Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution
"We, the People of the State of Alabama. . ." Did you know that the Alabama State Constitution has 357,157 words while the US Constitution has only 4,400? And that it has 798 amendments while the US Constitution has 27? Class groups...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama Slave Codes in 1833: What They Can Teach Us About Slaves Themselves
After viewing a short PowerPoint about Nat Turner's rebellion, class groups examine Alabama's 1833 slave codes. Individuals then develop a mini-legal brief arguing against one particular slave law.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Voting Rights for Alabama Women
What were the arguments put forth by those who opposed the 19th Amendment? For those in favor? Class members examine primary source materials that illustrate the intense debate in Alabama about women's suffrage.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Convict Leasing in Alabama: a System That Re-Enslaved Blacks After the Civil War
The post-Civil War convict leasing program, rarely covered in textbooks, is the focus of a lesson that asks class members to use information drawn from primary source documents to assess the program. While the focus is on Alabama's...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
From Alabama Farmer to Civil War Soldier
As part of a study of the Civil War, class members conduct a WebQuest to create a timeline of battles fought by the 10th Alabama Infantry Regimen. They then use Google Earth to pinpoint these battles of the Civil War on a map of Alabama.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
World War I and Alabama's Rainbow Division
As part of their study of World War I, class members investigate the role of Alabama's 167th Infantry Regiment, part of the Rainbow Division, in World War I.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
An African American Represents Alabama during Reconstruction
The era after the Civil War saw a flourishing of African Americans exercising their rights. Using graphic organizers and Internet research, pupils consider the legacy of Benjamin Sterling Turner, who sat in Congress. Afterward, they...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Cells for Sale - Convict Leasing in Alabama
The benefits and drawbacks of convict leasing following the Civil War are the focus of a lesson that asks groups to examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of the program before individuals decide whether they are in...
Curated OER
How Water Is Used
Students explain importance of water to life processes, discuss amount of daily home water use, and discuss major water uses in Alabama.
Curated OER
Alabama Fever
Students describe life on the Alabama frontier. They identify topics important to early settlers and explain the impact of geography on development. They explore the government's role in the sale of public land.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
America in Space: German Voices from Huntsville, Alabama
Project Paperclip, the Redstone Arsenal, and the Huntsville Space Center are all featured in a resource that investigates the contributions of Dr. Werner von Brawn and other German scientists to the US space program. Working individually...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Women of the Movement: Civil Rights Movement in Alabama
Many know of Rosa Parks involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, but who were other female leaders? The lesson focuses on female Civil Rights leaders and their achievements. Scholars complete research, participate in group discussions,...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
A Cry for Help in Alabama - 1934
What should be the role of the federal government during an economic crisis? That is the question at the center of this introduction to a study of the New Deal. Class members examine letters to the state government asking for help,...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama and the Treaty of Versailles
As part of a study of the treaty that ended World War I and the seeds of resentment it planted, class groups compare President Wilson's Fourteen Points and the articles of the Treaty of Versailles.
Curated OER
Patterns of Settlement in Early Alabama
Fourth graders study the settlement of Alabama. They collect data from the U.S. census website and answer questions regarding settlement patterns in the counties of Alabama in 1820. They write a paagraph describing where they would have...
Teaching for Change
A Documents-Based Lesson on the Voting Rights Act
How did the Voting Rights Act affect the daily lives of American citizens? A document-based lesson developed by the Student Non-Violent Coordinating committee (SNCC) presents a case study of the impact of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
The Great Depression - Hard Times Hit America
To gain an understanding of how the Great Depression affected everyday citizens, class members examine letters written either to the president or to the governor of Alabama asking for assistance.
Curated OER
A Map Can Tell a Story
Students use colored pencils to label maps of Alabama. They discuss where and if the state constitution should be put into effect. They identify voting patterns in the area and a relationship between areas of Alabama and political...
Curated OER
Where Do We Get Our Drinking Water?
Students compare land to water ratio on our planet, list sources of drinking water, list steps in cleaning water in treatment plant, describe natural filtering process, and explain danger of not testing drinking water from private wells.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Montgomery Bus Boycott: We Would Rather Walk!
Have historians use primary sources to learn about the circumstances and implementation of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and think about the issue of boycotts as a means of effecting social change. Wrap it up with a letter to the editor...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
The Effect of the Great Depression on Children
How did the Great Depression affect children? Sometimes studying the Great Depression means only studying about how it affected adults, however, relating the experiences of children and peers their age to themselves may make the...
Curated OER
SLAVE TRADING AND SMALL TOWNS
Pupils research the ways slavery shaped social and economic life in the South after 1800, the different economic, cultural, and social characteristics of slavery after 1800, and how the Atlantic slave trade finally ended.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
"Scottsboro Boys": A Trial Which Defined an Age
Here's a must-have resource. Whether your focus is racism, the Great Depression, the "Scottsboro Boys" trial, or part of a reading of To Kill A Mockingbird, the information contained in the seven-page packet will save hours of research...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Strange Fruit: Lynching in America
To continue their study of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the beginning of the civil rights movement, class members watch the YouTube video of Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" as an introduction to an examination of lynching in...