Education News for November 2020

Hall's Self-Feeding Cotton Gin and Condenser

This primary source features an advertisement showing farm equipment with a caption that reads, "Hall's Self-Feeding Cotton Gin and Condenser." The cotton gin is a device for removing the seeds from cotton fiber. In 1794, Eli Whitney developed a cotton gin that cleaned short-staple cotton. With this device, fifty pounds of cleaned cotton could be produced in a day.
In the 1800s, cotton was the cash crop in West Tennessee because it was well suited to that region's climate and soil. Most cotton was shipped down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and then to Great Britain or New England. There it was manufactured into cloth.
This source meets the 4.20 and 8.34 Tennessee social studies standards. For more information on the cotton economy, be sure to visit our website.

Digital Breakouts!

Our education team is excited to announce a new project to bring collections virtually to you and your students through our Digital Breakout games.  These online games challenge your students to explore primary sources and secondary sources in a fun and engaging way with the goal of breaking out.  Each game focuses on a different topic or set of grade-specific Tennessee social studies standards.  No two games are alike, so your students will enjoy playing each one.  Find our current selections here.  Our staff is creating games each month, so check back for new games!  This month, try out our Civil War digital breakout on the 8th grade Civil War standards. 

The Concord Review

The Concord Review, a National Council for History Education membership partner, publishes exemplary history essays by high school students in the English-speaking world.  With the Fall 2020 issue, 1,383 research papers have been published from authors in 46 U.S. states and 42 other countries.  The Concord Review remains the only quarterly journal in the world to publish the academic history papers of secondary students.  Please click here for information on submitting works to this publication.

On This Day in History

Nov. 24, 1859 - Charles Darwin publishes his theory on evolution in On the Origin of the Species sparking great controversy.
Nov. 6, 1860 - Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States.
Nov. 19, 1863 - President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.
Nov. 28, 1925 - The Grand Ole Opry radio show debuts.

Thanksgiving menu 1921, Engers, Germany

This primary source is a menu for Thanksgiving in 1921 that belonged to Corporal Roy R. Stephens, Company H, 5th Infantry Regiment. Stephens was part of the American Army of Occupation of the Rhineland immediately after the armistice. A company roster is included in the menu, which predates Stephens' promotion to corporal, as he is listed as a private.
Visit our website for more primary sources featured in The Progressive Era and World War I.
Webinar Series

The Tennessee State Library and Archives education team is offering a professional development webinar series this school year.  See the topics below!
A Document a Day to Keep Your Students Engaged:  Resources from the Tennessee State Library and Archives will take place on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET.  This session will be held in partnership with Discover Tennessee History.
Rockin' Around the Family Tree: Genealogical Resources from the Tennessee State Library and Archives will take place on Dec. 10 at 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET. 
To register, visit our website!
Tennessee Blue Book:  A History of Tennessee - Student Edition

Are you teaching Tennessee History this school year?  If so, check out the Tennessee Blue Book:  A History of Tennessee - Student Edition for student-friendly text, primary sources and assessment quizzes that tell the story of the great state of Tennessee!
Click here to check it out!
Note:  (Please email education.tsla@tn.gov for quiz/discussion answer keys.)
DocsBox Reservations

The Woman Suffrage DocsBoxes are still available, completely free of charge through December 2020.  DocsBoxes are a great resource for virtual teaching.  DocsBoxes include creative and unique lesson plans created by current classroom teachers and all the materials needed for the different activities. 
To reserve your dates for this wonderful resource, please visit our website.
Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)

The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) provides access to World Book encyclopedias, scholarly journals, the Tennessean newspaper archives and so much more!

The Tennessean (1812-2002) and The Tennessean (2002-Present) are two of the many resources featured in TEL.
Our mission is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness and accountability in a customer-centered environment.
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