Alabama Course of Study: US Citizenship, Grade 7

Below you will find the standards relevant to U.S. History from the ALCOS for Social Studies, grade 7. Beneath each standard are links to web resources that may be useful to you and your students.

1. Describe influences of ancient Greece, the Magna Carta, and the Mayflower Compact on the government of the United States
• Declare the Causes: The Declaration of Independence
  Series of 8 lessons on the Declaration of Independence in which students investigate the complaints being made by the colonists and understand the document's purpose.
• The Charters of Freedom
  Interactive website on the documents of the American Revolution and the new government (The Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights) provided by the National Archives.
• James Madison.com
  A collection of links to external lesson plans for teaching about the Constitution
2. Compare the government of the United States with other governmental systems.
• Background on the Patriot Attitude Toward the Monarchy
  Lesson plan with suggested activities for examining early Americans' views on the British monarchy and understanding how those views shaped the role of the American presidency in the new government.
3. Describe essential characteristics of state and local governments in the United States.
• GovSpot for Kids: Alabama
  Compilation of links to official websites for Alabama's branches of government, the Constitution, and various Departments and agencies.
• Al.gov
  Website for the state of Alabama, with links for finding names and contact information for state and local government officials as well as state and federal representatives.
• Overview of Alabama Constitutions
  Brief history of Alabama's six state Constitutions.
• 1901 Alabama Constitution
  Online text of document, with summary of each article along left margin.
4. Compare duties and functions of members of legislative, executive, and judicial branches of local, state, and national governments.
• Congress Lesson Plan
  The students will research and present a computer slide-show on the requirements of office of the Senate and the House of Representatives and a special focus on the two Senators and a House member from one selected state. The students will create an election brochure in which they themselves will run for one of the above offices.
• Separation of Powers
  Lesson plan in which students define the concept of federalism, describe how federalism works at government and school levels, and create a written proposal outlining the powers a school-wide government should hold and the powers individual classrooms should hold.
• Checks and Balances Lesson Plan
  Uses flow charts to explain the balance of power between the branches of the U.S. government and then has students participate in a simulation where they represent different branches of government in the lawmaking process.
• Balancing Three Branches at Once
  Using primary source documents, your students can see clear demonstrations of how one branch of our government can check another.
• What Does the President of the United States Do?
  Students will create a wiki page that reflects the President of the United States fulfilling five of his formal or informal roles. Students will use the Internet to visit the White House Photo Gallery and capture snapshots of the President of the United States fulfilling his roles. Students will create a Wiki page on which they display pictures of the President fulfilling his roles and identify the role being fulfilled.
11. Describe examples of conflict, cooperation, and interdependence of groups, societies, and nations, using past and current events.
    • Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
      Website for BCRI, with extensive resources page, searchable archive, photo gallery, and online exhibits on the history of the Civil Rights Movement.
    • Civil Rights Movement Unit
      Unit Plan from the AL Dept. of History and Archives which chronicles the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama.
    • Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement
      This lesson introduces students to Rosa Parks and the beginning of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After considering the impact of Ms. Parks' heroism, students will explore its relevance to the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Students will learn new vocabulary and will answer a questionnaire that will be published on the web. Students will then create a tribute to Rosa Parks' heroism that will be submitted to a classroom book.
    • Epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement
      Brief article from History.com describing Alabama's role in the Civil Rights Movement. Also includes links to more detailed information about the movement and specific people and events.
    • Timeline
      Timeline of the Civil Rights Movement from CNN