SS4

Grade 4, Social Studies
Std 5: Describe Alabama’s entry into statehood, including Alabama’s constitutions and the three branches of government.

Lesson Plans:

From Territory to State
Students will identify the early governors, identify the location of the territorial capital, temporary capital, and first permanent state capital, identify the first steps necessary to change from a territory to a state, compare the cost of supplies as government became more complex, and compare the role of government officials then and now.

Alabama Fever
Students will explain why the Founders thought republican government was the best type of government and discuss the importance of the concepts of the common welfare and civic virtue in a republican government.

A Map Can Tell a Story: Students will be able to identify various counties in Alabama, recognize voting patterns, and discuss a possible link between the geographic areas of Alabama and political opinion.

"We have...no member...who can speak" Students will be able to identify the concerns of the black voters in Alabama in 1901, analyze an historic document, discuss the predictions made by Washington concerning the changes which were proposed affecting the black community.

An Opposite View Students will be able to identify and discuss opposite historical positions, synthesize a letter of response using historical background.

Voting After the Constitution of 1901 Students will be able to define the terms "suffrage" and "poll tax", discuss the limitations of suffrage as written in the 1901 constitution, compare and contrast voting qualifications and rights from the Jim Crow era and those of the present.

Fact Versus Opinion Students will be able to distinguish between fact and fiction in a one day selection of the Official Proceedings of the Alabama 1901 Constitution.

Resources:

Alabama's Six Constitutions: An overview and copy of each version.

Democracy for Kids: A PBS resource.

Alabama Department of Archives & History: Timelines, activity sheets, teacher resources.

Alabama History Timeline: A very thorough resource.

Alabama Experience: From Territory to State: This is the story of life in Alabama during 1819 when Alabama became a state. At that time Huntsville was where 44 leaders met to write a constitution for Alabama to establish it as a government and to design laws for the new state. United Streaming.

Suggestions for English Language Learners:
(E/B=Entering/Beginning, D=Developing, E=Expanding)

(E/B) Students reproduce historical highlights from timelines or visually supported newspaper headlines.
(E/B) Students produce entries for historical journals from timelines or visually supported newspaper headlines.
(E/B) Students gather research with a partner.
(E/B) Students scan for information.
(E/B) Students develop a pictorial timeline.
(E/B) Students create a diorama.
(D) Students maintain historical journals in chronological order based on timelines or newspaper headlines.
(D) Students match visual with a description.
(D) Students use well-illustrated resources. Complete a graphic organizer with student-researched information.
(D) Write questions on researched information in groups. Then ask each other questions following a teacher model.
(E) Students produce reports from historical journals (using technology).
(E) Students respond to inferential questions.
(E) Students write a short report.

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