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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!

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5-19-20

Marathon Motor Works: The First Cars Made in Tennessee

by Christopher Grisham                                                                 In 1913, the first transcontinental highway across the entire United States was finished. They named it the Lincoln Highway and it went from New York City to San Francisco.  A sudden boom in people buying a new invention called the... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-19-20
5th Grade

5-15-20

First Peoples Quiz

by Lauren Grizzard Native Americans were the first people to live in Tennessee before it was even a state! We have learned a lot about Native Americans and their culture through archaeology (are-kee-all-o-gee). That means to carefully dig artifacts out of the ground to study. The four time periods in the quiz today are prehistoric. Prehistoric is a fancy way to say there wasn’t a written language. Since we don’t have writing to study to know about early Native American culture,... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-15-20
4th Grade 5th Grade 3rd Grade

5-14-20

The Unwanted Journey on the Trail of Tears

by Emilee Dehmer Just imagine: It’s a Tuesday. The sun is shining brightly in the sky and the weather is the perfect temperature outside. You are playing with your sibling when you see someone in the distance. It looks like they are wearing a uniform. It looks like they have a gun. You run inside to tell your parents, when the stranger in the distance starts shouting. As they come closer to your house, you hear them say “Everybody out!” Your parents quickly try to... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-14-20
4th Grade 5th Grade

5-11-20

I Spy State Symbols

by Grace Allen Did you know Tennessee has more state symbols than any other state in the United States? In fact, we have more than thirty symbols! State symbols are things that represent, or stand for, Tennessee’s land and people. The most famous is our Tennessee flag. Believe it or not, Tennessee had been a state for over one hundred years before it finally got a state flag. The flag has three stars in the middle, which stand for the three grand divisions of Tennessee. The... Read More
Posted by Katie Yenna at 5-11-20
1st Grade 2nd Grade Kindergarten 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

5-8-20

Artifact Scavenger Hunt: Search Our Collection

by Lauren Grizzard Welcome to your first day on the job, Junior Curator!  As a Junior Curator, you can help tell the many stories about the Tennessee State Museum. The collection is where we keep all of our artifacts. Artifacts are the things we show at the museum. We have so many artifacts that they can’t all go on display at the same time. Think ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ warehouse. Okay, it isn’t THAT big. So we started putting things... Read More
Posted by Lauren Grizzard at 5-8-20
3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

5-5-20

The WASP That Doesn't Sting

by Lauren Grizzard Doris Brinker Tanner was a WASP. No, not the insect that flies around and stings. WASP stands for Women Airforce Service Pilot. During World War II, most men were needed as soldiers. Because of this, the military turned to women for help. One of these ways was to become a pilot ! Doris Tanner Many women in Tennessee served as WASPs. One of them was Doris Tanner. Doris learned to fly planes in college. She went to the University of Tennessee in... Read More
Posted by Joseph Pagetta at 5-5-20
5th Grade

4-27-20

How Museums Tell Great Stories

by Jeff Sellers Do you like Show and Tell at school? When I was a kid, it was my favorite part of the school day. The teacher let you bring in something from home. When it was your turn, you could lift up your toy or doll and tell your classmates about it.  In a way, this is what museums do. They hold very special objects called artifacts. Artifacts are objects used by people a long time ago. Artifacts tell stories about a person, a place, or events. A curator is the person in... Read More
Posted by Joseph Pagetta at 4-27-20
Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

4-22-20

How Young W.C. Handy Grew Up to Become “The Father of the Blues”

by Jeff Sellers The day finally arrived.  For weeks young W.C. Handy had worked odd jobs. He picked berries. He made soap. He saved and saved. Now he had enough money to buy the guitar he always wanted.  Young W.C. loved music. I mean really loved music. He played every chance he could get. Every Sunday he played at church where his father was the local pastor . When he proudly showed the guitar to his mother and father, they were displeased, or unhappy. W.C.... Read More
Posted by Joseph Pagetta at 4-22-20
5th Grade
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