Using the Tennessee 4 Me Website

GRADES: 5 and 9 (United States History)
 
DURATION: 45 minutes, online


MATERIALS:
 
 

Introduction:

The Tennessee State Museum was created in 1937 to house World War I mementoes and other collections of documents, paintings, and historical objects. The Tennessee State Museum currently occupies three floors. The museum has six permanent exhibits.
The Tennessee4Me.org website is sponsored by the Tennessee State Museum.   When finished, it will contain nine “permanent exhibits.” Like exhibits at a museum, each exhibit can help you imagine what it was like living in Tennessee at different times in the past. You can view old paintings, old photographs, old documents, and old objects. But the website gives you even more information to explore. And you can visit anytime you want to!
 

Guiding Questions: 

  • What can we learn about a particular time period in Tennessee/American History by visiting the Tennessee4Me.org website?

Objectives:  Students will 

  • Explore the Civil Rights / Cold War section of the Tennessee 4 Me website.

Assessments:

  • Have students locate particular information on the website.

Procedure:

  1. Pass out copies of the Student Pages, not including the Scavenger Hunt Questions.
  2. Orally go over the Background information with students.
  3. Have students follow the steps listed in the Procedure to explore the website. (For younger students, you may want to lead them through these using your Teacher Station.)
  4. Pass out copies of the Scavenger Hunt Questions and give students time to try to find the answers.
  5. Use the Key to go over the answers.

Extensions:

  • Have students create additional Scavenger Hunt Questions.

Standards:

  • Tennessee Social Studies Process Skills (http://state.tn.us/education/ci/ss/process_std.shtml):
  • The student will use social studies process standards to acquire information, analyze, problem solve, communicate, and develop a historical awareness.
  • Discover resources available from museums, historical sites, presidential libraries, and local and state preservation societies to acquire information.

 

 
 
National History Standards: K-12 Historical Thinking Standards
 
STANDARD 2 : The student comprehends a variety of historical sources:
E. Appreciate historical perspectives--the ability (a) describing the past on its own terms, through the eyes and experiences of those who were there, as revealed through their … arts, artifacts, and the like;
G. Draw upon the visual … sources including: (a) photographs, paintings, …to clarify, illustrate, or elaborate upon information presented ….