Eagleton
Description
This session begins with the engaging story of George Erskine and his daughter Martha. Various secondary sources, including a children’s picture book, are used to build a question bank which, in turn, introduces the primary sources documenting their family’s emancipation story. Then, through clues found in the Erskine story, we discover the story of Reverend George Eagleton’s conflicted decision to support Tennessee secession. Eagleton’s diary testifies to the difficult debate between Union and Secession going on in early 1861.
Title
Discover Tennessee History Day
Description
National History Day is a curriculum and competition for students grades 6-12. The content is determined by the educators and students. The methodology depends upon primary sources and critical analysis, resulting in creative project based learning. Learn how to incorporate History Day into the classroom and what resources are available for Tennessee themed documentaries, exhibits, performances, websites, and papers.
Title
Learning about Tennessee History through Tennessee State Parks
Description
The sense of place is a powerful teacher for students of all ages. This session will demonstrate some of the ways that Tennessee State Parks can help your class experience Tennessee History. We will discuss ways that Park Rangers can bring field trips to your class. Join one of the rangers from Fort Loudoun State Historic Area, as they take you on a virtual tour through the reconstruction of the fort. In addition, participants will hear from one of the Park Rangers from nearby Pinson Mounds State Archaeological Park. This staff member will detail the ways a field trip to the site can cover state history and STEM standards.
