Education News for January 2022

Ready for Work at Box Factory

This primary source is a photograph of two women from the Old Hickory Powder Plant Box Factory dressed in the work uniforms they called womanalls. One of the women is seated on a box, presumably made at the factory. In the accompanying article published in the Old Hickory News, the women's foreman describes the women as "doing a man's work at a man's pay and doing it better than a man can do."

During World War I, after the Selective Service Act of 1917 passed, many American men were drafted into military service. Drafts and the need for war supplies led to labor shortages, which gave women the opportunity to apply for jobs in places they would have been denied employment before the war, such as munitions factories. More than 10,000 women worked at the Old Hickory Powder Plant Box Factory, opened by DuPont Engineering Company in 1918 in Old Hickory, Tenn., near Nashville. The powder produced at the plant could be used for firearms and artillery. Though plant construction was not completed by the time the Armistice was signed, five of the six powder units were operational and produced 501,000 pounds of powder a day.

This source meets the 5.49 and US.26 Tennessee social studies standards.

Discussion Questions:

Describe Tennessee’s contributions to wartime production during World War I.
Name at least three roles women played on the homefront during World War I?
Describe the "womanalls" worn by the women in this photo. Why would they need a uniform like this?
The women in this primary source worked at the Old Hickory Powder Plant Box Factory. The plant produced a powder that could be used for what purpose? How might the box featured in the photo and the powder be connected?

For additional primary sources on World War I, please be sure to visit our website.

DocsBox Reservations for the 2021-2022 School Year

Teachers, our engaging, uniquely designed, and FREE DocBoxes are available now! DocsBox reservations are open to educators in all 95 counties. DocsBoxes are educational resources that provide hands-on original and reproduction materials and historical primary sources to supplement the Tennessee social studies curriculum standards. Topics include the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Civil Rights and more! Each DocsBox includes creative lesson plans created by current classroom teachers and all the materials needed.

To reserve a DocsBox:

Select the DocsBox you would like to reserve
View the appropriate DocsBox calendar for availability
Fill out the contact form for the specific DocsBox with an open availability
Wait for confirmation from Library & Archives education staff

Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop - Lesson Plan & Virtual Storytime

This lesson plan provides activities linking the children's book, Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop, to the primary sources in our collection at the Tennessee State Library & Archives. This picture book tells the story of the Memphis Sanitation Strike of 1968. The ongoing strike attracted the attention of Martin Luther King, Jr., who came to Memphis in March and April 1968 to lend his support. The story is told through the eyes of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) became a federal holiday in the United States in 1983. This federal holiday honors the Jan. 15, 1929 birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is observed on the third Monday of January each year. All 50 states made this day a state government holiday by 2000.

Click here to check out our virtual storytime, Memphis, Martin and the Mountaintop.

Click here for primary sources about Martin Luther King, Jr. and see our website for more lesson activities related to children’s books.

Stories from the 16th State: Creating Classroom Engagement with Local History

During the 225th anniversary of Tennessee statehood, the Library & Archives invites teachers to attend workshops exploring our state's history. We're offering this workshop series to educators across the state until July 2022.

To register, click here and choose the location you’re interested in attending.

Workshop locations:

Murfreesboro - Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, at the Stones River Regional Library

Union City - Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, at Discovery Park of America

Jackson - Friday, Feb. 11, 2022, at the Hatchie River Regional Library

Memphis - Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, at the Shelby County Schools Teaching and Learning Place

Nashville - Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Library & Archives

Columbia - Tuesday, March 8, 2022, at the Buffalo River Regional Library

Cookeville - Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at the Falling Water Regional Library

Chattanooga - Wednesday, July 20, 2022, at The Teacher Place

Focusing on the use of primary sources found in the Library & Archives collections, these workshops will examine Tennessee history topics from the 4th, 5th, 8th grade and high school American history curriculum standards for social studies.

Discover Tennessee History Webinar Series

Discover Tennessee History is a seven-part webinar series for the 2021-2022 school year. Each month one Discover Tennessee History partner organization will offer a one-hour session exploring topics in Tennessee history with related primary sources and educational resources that can be used with your students.

Upcoming webinar:
225 Years of Tennessee Stories: Primary Sources and Resources Celebrating the 16th State

Jan. 11, 2022
5 p.m. ET - 4 p.m. CT

Presented by the Tennessee State Library & Archives

Join the Library & Archives as we walk through standards-based primary sources that feature engaging stories from the Volunteer State. Learn how to incorporate these sources and stories into the national narrative for your students. Participants will also discover the new and exciting online and in-person resources at the Library & Archives.

Click here for more information and to register for this session and upcoming sessions.

Lunchtime Speaker Series Commemorating Tennessee's 225 Years of History

The Library & Archives has launched a lecture series revealing the stories behind significant events in Tennessee’s rich 225-year history. The Lunchtime Speaker Series is in-person and live-streamed on the Library & Archives’ Facebook page and the Secretary of State’s YouTube channel.

Each event takes place from noon to 1 p.m. CT. In-person attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch. This series is free to the public. In-person seating is limited.

Click here for registration information.

Feb. 11, 2022 - Tennessee Frontier: How Tennessee’s Land Influenced Where Pioneers Settled led by Aaron Astor, a historian and associate professor at Maryville College

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