The AHTC Goes to Memphis! Part II

Wednesday, June 23^rd was a very full day for AHTC teachers in Memphis. The morning started with a self-guided audio tour of the National Civil Rights Museum. The museum begins with a timeline that started in 1619 and continues to present day. Teachers could board a bus and sit next to a replica of Rosa Parks, experiencing firsthand what it might feel like to be yelled at by the driver to move back. The tour also included walking through the room of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spent his last day, as well as a trip through the boarding house where James Earl Ray stayed during his time in Memphis. The National Civil Rights Museum was an especially powerful part of our time in Memphis. During the long lunch break at the Arcade Restaurant, many teachers opted to return to the museum for further discovery.

Following lunch, the group boarded the motor coach and headed to the corner of McLemore and College – the home of Stax Museum of American Soul Music. The museum represents the Memphis sound in the 1960s when rock and roll was starting. Stax Records launched the careers of dozens of famous soul and rock artists, notably Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MG’s, and Sam & Dave, among others. Teachers were able to watch videos of performances and interviews by the Stax artists and see everything from Tina Turner’s gold sequined stage costume to Isaac Hayes’ peacock-blue 1972 Superfly Cadillac El Dorado.

About 2 miles away from Stax is the recording home of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and, of course, Elvis Presley: Sun Studios. The room above the gift shop shares a visual history of the most active years at Sun Studios. Our tour guide, Cora, gave a great overview of the history of Sun Studios and the Memphis Recording Service, sharing stories of Elvis lying to get his first record made and the night the “Million Dollar Quartet” jammed in the studio. Down in the still-active recording studio, we were surrounded by instruments and pictures of artists who have recorded in Sun Studios over the years. Not only were photographs of the studio allowed, they were encouraged by our tour guide. Our teachers got to ham it up for the cameras, and AHTC Travel Coordinator Cynthia Logsdon even got in on the action!

Wednesday was an exhausting day, but many of us still took the time to watch the afternoon Peabody Hotel Duck March.

After spending most of Tuesday and Wednesday on a motor coach or in air-conditioned museums, Thursday was the first time we felt like true Memphians – hot and sweaty. According to the National Weather Service, our tough teachers endured a morning of weather that was sunny, 97 degrees, and 79% humid. We began the morning with a tour of the historic Peabody Hotel, led by Peabody Duckmaster Jason Sensat. He showed us the Memorabilia Room, the Francis Scott Key Piano, and of course, the Duck Palace.

Our trip to Mud Island River Park and Mississippi River Museum included a trip on the monorail made famous by Tom Cruise in the movie The Firm and a guided tour of key places along the lower portion of the river during the Civil War, as well as trip through the Mississippi River Museum. A welcome activity for many of our teachers was the opportunity to splash around in the replica of the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the tour.

Thursday afternoon, teachers were given the chance to explore Memphis on their own. Teachers visited places like the Memphis Zoo, the Gibson Guitar Factory, the Memphis Rock n Soul Museum. After the various adventures around the city, we all sat down to one last meal together at Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous where teachers enjoyed chicken or Memphis-style ribs.

The AHTC would like to thank our wonderful teachers who made the trip such a fun and educational event. Thank you especially to AHTC Travel Coordinator Cynthia Logsdon for planning such an incredible trip for everyone!

The AHTC Goes to Memphis! Part I

From June 21^st through June 25^th, sixteen teachers had the chance to explore Memphis during an AHTC Experiential Learning Trip. To prepare for the trip, teachers read books on Memphis and provided detailed descriptions of the books. They also attended a morning workshop featuring Jimmy “Mr. Memphis” Ogle. Mr. Ogle is a lifelong Memphian who has read over 300 books about the city he calls home!

Monday, June 21^st was a travel day for the teachers, and no group activities were planned. Many teachers chose to arrive at our hotel, The Peabody, early in the day in order to explore the city and its nightlife.

Tuesday began with a motor coach tour around Memphis as Jimmy Ogle shared more the city’s rich history. Teachers were able to see the places the group would soon visit, as well as the parks and neighborhoods of Memphis.

Following the motor coach tour, AHTC teachers received a brief lecture from Director of Operations, Carol Perel, at The Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange. Teachers then explored the museum, including a life-size replica of the trading board with actual figures from December 1939

as well as a historical timeline of cotton, and a hands-on exhibit where teachers could find out first-hand what it would feel like to drag a bag of cotton through the fields.

We had lunch at the Kooky Canuck on Tuesday before heading to the home of The King: Graceland. Teachers took a self-guided audio tour of the home of Elvis in small groups, including Graceland Mansion and grounds, Lisa Marie (the airplane), the Automobile Museum, and Elvis Presley: Fashion King. Included in the Graceland Mansion tour are the infamous Jungle Room, and the grave of Elvis and his parents. Following the tour of Graceland, teachers were given the night to discover Memphis’ dinner fare and nightlife.

West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd passes away at 92

Senator Robert Byrd, West Virginia, passed away Monday morning at 92. Mr. Byrd served West Virginia as a Senator for 51 years, a longer term than anyone in American history. He held many Senate offices, including president pro tem, majority and minority leader and chairman of the appropriations committee. Senator Byrd was known and respected for his fierce protectiveness of the legislative branch, his devotion to West Virginia, and his passionate, poetic rhetoric. A lover of history, Byrd was the author of a four-volume history of the senate and a fierce devotee of Senate traditions, always taking his seat to cast a vote. Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said Byrd “combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate.”

One result of Senator Byrd's devotion to American history, was the Teaching American History Grant programs, which have been so beneficial to the Urbana School District and the American History Teachers' Collaborative. We thank him for his years of service.

If you would like to read more about Senator Robert Byrd, please click here or here.

70s and 80s Mini-Summer Institute

In addition to the super-fun Pop Culture night on Tuesday, AHTC teachers spent a day and a half on Wednesday and Thursday studying pop culture and foreign policy in the 70s and 80s and the ways in which the two interact. On Wednesday morning, Melani McAlister, professor at George Washington University, addressed the group about the Iran hostage crisis and the ways that it was covered in news broadcasts and manifested itself in popular culture, such as the Delta Force movies.


Urbana Free Library's Carol Inskeep out together an amazing presentation covering video and documentary resources for the 70s and 80s. She even opened with historical pictures of Champaign-Urbana from the time period.

We finished up the day with presentations by two of our AHTC teachers. Danville High School teacher Jacob Bretz presented a lesson he designed after his 2009 Fellowship at the Champaign County Historical Archives. Jacob's lesson explored the OPEC oil embargo in the 1970s and how it affected local schools. During this session, Jacob discussed the importance of President Nixon’s speech during the crisis. The following are links to additional presidential speeches, including every State of the Union Address:

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/

Urbana High School teacher Michael Pollock drew upon his personal experiences to present about the student protests at the University of Illinois in the 1970s. Complete with pictures and newspaper articles, Michael's presentation was a great way of looking at national events through the lens of local history.


On Thursday morning, Dr. Andrew Hartman, professor of History and Social Science Education at Illinois State University, spoke about "culture wars" and what we could learn from a historical examination of them.

Overall, these were a great few days and a wonderful opportunity to turn a critical eye to the not-so-distant past. Thanks to everyone who participated for your enthusiasm and curiosity, which let to some wonderful discussions.

70s and 80s Pop Culture Special Evening event

To preface the 70s and 80s Pop Culture and Foreign Policy mini-summer institute, the AHTC hosted a special evening event of movies, trivia and music for a lighthearted look at the 70s and 80s. On Tuesday June 8th, our mini-summer institute attendees gathered to celebrate the culture of those bygone decades. Kim Lareau created an excellent playlist to carry us through the evening and Chuck Koplinski led the group through the top five movies of every year from 1970-1989. Everyone enjoyed guessing who was who (and laughing at the fashion choices!) in the old pictures that we gathered together.

People were pretty competitive during the trivia rounds:

and who can blame them, when we had such excellent prizes?



Thanks to everyone for your enthusiasm! You made the night a blast.