About

 

Most public school students in Tennessee have no Tennessee history book, even though students in about half of the grades are required to learn parts of the subject every school year.

Because of this, it is more important than ever that students have a place to go for information on Tennessee history.

Tennessee History for Kids was chartered in November 2004 for the purpose of improving this situation. Step one was to research, write, and produce this web site. Since that time we have expanded our services to include email alerts, posters, videos, teacher training and Tennessee history “text-booklets” that students use in class.

Reach

About 8,000 teachers use the Tennessee History for Kids website and videos in class.

About 600 teachers use our booklets, which range from a first-grade basic social studies booklet to an 11th grade 20th century Tennessee history booklet. Some teachers use the booklets individually, while some school systems (Williamson County; Murfreesboro City; Sumner County; Weakley County; Cumberland County; Sevier County; Cannon Country; and others) purchase them for all their teachers.

Throughout the school year, TN History for Kids produces after school Zoom Inservices on topics that are in the social studies standards — from the Battle of Kings Mountain to slavery in Tennessee to the Manhattan Project to the Civil Rights Movement. Attendance at these events ranges from 25 to more than 100.

Also throughout the school year, TN History for Kids executive director Bill Carey does day-long “open house” events for individual classes. On September 17, 2024, more than eight THOUSAND students attended one of these events.

Every summer, TN History for Kids organizes and produces all-day retreats for teachers at various locations throughout the state. Among the locations where we have hosted such events are the State Capitol, Norris Dam; Discovery Park of America, the Memphis Cotton Exchange, the Hermitage, the National Medal of Honor Museum, the East Tennessee Historical Society, the Museum of Appalachia, the American Museum of Science and Energy, the Rhea County Courthouse, and the Franklin Civil War sites Carnton and Carter House.

Sponsors:

Tennessee History for Kids receives revenue from the state of Tennessee, from teachers who use our booklets, and from private sector sponsors.

Our current sponsors include:

Tennessee Valley Authority

Nissan

HCA

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, which publishes The Tennessee Magazine. TN History for Kids founder Bill Carey writes a monthly history column for The Tennessee Magazine. To read it, click here.

Among the hardback books Bill Carey has authored are these:

Fortunes Fiddles and Fried Chicken: A Nashville Business History (1999)

Chancellors, Commodores and Coeds: A History of Vanderbilt University (2003)

Master of the Big Board: The Life, Times and Companies of Jack C. Massey (2004)

Runaways, Coffles and Fancy Girls: A History of Slavery in Tennessee (2018)

True Tales of Tennessee: Earthquake to Railroad (2023)

Tennessee History for Kids’ mailing address is:

P.O. Box 210524, Nashville, TN 37221