ALEX Lesson Plan

Pictures of Alabama State Capitols are provided in this lesson to give students the opportunity to research information that could help them to give their point of view. It will be up to the students to provide further information about the pictures. This will start a conversation about the best location for a capital city and its capitol building.

This lesson was created as part of the Alabama Bicentennial Commission’s Curriculum Development Project.

Map of Alabama

Map of the United States

Access to the internet

Student Journals

Chart with vocabulary and definitions - capital and capitol

Use the attachments for additional materials and resources.  Copy materials prior to introducing the lesson.

Devices that access the internet/intranet(optional)

iPads, Chromebooks, laptops, computers, smartphones

The teacher and students should know that Alabama has had five capitals since it became part of the United States. During the territorial period, the town of St. Stephens (in what is now Washington County) served as the capital of the Alabama Territory, beginning in 1817. When Alabama achieved statehood in 1819, the capital shifted to Huntsville for the first state constitutional convention, and the next year, after much lobbying by political factions, the capital was moved to Cahawba, Dallas County. As the power centers in the state began to shift, political factions began to push for a new site, and in 1826, the state legislature voted to move the capital to Tuscaloosa, where it remained until 1846 when the centrally located city of Montgomery was selected as the permanent state capital.

Additional information about Alabama's State Capitals: http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/s-141

Essential Question: What is the best location for an Alabama State capital city and capitol building?

Before Strategy:

Teach the Vocabulary - capital and capitol by using the chart created with the term and definition. 

Show the students a United States map.

Have students locate Washington, D.C. on the map.

Ask students why they think Washington, D.C. was chosen as the capital of the United States.

Tell them they are right if they say it is because at the time it was chosen as the national capital Washington, D.C. was a central location for the 13 original colonies. Explain that Washington, D.C. is not a central location now because there are many more states.

If students do not recognize this, allow students to trace or highlight the 13 original colonies on a map on the interactive whiteboard or a wall map. (See attached 1826 U.S. Map.)

Tell students that they will have the opportunity to debate if the capital city and capitol building of Alabama are in the best place or if there was a better location used in the past. 

During Strategy:

Attachments are provided for teachers and students. Download attachments prior to teaching the lesson.

Give students pictures of capitol buildings or show pictures on the interactive whiteboard. 

Give students a map of Alabama, have a wall map, or have a map displayed on the interactive whiteboard. 

Have students highlight, circle, or underline locations where Alabama's capital has been located, including the current capital of Montgomery.

Have students label the pictures of the capitol buildings with their county and the time the capitol building was in the capital city of Alabama. (See attachments for pictures of capitol buildings.)

Have students give their point of view as to why a capital would change from one city to another. The teacher should record student answers on a chart or interactive whiteboard.

Students should jot down notes in their journals or on the side of the picture.

Divide students into small, manageable groups and give each group a picture of a capitol.  

Tell students to find as much information as possible to assist them in giving a reason why a capital city or capitol building of Alabama should remain in Montgomery or be changed to a different location.

Students should create entries in their journals of facts and opinions of their group members. Inform students that journal notes will be used as an assessment. Students should have important dates of when capitol building and their capital cities were used and then removed. Tell students they will be constructing a timeline with these important dates to be used as an assessment.

After Strategy:

After a reasonable amount of time, reconvene.

Whole Group:  Students share what they think about each capitol building and its location. Students should be able to place the picture of each capitol building on a timeline/sequence showing when a county was used as a capital city of Alabama.

Students will use facts and opinions gathered in their groups to debate their points of view.

Lastly, the students should have an opportunity to write their individual points of view after working in groups/debating in groups. (Independent assessment)

Students will use notes gathered during the class discussions, the recorded points of view of their classmates, and the debate to write an individual point of view. Students will choose the location for a capital/capitol and cite reasons for choosing the location.

Students should construct a timeline showing when each capitol building was located in the capital city of Alabama. This timeline can be used as an assessment.

Students should make journal entries of various opinions made by students in their group.

Jot notes, on pictures given to students to analyze, can be used as an assessment.

Students should have an opportunity to have a debate describing reasons for or against having a particular location as the capital of Alabama.

Students should identify or locate streets on the legend for the map of Catawba, and then locate where the capitol building would have stood (inference).

Suggested Reading List:

http://alabamapioneers.com/locating-the-alabama-state-capital/

The teacher will pre-teach vocabulary and clear up any misconceptions.

Students may create a timeline in a small group with the teacher or student tutor.