Tennessee Blue Book becomes source of online lesson plans

The Tennessee Blue Book, considered the state’s definitive government almanac, is now the source of 15 online lesson plans and teaching aids for K-12 educators and students in civics or government classes.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett, whose office publishes the printed Blue Book every other year, unveiled the resource on Monday.

The curriculum aligns with the state’s current social studies standards and was designed by seven teachers from across the state who were appointed in March to a task force for the project.

“The Tennessee Blue Book serves as a powerful textbook for our state’s educators,” Hargett said in a press release. “Tennessee’s students and teachers will benefit from the task force’s dedicated work.”

The Blue Book contains extensive information about government structure, as well as the history of Tennessee. Its contents range from the full text of the Tennessee Constitution to state symbols to an extensive listing of elected officials.

The online lessons can be found here. The 2015-2016 edition of Tennessee Blue Book is scheduled to be published in January.

The task force consisted of Erika Ashford, Shelby County Schools; Cindy Bellamy, Sullivan County Schools; William Freddy Curtis, Cannon County Schools; Rebecca Marino, Cleveland City Schools; Addison Pate, Metro Nashville Public Schools; Gordon Sisk, Knox County Schools; and Lain Whitaker, St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Shelby County.

Members of the Secretary of State’s Blue Book Curriculum Task force, including Secretary of State Tre Hargett, at right (TN.gov)