Alabama History

Alabama Capitol Building. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons

Overview of the Module

This module encourages students to delve into the history of Alabama. This includes the civil rights era, slavery, reconstruction, settlements, etc. When addressing the content in this module, teachers should consider the age and knowledge of their students.

What exactly will teachers find in this module?

In this module, teachers will find hands-on activities, children’s literature, and primary source documents to help students begin to understand the history of injustice in the state of Alabama.  

Why is this module important?

This module is important because it shows our progress as a nation, but also highlights the work that we still have to do as a society to ensure equity and equality for all people.

How does this module connect to bullying?

This module raises awareness about the severe nature of bullying and injustice that African-Americans experienced during the Civil Rights Movement.

Content

Statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham, Alabama. Source: Kelly B, Creative Commons

Additional Resources for Teachers

Websites

Exploring the Civil Rights Movement with Picture Books:

Civil Rights Picture Books:

Powerful photos of the Civil Rights Movement:

Videos

Teaching Tolerance Video: Mighty Times Part 1: https://youtu.be/N6zcrKA1wXQ

Teaching Tolerance Video: Mighty Times Part 2: https://youtu.be/PPZGv-R3wB4

Teaching Tolerance Video: Mighty Times Part 3: https://youtu.be/u155l3SR-PY

Teaching Tolerance Video: Mighty Times Part 4: https://youtu.be/Gs2e8w3TJak

Bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church:

Recommended Children’s Literature

Nelson, M., & Lardy, P. (2009). A wreath for Emmett Till. Boston: Graphia.

Meltzer, B., & Eliopoulos, C. (2015). I am Rosa Parks.

Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming.

Curtis, C. P. (1996). The Watson’s Go To Birmingham – 1963. New York: Random House Inc.

Ringgold, F. (2005). If a bus could talk: The story of Rosa Parks. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Coles, R., & Ford, G. (1995). The story of Ruby Bridges. New York: Scholastic.

Shelton, P. Y., & Colón, R. (2013). Child of the civil rights movement.

Johnson, A., & Velasquez, E. (2007). A sweet smell of roses. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Evans, S. (2016). We march.

King, M. L., & Nelson, K. (2012). I have a dream: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.

Ramsey, C. A., Strauss, G., & Cooper, F. (2012). Ruth and the Green Book. New York: Scholastic.

Woodson, J. (2014). The other side. Weston Woods Studios.

Wiles, D., & Lagarrigue, J. (2014). Freedom Summer: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the    Freedom Summer.

Weatherford, C. B. (2007). Freedom on the Menu. Perfection Learning Prebound.

Pinkney, A. D., & Taylor, M. L. (2011). Sit-in: How four friends stood up by sitting down. New York: Little, Brown.

Shore, Diane Z., Alexander, Jessica., & Ransome, James. (2010). This Is the Dream. Paw Prints.

Rappaport, D., & Collier, B. (2013). Martin’s big words: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Columbus, O.H: Zaner-Bloser.

Pinkney, A. D., & Pinkney, J. B. (2008). Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks inspired a nation. New York: Greenwillow Books.

The Rationale for Teaching History

History is the organizing thread for social studies. The lives of citizens who were involved with major historical events can be used to explore the past and make connections to injustice, racism, and our role as citizens to ensure justice and equity for everyone. History is living and breathing and supports the development of agency is young people.

According to Walter Parker (2008) there are 5 important reasons to support the integration of history to support change today:

  • Empathy: Helps children understand struggles and appreciate humanity.
  • Agency: Shows children that people are shaped by their circumstances and that people can make a difference.
  • Wisdom: Adds a new inventory of knowledge for children to take with them to new situations and problems.
  • Judgment: Historical knowledge helps children develop better judgment
  • Imagination: Gives children experiences they have never had before.

When exploring historical content with children do not put an emphasis on meaningless dates and names. Instead, focus on the big ideas that students can connect to their lives today. Go into depth and use a variety of high-quality resources to explore multiple perspectives and experiences. Frame the exploration of historical content in two ways: absorbing history and doing history.

Absorbing History: The Process

Students will learn about the subject, their contribution to the common good, and the historical timeframe by:

  • Analyzing primary documents
  • Discussing historical narratives
  • Role Playing
  • Examining artifacts
  • Reading children’s literature
  • Using song and dance
  • Participating in simulations
  • Viewing videos
  • Conducting research
Doing History: The End Product

After “absorbing” history, students should “do” history by creating their own historical version of a story or event. Possible formats include, but are not limited to:

  • Artifact Box  
  • Pop-Up/Picture Book
  • Puppet Show  
  • Music
  • Documentary  
  • Scrapbook
  • Newspaper  
  • Museum (Live)
  • Digital Story  
  • Vlog
  • Simulation  
  • Play
  • Poetry for 2 voices
  • Songs
  • Visual Art as Social Commentary
  • Mural

Content Area Vocabulary Strategy

10 Most Important Words (Guillaume, Yopp, & Yopp, 2008)
  • At the beginning of the unit of study, students will work in small groups to predict the 10 most important words related to content/topic.
    • Put a square around the word you think is most likely to be on other lists.
    • Put a star next to the word you think is unique.
    • Put a circle around the most interesting word on your list.
  • Write word lists on the board.
    • Which words were selected by multiple groups?
  • At the end of the unit, ask students to revisit word lists and modify.
    • Choose 10 most important words and write a rationale for  selection.
    • Which words were not on your original list?
    • Why did you add these words?
    • Which words did you eliminate? Why?
    • Which words represent big ideas about the topic?
    • Which words are essential for representing what you learned?
  • Encourage students to use their 10 MOST important words in activities/projects related to the topic.
Modifications
  • Create a visual representation for each word (memory clue).
  • If students lack background knowledge for a topic then they won’t be able to contribute as many words. Instead, use it as a closing activity to pull together the big ideas and reflect on what they learned OR have students preview the text/photos and select words.

Sample Activities

Photographs in History
  1. Explore the photo book: Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison. Read the captions and the timeline in the back of the book carefully. List the different places and dates where photos were taken.
  2. As a group choose one photograph to analyze and discuss. Use the photo analysis handout and record the group observations/ideas.
  3. Prepare to share the photo you selected with the class by recreating the photo using the “Tableau” technique. Have one member of the group be the discussant for the photo freeze to facilitate the discussion with the class. (i.e. What do you think the person on the left is feeling? What do you notice?)
  4. Photo Scavenger Hunt: Capture 5-10 images that represent big ideas associated with school integration. Put the images together in a PPT presentation to share with the class. Add music and captions if time permits.
School Integration Across the United States
  1. Read the book, “Separate is Never Equal” by Duncan Tonatiuh.
  2. Read the book, “The Story of Ruby Bridges” by Robert Coles
  3. Compare and contrast the two stories using a Venn Diagram on the chart paper.
  4. View the images of school integration provided in the envelopes. Be sure to read the captions for all of the photos and pay close attention to the dates.
  5. Scan the school integration timelines provided. What conclusions can you draw from all of the photographs and notes related to school segregation in the United States?
  6. Create a visual on the chart paper to share what you learned with the class.
Art as Social Commentary
  1. Google the painting by Norman Rockwell titled, “The Problem We All Live With”.
  2. Answer the questions on the handout to help you analyze the piece of art.
  3. Read the history of the painting AFTER you discuss/analyze it.
  4. Think about issues that we are dealing with in our world today. Create a piece of art that will raise awareness for an issue and prompt a discussion. You can create individual pieces of art or work together on a collaborative mural. Everyone must contribute to the piece of art.
Writing Cooperative Biographies

Students will work in small groups to compose an original biography about an upstander from the Civil Rights Movement.  The biography must include four main events that define your citizen’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. The main ideas listed below should help you to organize your content:

  • Geographic setting
  • Childhood/Family Influences and/or Road to Activism
  • Specific Contributions
  • Life After the Movement

Also include:

  • An introduction to the Civil Rights Movement to provide background information for the audience.
  • Original illustrations or authentic photographs/primary documents for each event
  • At least 5 “Most Important Words” (find a way to highlight the words for the reader)
  • Map including 3 critical geographic locations and key
  • “About the Authors” page

Possible formats:

  • Picture Book
  • Artifact Box
  • Scrapbook
  • Newspaper  

Things to keep in mind:

  • Be original and creative (Go for the “WOW” factor)
  • Use high-quality resources
  • Create something that other children would want to interact with and explore.

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