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Teaching with Primary Sources-MTSU 2017 Summer Institute

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Institute participants will visit Carver High School, which began as a Rosenwald school, in Brownsville.

The Teaching with Primary Sources-MTSU 2017 Summer Institute will explore the Jim Crow period, focusing on the years from 1896 to the 1930s. The Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 granted Constitutional approval to segregation as long as it was “equal.” This stamp of approval from the Supreme Court allowed Southern states to continue with the roll-back of African Americans’ rights that had started as soon as Reconstruction ended. African American communities responded by continuing to build institutions such as schools, churches, businesses, and social organizations to improve their lives and to support their vibrant communities in the face of the harsh segregation system.

Content experts will discuss the changes happening in Tennessee during this pivotal period, including the building of Rosenwald schools across the state. Participants will spend time researching relevant collections, exhibitions, and materials available from the Library of Congress. Experienced educators will share strategies on incorporating the inquiry method and primary sources in the classroom. Participants will visit several sites in West Tennessee, and TPS staff will discuss the importance of using historic sites as primary sources and strategies for connecting site visits to classroom teaching.

Dates: Tuesday – Thursday, June 13-15

Location: West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center

Theme: Building Community in the Age of Jim Crow

The goal of the institute is to provide educators with a strong foundation in the historical content related to the theme; provide instruction and share strategies for using primary sources both in the classroom and in conjunction with visits to historic sites; and immerse participants in relevant collections and materials available from the Library of Congress Web site.

Click here for a schedule and more details.

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