Humanities Tennessee Awards for Teachers and Students

Nominate an Outstanding Humanities Teacher

Humanities Tennessee seeks nominations for the *2010* *Awards of Recognition
for Outstanding Teaching of the Humanities*.  Full-time public or private
3rd – 12th grade school teachers in Tennessee are eligible, and any
Tennessean may nominate a teacher.  The award is available to teachers who
have demonstrated excellence in teaching the humanities and make the
humanities an important part of their students' lives.

Up to six teachers will receive a *$2,000 fellowship* *to further their
professional development in the humanities*. The teachers’ schools will also
receive a *$1,500 for humanities programs and materials.*  “Teachers often
tell us this award is a career highlight,” says Paul McCoy, Program Officer
with Humanities Tennessee.  “Teachers have followed the trail of Lewis and
Clark, toured archaeological sites in Mexico, visited European basilica
mosaics, seeing for the first time what they have long taught.  Simply put,
this program changes lives.”

Since the Teacher Awards program began in 1985, Humanities Tennessee has
provided almost $400,000 to Tennessee teachers and schools.  The humanities
include, but are not limited to, the study and interpretation of the
following: language; literature; history; philosophy; archeology; ethics;
and the history and criticism of the arts.

Draft nominations must be postmarked by December 31, 2009.  Final
nominations must be postmarked by January 31, 2010.   Nomination forms may
be obtained by contacting Paul McCoy at 615-770-0006, ext. 17,
paul@humanitiestennessee.org, or by visiting www.humanitiestennessee.org.
 
Letters About Literature Contest for Students

Humanities Tennessee, Home of the Tennessee Center for the Book has
officially launched the 2009-2010 Letters About Literature contest. The
Letters About Literature contest is a national reading and writing promotion
program for 4th-12th grade students. To enter: students - select a a fiction
or nonfiction book, a short story, poem, essay or speech (sorry, no song
lyrics) you have read and to which you reacted strongly or about which you
have strong feelings. Write a letter to the author about your reaction and
send it in with the entry form. There are cash prizes and more for winners
at all levels!

Deadline for Letters About Literature is December 12, 2009. If you would
like further information about how to get your school involved or for full
guidelines, please contact Lacey Cook: Lacey@HumanitiesTennessee.org or
visit our website:www.humanitiestennessee.org/youngwriters/letters.php.

 Read, write, reflect, connect!

NHD Online Discussion on the Web Site Category

NHD Online Discussion
Web Site Category

When: Tuesday, November 10
3:00 – 5:00 pm EST

Where: Logon to the NHD website, www.nhd.org. The exact location and instructions will be announced soon.

How: Email your web site category questions to info@nhd.org starting on Friday, November 6 with “online discussion question” in the subject line. We will post answers to these on Tuesday at the start of the online discussion. From 3 – 5, you can participate in a live online discussion by sending questions to the same email, info@nhd.org and watch the answers post on our website.

Remember – this online discussion is all about the web site category and the new changes for this year.

Gatlinburg area viewing of History Day projects

If you're in the Gatlinburg area this weekend, join the East Tennessee Historical Society at Gatlinburg's Anna Porter Library on Sunday, October 4, 2009 at 2 p.m. for a public viewing of some of the projects on Gatlinburg, Pittman Center, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from last year's History Day competitions. For more information, check out the press release here: http://www.tennesseehistory.org/HistoryDayNews.htm.