Alabama Course of Study: Alabama Studies, Grade 4

Below you will find the 2004 version of ALCOS for Social Studies, grade 4. Beneath each standard are links to web resources that may be useful to you and your students.

1. Identify historical and current economic, political, and geographic information about Alabama on thematic maps.
• Contemporary Maps of Alabama
  Collection of maps from the University of Alabama showing contemporary political, economic, and demographic information.
• Alabama Counties
  Information regarding and printable maps of individual counties in Alabama.
• Alabama Formation Maps
  This website contains a good map based on Alabama census data.
2. Describe Cultures, governments, and economies of prehistoric and historic Native Americans in Alabama
• Encyclopedia of Alabama-History of Alabama
  Links to articles about native tribes who lived in Alabama before and after European exploration.
• Creating a Prehistoric World Lesson Plan
  From ALEX, lesson plan in which students will research, create, and present knowledge gained about Prehistoric and Historic Native Americans in Alabama. Grades 3-4.
3. List Reasons for European exploration and settlement in Alabama and the impact of Europeans on trade, health, land expansion, and tribal reorganization of Native populations in Alabama
• Encyclopedia of Alabama-History of Alabama
  Links to articles about the interaction between early European explorers and teh Native populations of Alabama.
4. Describe the relationship of the five geographic regions of Alabama to the movement of Alabama settlers during the early nineteenth century.
• Geography of Alabama
  Includes descriptions of the five geographic regions of Alabama.
• Alabama Brochure
  In this lesson students will learn about the state in which they live by using child-friendly Web sites to collect facts and pictures about Alabama.
5. Describe Alabama's entry into statehood, including Alabama's constitution and the three branches of government.
• GovSpot for Kids: Alabama
  Compilation of links to official websites for Alabama's branches of government, the Constitution, and various Departments and agencies.
• Territorial Period and Early Statehood
  Article from Encyclopedia of Alabama which covers Alabama's history as a territory and its journey to statehood.
• Alabama's Five Capitals and First Governors
  Students will research the five sites of Alabama's capital and the first governors of the state. They will create a presentation including the physical location of each site and the political and geographic reasons the site was chosen and abandoned, if applicable. The presentation will also include information about the (or a) governor that served while the capital was at the specific location they are researching.
6. Identify cultural, economic, and political aspects of the lifestyles of early nineteenth-century farmers, plantation owners, slaves, and townspeople.
• Everyday Life in 19th Century Gurley, Alabama
  Collection of scanned and transcribed papers of citizens of Gurley from the 19th century, along with a few photographs and descriptions of prominent citizens.
• Creek War Journals
  After a study of the Creek War, students will explore perspectives of families on both sides of the war. Students will compose journal entries from a selected social class of the era to develop and exhibit an understanding and appreciation for lives led by those who lived during the early 1800's.
7. Identify reasons for Alabama's secession from the Union, including sectionalism, slavery, state rights, and economic disagreements.
• A Divided Nation Lesson Plan
  Students will explore the sectional differences between the North and the South that ultimately led to the southern secession. Students will learn what is meant by secession and which states seceded, the country they formed, its capital, and whom they elected president. Students will create a PowerPoint Presentation, a brochure, and possibly a newsletter using computer software presenting information they have learned.
8. Explain Alabama's role in and economic support of the Civil War.
• Collaborative Project on the Civil War
  During this lesson two or more schools will work together using distance learning to investigate and share their community's involvement in the Civil War.
9. Describe political, social, and economic conditions in Alabama during Reconstruction.
• Reconstruction in Alabama Timeline
  Timeline of national and local events during Reconstruction.
• Reconstruction Unit
  Unit plan from Alabama Dept. of Archives and History with three lesson plans on Reconstruction in Alabama that use primary source materials.
10. Describe significant social and educational changes in Alabama during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
• Peanuts, Pecans, and Peas, Please
  George Washington Carver, a great scientist, changed the economy of the South with his agricultural knowledge. This lesson will investigate how the lowly peanut kept the cotton farmers from losing everything.
11. Describe the impact of World War I on Alabamians.
• ADAH World War I Unit
  Five lesson plan unit from AL Dept. of Archives and History which covers the roles of Alabamians in WWI and the effect the war had on the home front in Alabama.
12. Explain effects of the events of the 1920s and the Great Depression on different socioeconomic groups.
• Works Progress Administration Art
  Works of art created by the WPA (Federal Art Projects).  Has great pictures (some in Alabama).
• Memories of the Great Depression
  This hands-on lesson combines social studies, language arts, and technology. Fourth grade students begin by researching and collecting information from a variety of sources. Students develop an appreciation of the difficulties endured by many people during the era of the Great Depression.
13. Describe the economic and social impact of World War II on Alabamians.
• Growing Up During World War II
  Lesson plan that introduces students to life on the Alabama home front during WWII.
• Introduction to WWII
  Unit plan from Alabama Dept. of History and Archives which uses primary sources to introduce students to the history of WWII, and how Alabamians were affected.
14. Describe the social, political, and economic impact of the modern Civil Rights Movement on Alabama
• 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.
15. Identify major world events that have impacted Alabama since 1950.
• The Apollo Program (1963-1972)
  List of the Apollo missions with links to information about each one, including photos, summaries, etc.
• Marshall Space Flight Center History
  History section of the MSFC website which describes the birth of the space program in Alabama.
16. Describe the impact of population growth on cities, major road systems, demographics, natural resources, and the natural environment of Alabama during the twentieth century.
    • Alabama Today
      Brief article from History.com on Alabama's economy in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including auto manufacturing, the space industry, and tourism.