Memphis Made: Our History, Our Stories, Our Future
One of the things we're especially proud of at Reading With Mrs. Richardson is that our Grahamwood students are learning through our very own Memphis Made literacy curriculum and workbook, an original educational resource we developed to connect reading, writing, critical thinking, and local history.
But Memphis Made wasn't created just for Grahamwood Elementary.
We developed this curriculum because we recognized an important opportunity: helping students strengthen their literacy skills while learning about the rich history of the communities around them.
So much of what students learn about history focuses on national events and well-known historical figures. While those lessons are important, we also believe children should understand the extraordinary people, neighborhoods, movements, and institutions that helped shape their own city.
Memphis has an incredible history. From the establishment of Orange Mound and the fearless journalism of Ida B. Wells to the courage of the Memphis 13, the Sanitation Workers' Strike, and the city's contributions to American music and culture, there are powerful stories right in our own backyard.
We wanted students to know those stories. More importantly, we wanted them to understand why those stories still matter today.
What's Inside the Memphis Made Workbook?
Originally developed for middle school students in grades 6–8, Memphis Made is organized into eight thematic units exploring Memphis history, culture, civil rights, and community leadership.
The curriculum covers:
Early Memphis: The city's origins, development, and the people who helped shape its growth.
Orange Mound: The history of one of America's earliest African American communities developed for homeownership and the importance of neighborhood identity.
Ida B. Wells: Journalism, the People's Grocery tragedy, truth-telling, and the power of the written word.
Jim Crow and the Memphis 13: Segregation, educational equality, and the courage of young people who helped change history.
The Sanitation Workers' Strike and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Workers' rights, civic action, leadership, and the struggle for dignity.
Beale Street, the Blues, and the Sound of Memphis: The city's extraordinary musical heritage and its influence on American culture.
Black Influence and Media: Storytelling, representation, journalism, and the role of media in shaping public understanding.
Black Excellence, Leadership, and Legacy: The accomplishments of Memphis leaders and the responsibility of future generations to continue building stronger communities.
More Than a History Workbook
Each unit is designed to help students develop essential literacy skills while engaging with meaningful historical content.
Students practice reading informational texts, building vocabulary, identifying main ideas, examining historical evidence, answering comprehension questions, and supporting their written responses with information from what they've read.
We also encourage students to make connections between historical events and contemporary issues, develop their own perspectives, and explain their reasoning.
But we didn't want the learning to stop when students closed their workbooks.
That's why our after-school programming brings the curriculum to life through hands-on projects, art, STEM activities, creative writing, group discussions, public speaking, and educational field trips.
Students aren't simply memorizing facts about Memphis. They're investigating questions, creating projects inspired by their lessons, working collaboratively, and practicing how to communicate their ideas.
We also created LOUD THOUGHTS, a social-emotional learning and creative expression journal designed to give young people a safe space to explore their emotions, reflect on their experiences, and express themselves through writing. We developed it because we believe literacy isn't just about reading words on a page. It's also about helping children find their voices, build confidence, and develop the emotional awareness needed to navigate life's challenges.
Bringing Memphis Made to Grahamwood Elementary
Although Memphis Made was originally developed for middle school students, we adapted lessons and activities for our fifth-grade scholars at Grahamwood Elementary.
Through our after-school program, students have explored important chapters of Memphis history while participating in creative experiences that reinforce what they've learned.
The curriculum gives us a foundation, but the hands-on activities allow us to make each lesson engaging, interactive, and appropriate for the students we're serving.
Our long-term vision is to bring Memphis Made into more classrooms, after-school programs, tutoring sessions, and community learning spaces throughout Memphis, Shelby County, and beyond.
We also hope to continue developing additional age-appropriate educational resources so younger students can begin exploring local history and strengthening their literacy skills.
Because children shouldn't have to wait until adulthood to discover the history of their own communities.
And they shouldn't have to choose between learning to read and learning something meaningful about the world around them.
With Memphis Made, we're doing both.
We're using the stories of our past to strengthen the readers, critical thinkers, and community leaders of tomorrow. 📚❤️
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