Alabama Biographies of the 20th Century  Students will recognize and examine the lives of Alabamians who have impacted the lives of others and the history of the state with their notable contributions during the first half and last half of the twentieth century.  This interdisciplinary lesson relates social studies, language arts and reading.  Through this inquiry study, students will research the person's contributions, write a short biographical summary, and as an extension, create a 3-D scan picture relating to the life and times of the individual.

I Have a Dream
Students will relate the past with the present, encourage peaceful social activism to enable change, and encourage awareness of current events.

Riding the Bus - Taking a Stand
Students will identify the policy of segregation which existed in Alabama, define the legal idea of being "separate but equal", define and describe an editorial, discuss the impact of social unrest and inequality upon economic development, describe Dr. King's theory of non-violence and its impact upon the Civil Rights Movement.

Constitution of 1901
Contains six lessons: A Map Can Tell a Story, Petticoat Power!, "We have...no member...who can speak", An Opposite View, Voting After the Constitution of 1901, and Fact versus Opinion.

Famous Alabamians: Helping Me Learn How I, Too, Can Make a Difference!  Students will work to create their choice of a presentation on an Alabama citizen who has made a difference in the state, as well as the nation.

Communicating in a Technological World  Through utilizing the Internet to discover technological advances in the 20th century and interviewing relatives and friends who experienced these changes in communication, students will discover firsthand how technology has changed communication.

What a Jiffy Lesson  During this lesson on George Washington Carver, students will learn about some of his accomplishments and participate in a hands-on activity of making homemade peanut butter.  Students will research information about Carver on the Internet and create a short slide show describing important facts about Carver's life.

Alabama the Beautiful  This hands-on unit combines social studies, map skills, writing, and technology.  Researching famous Alabamians and exploring the state's landmarks help students develop an appreciation for their state.

Helen Who?  Students will be introduced to the contributions of Helen Keller.  The students will learn about Helen Keller through research on the Internet, a book, and a role-playing exercise.

School Back Then, in 1910  Shared experience, such as reminiscences of school and school friendships allow children and adults to compare and contrast the past with the present.  This document and lesson provides an opportunity for students to examine and compare the academic skills that were considered to be important in the early twentieth century.

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

Alabama History Timeline:  A very thorough resource.

Famous Alabamians:  Information on individuals who have been inducted into Official Halls of Fame established by the Alabama Legislature.

Alabama Experience: Let Her Own Words Praise Her: Julia Tutwiler:  Kathryn Tucker Windham performs excerpts of her play about native Alabamian, Julia Tutwiler, in this video. The education of blacks and women was one of the first issues that Tutwiler became involved in as a young woman. The conditions in prisons, convict labor, education for all and training for women, especially widows, are just some of the reform movements that Tutwiler became involved in during her life.  United Streaming.

Alabama Experience: Conscience of a Congressman: Life and Times of Carl Elliot:  This story of North Alabama Congressman, Carl Elliot, is narrated by Julian Bond. Elliot was always interested in political issues and decide at age eight that he wanted to be in Congress.  In 1948 he made his first run for congress and won. His mission in Congress was to provide quality education for all people...  United Streaming.

Discovering Alabama: Discovering Our Heritage: Show host Dr. Doug Phillips takes viewers on a trip from the past to the present on public schooling, with particular emphasis on the effectiveness of environmental education in connecting our natural heritage with our cultural heritage, thus enriching such subjects as science, history, and social studies.  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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