Tennessee State Guide

General Information

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Timeline

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Fun Facts

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Landmark Postcard

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Essential Questions for Tennessee

1. What are some significant events in the history of Tennessee?
2. What are some facts and features that make Tennessee unique?
3. What are some interesting places in Tennessee that people would want to visit?

All About Tennessee

Date of Statehood: June 1, 1796 (16th state)

State Motto: Agriculture and Commerce

State Nickname: The Volunteer State

State Bird: Mockingbird

State Tree: Tulip Poplar

State Flower: Iris

Tourist Attractions: Graceland, Country Music Hall of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Dollywood.

Famous Citizens of Tennessee: Bill Belichick, Kenny Chesney, Usher, Davy Crocket, Justin Timberlake, Morgan Freeman, Miley Cyrus, Aretha Franklin, and Dolly Parton.

Capital City: Nashville

Major Cities: Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville

Brief History of Tennessee

Bones and artifacts that are thought to be over 10,000 years old surfaced in a backyard, proving that people inhabited the land long before the Native American tribes such as the Shawnee, Cherokee, and Chickasaw. Many years later, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the land in 1541, and in 1754 the French and English battled over the land in the French and Indian War. The British owned the land until the American Revolution, after which Tennessee became its own state in 1796.

In 1830, President Jackson forced all Native Americans to leave the land with his Indian Removal Act, and when the Civil War broke out in 1861, Tennessee was divided. Eventually they decided to join the Confederacy, although men went to fight on both sides of the war. Many famous battles during the Civil War were fought in Tennessee, such as the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Chattanooga, and the Battle of Nashville. Tennessee was the first state to rejoin the Union in 1866.

Students will create a historical timeline, a postcard, a spider map, and a fun facts storyboard showing what they have learned about Tennessee. Creating these visuals gives the students the opportunity to show their creativity and their unique view of the state that they have researched. In addition, the combined use of words and illustrations allows students with different learning styles to show what they know in an exciting and eye-catching way.