What is History Day?

President Johnson Addressing the Tennessee General Assembly, March 15, 1967

National History Day is a year-long curriculum enhancement program that engages students in grades 6-12 in the process of discovery and interpretation of historical topics. Students produce dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, multimedia documentaries, websites, and research papers based on research related to an annual theme. These projects are then evaluated at local, state, and national competitions.

The 2011 competition theme is Debate and Diplomacy in History: Successes, Failures, Consequences.

For complete information about History Day, go to: http://www.tennesseehistoryday.org
If you have questions, email your state coordinator, Kelly Wilkerson, at historyday@tennesseehistory.org.

When can I visit TSLA?
As of July 1, 2011, we are open Tuesday – Saturday from 8:00am – 4:30pm (Central Time).   The majority of our materials have been transferred to microfilm and are available whenever we are open. The manuscript materials which have not been microfilmed -- including photographs and maps -- are only available for viewing in the Manuscripts Reading Area. The Manuscripts Reading area is open Tuesday through Saturday 8:00am - 4:30pm (Central Time).

We like to spend extra time with students and teachers who are new to the facility. We urge you to call (615) 253-3469 in advance or email gwynn.thayer@tn.gov  to make an appointment with a member of our education outreach team.

We also have a special “Getting Ready for History Day” seminar planned just for you at TSLA on December 4, 2010. For more information, click HERE.

What resources do you have at TSLA?
Many of our resources are available digitally. To begin exploring our resources, go to:
http://www.tn.gov/tsla/resources/index.htm
In order to see most of our materials, however, it is necessary to come visit us in person.  We can show you how to use our online catalogue so that you can explore all of our collections. Our staff has put together a helpful guide for history day: click HERE for suggestions on how to begin your research.

Updated June 30, 2011