Tn State Museum mark

Enter a search request and press enter. Press Esc or the X to close.

Close

Junior Curators

Each week on the Junior Curators blog, we travel back in time to a different place in Tennessee history. Stories may be about a famous person, place or event from Tennessee’s past. They will include things like priceless artifacts, pictures, videos, and even some games. Be sure to better understand the story by answering the questions at the end of each post.

After learning the story, be sure to share what you've learned with your parents, family, or friends. Try making your own exhibit about it, shooting a movie, or writing a story about it. Let your creativity run wild!

7-30-20

Locked! Tennessee History Scavenger Hunt

by Lauren Grizzard Junior Curator, we need your help! There is important Tennessee history locked away and it’s up to you to unlock the information and share it! Using the link below, click on any lock and answer the question. If you need a hint, click on the lightbulb. The hint may lead you to another website, so make sure that’s okay with your parent/guardian. When you type the answer in, click on the key to see if it unlocked. The lock will turn green when you answer correctl... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-30-20

7-28-20

The Clinton 12: The Integration Story of Tennessee’s Public Schools

by Mamie Hassell  Do YOU love school? Smart teachers, cool computers, a fun playground, art class, fancy instruments for music class, a big library, wonderful sports, and a tasty cafeteria for lunch. Are these some of your favorite things about it? Well what if your school had all this cool stuff, but another school in your town did not? Do you think this would be fair? Sadly, schools were not always equal. Black students were not given rights because of the color of their skin. Many B... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-28-20
African American History Communities Tennessee in the 20th Century

7-21-20

Meet me at the Fairy Floss Stand! Tennessee’s Sweet History of Cotton Candy

by Morgan Byrn In 1904, people were introduced to Fairy Floss at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. What is Fairy Floss? That was the original name for cotton candy. So how does all of this relate to Tennessee history? Let us dive into the sweet, sugary past of cotton candy. William Morrison and John C. Wharton lived in Nashville, Tennessee in the late 1800’s. Mr. Morrison was a dentist, and Mr. Wharton was a candy maker. Can you believe that a dentist and a candy maker we... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-21-20
Innovations Tennessee in the 20th Century

7-17-20

Did You Know? 5 Weird Tennessee Facts

by Lauren Grizzard Did You Know? 5 Weird Tennessee Facts 1. The city of Kingston was one of the four cities that served as State Capital. What made this one interesting? It was only Capital for ONE day before a vote was taken to move back to Knoxville.  2. The soda Mountain Dew was created in Tennessee in the 1940s! 3. Reelfoot Lake was created by a series of earthquakes in the 1800s. The earthquakes were so powerful, it caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards! The... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-17-20

7-14-20

Maxwell House Coffee and Nashville

Maxwell House Coffee Tin from about 1955-1965 (Tennessee State Museum Collection) by Grace Allen Did you know coffee beans are actually green? They get their brown color from being roasted! As a kid, you may not drink coffee. I bet you know someone that does. Your parents or your teacher may drink it every morning. Today, most of the coffee you see in stores is already roasted and ground. This was not the case before 1900. Most people bought green coffee beans and prepared them at home. ... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-14-20
Innovations

7-7-20

What Does a Tennessee Cave Have to Do with Stamps?

by Christopher Grisham If someone tells you that you’ve got mail, most people today think of e-mail. Packages are delivered mostly by FedEx, UPS, or Amazon. To talk to you, your friends may use the phone to call or text you instead of sending a letter. When your parents open the mailbox outside, it is probably full of junk mail and bills. It may seem like it would be easy to live without the Post Office today, but using it is still a great way to commmunicate.  Envelope with st... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 7-7-20
Innovations Jacksonian Tennessee

Tennessee State Museum © 2021 Memphis Web Design by Speak