TAH II Lexington Field Trip and Appreciation Event
On Wednesday, May 14, TAH II participants visited Lexington’s historic homes and the Lexington Cemetery. Lexington attorney and authority on the Civil War in Kentucky, Kent Masterson Brown led the tours.
The first stop of the day was the Hunt Morgan House where we saw the home and artifacts of the prominent Hunt Morgan family. The most familiar of whom is General John Hunt Morgan, who made many heroic raids for the Confederacy through out the states of Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio.
Our next tour was of the Mary Todd Lincoln home. There we saw portraits and artifacts belonging to the Todd family and to Mary. One of the most memorable parts of the tour is when we were told that unlike most things in the house we were encouraged touch the original hand rail or “shake hands with Mr. Lincoln and the Todds” as we descended the stairs in the house.
We also made a brief stop at Ashland, the home of Henry Clay, and heard an interesting story about General John Hunt Morgan and a small skirmish fought on the grounds.
The Lexington Cemetery was the next stop as we visited the beautiful grounds and final resting place of many of the people who played a prominent role in the history of our state such as the Todds, Hunt Morgans, Breckinridges and Clays. Interesting family and political connections were made as Mr. Brown shared the history of these famous people with the group.
We finished the day with a catered dinner and a Chautauqua performance of Mary Todd Lincoln by Angela Bartley at the historical Berry Hill Mansion in Frankfort. The participants and many of the professors and partners in our grant were able to see each other and enjoy a final gathering as the grant comes to a successful conclusion.
TAH Grant Teacher Begins Junior History Club
Becky Mattingly, a Cedar Grove Elementary School teacher and TAH II grant participant has initiated a Kentucky Junior Historical Society in conjunction with the Kentucky Historical Society. Becky meets once a month with students after school. The club is open to 4th and 5th grade students and she has about 20 children involved this year.
Each month students bring a historical artifact to share with the group. They also spend time on a social studies online game called Study Island. The students compete for top scores. The can also access the game at home and receive prizes according to who spends the most minutes playing each month. At the beginning of the year each student chooses a historical person to research and each time they meet the student updates the group on their research. Becky is using the students’ research to create a History Museum that will be presented in May. Club members also wear club t-shirts that say “I’m Making History”.
The children involved in the club receive a membership card, which allows for free or discount admission to museums. They also receive a newsletter and the opportunity to attend trips and conventions. There are also competitions in which students can participate.
She believes that the students are scoring better on social studies related assessments and that the students have increased their passion for history and independent learning.
More information for beginning your own Junior Historical Society club can be found at the KHS website.
TAH Schools Implement Movie Maker in Their Classrooms
The TAH grant was able to bring Dr. Kathy Swan, professor from the University of Kentucky, to the elementary classrooms of Shelby County’s Abby Thurman and Bullitt County’s Kim Tabler for some hands on help with Movie Maker technology. The students were able to produce several movies dealing with the topic of Irish Immigration in the 1850s. Dr. Swan met with the teachers after school to begin the planning and to follow up and debrief at the end of the experience. Kim and Abby both felt that the experience was extremely helpful in delivering the core content of immigration to their fifth grade students and are now ready to incorporate this new technology in their teaching. As they are now experts in the use of Movie Maker they are planning on sharing their new found knowledge and experience with fellow colleagues and other history grant participants.
View photo album of the Documentation Center in the Hall of Congress building that today houses a museum on the history of the Nazi Party. The building is one of the last Nazi built structures in Nuremberg and was never finished. Also view the Palace of Justice site of the War Crimes Trials. Next view the Nazi Parade Grounds as they existed in the 1930's and as they look today. It is still a visible reminder of the large Nazi Party rallies held in the mid-1930's.
Click here: View Album
TAH Student's Book Review
Read the book review by Kevin Vachon, an 8th grade student at Eastside Middle School in Bullitt County. Kevin reviews the book, Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution
By: Woody Holton. Click here to read the review.
Which President refused to attend the inauguration of his successor?
A. George Washington
B. John Adams
C. James Madison D. John Quincy Adams
E. Andrew Jackson Click here for answer
This Month's Historical Newsreel:
1945 Nuremberg War Trial Opens
"A labor baiting, poker-playing, whiskey-drinking evil old man."
- John L. Lewis, US Labor Leader on John Nance Garner
"He was a muddled, totally irrational man, almost incapable of uttering a coherent sentence. He was also the bitterest man I have ever encountered."
- Harry S. Truman on his predecessor as Vice President, Henry Wallace
"Much of what Mr. Wallace calls his global thinking is, no matter how you slice it, still Globaloney."
- Clare Booth Luce, US Congresswoman, on Henry Wallace
"A treacherous brain-damaged old vulture...They don't make 'em like Hubert any more--but just to be on the safe side, he should be castrated anyway."
- Hunter S. Thompson, US Journalist on Hubert Humphrey
"An empty suit that goes to funerals and plays golf."
