Alabama

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Skills available for Alabama fourth-grade social studies standards

Standards are in black and IXL social studies skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practice that skill.

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Alabama Course of Study (adopted in 2024): Grade 4 Alabama Course of Study (adopted in 2024): Grade 4
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Colonial Regions

1 Describe cooperation and conflict between the English, French, and Spanish colonists and Indigenous people over the fur trade, slave trade, and land claims.
- 1a Map the locations of significant European settlements and major Indigenous nations in North America and Alabama.
2 Compare and contrast the physical geography of the Northern, Middle, and Southern colonies, including geographic features and differences in climate, and explain how geography impacted settlement.
3 Explain the reasons for the establishment of the labor systems used in colonial America, including apprenticeship, indentured servitude, and slavery, and describe the differences among them.
- 3a Describe the triangular trade system, including the Middle Passage of the transatlantic slave trade, and describe the experiences of West Africans before and after being kidnapped and forced into slavery.
  - Southern colonies: economy and slavery (4-B.6)
4 Describe how the contributions of various groups living in colonial North America helped colonies develop, including artisans, farmers, large landowners, tradespeople, women, children, Indigenous peoples, enslaved people, and indentured servants.
- 4a Describe the contributions of key individuals who established and developed early American colonies.

American Revolution and Early Republic

5 Summarize the causes of the French and Indian War and describe how its outcomes increased tensions that led to the American Revolution.
- 5a Explain how the French and Indian War affected power, trade, and claims to lands in Alabama for both Native Americans and European nations.
- 5b Describe key events that caused tension and led American colonists to protest against Great Britain, including the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Boston Massacre, Tea Act, Boston Tea Party, and Intolerable Acts.
6 Identify and describe key events of the American Revolution, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown.
- 6a Summarize the contributions of different groups and individuals to the American Revolution.
- 6b Describe events that took place in Alabama during the Revolution, including the Spanish seizure of Mobile and the Battle of Fort Charlotte, and explain the involvement of Native Americans.
- 6c Summarize the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
- 6d Explain how the Treaty of Paris (1783) and Pinckney's Treaty helped set the boundaries of the United States, including the area that would become Alabama.
7 Summarize the key factors leading to the ratification of the Constitution, including the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, Shays' Rebellion, and the Constitutional Convention with its compromises.
- 7a Describe the system of government established by the Constitution, including the three branches of government and their functions.
- 7b Explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution and how the amendment process allows changes to protect or expand rights.
  - The Bill of Rights (4-O.5)

Early Westward Expansion

8 Explain how the Louisiana Purchase and the actions of the Corps of Discovery accelerated westward expansion of the United States.
- The Louisiana Purchase (4-D.1)
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition (4-D.2)
- 8a Summarize how the Federal Road increased access to Creek Territory for settlers and enslaved persons, and explain how their arrival affected Native Americans.
9 Outline the major causes and events of the War of 1812.
- 9a Describe the causes of the Creek War within the context of the War of 1812 and explain the social, political, and economic effects on Alabama and the nation.
  - The War of 1812: causes (4-D.3)
  - The War of 1812: events and effects (4-D.4)
- 9b Identify significant battles and leaders of the Creek War.
10 Explain how "Alabama fever" influenced Alabama's settlement, economic growth, and political development, leading to statehood and the 1819 constitution.
- 10a Identify contributions of Alabama's early political leaders, including William Wyatt Bibb, Thomas Bibb, Israel Pickens, William Rufus King, and John W. Walker.
- 10b Outline political and geographic reasons for changing the location of Alabama's state capital.
11 Describe events and factors that led to the United States' expansion prior to the Civil War, including conflicts, technological developments, trails, and the Gold Rush of 1849.
- 11a Locate states admitted to the United States between 1812 and 1860 and categorize these states as either "free" or "slave" states.
12 Explain how the growth of the United States from 1812 to 1860 changed economic and social life in Alabama.
- 12a Identify different trades and occupations of Alabamians in the period from 1812 to 1860.
- 12b Describe the living and working conditions and the cultural practices of enslaved persons engaged in skilled trades, domestic roles, and agricultural production, including effects of the domestic slave trade on their lives.
  - Antebellum Period: economies of the North and South (4-D.5)
  - Antebellum Period: abolitionist and proslavery perspectives (4-D.6)
- 12c Explain how the Indian Removal Act (1830), Second Creek War (1836), and economic policies affected the lives, rights, and territories of the Muscogee Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes.
- 12d Describe the development of educational institutions in Alabama from statehood through 1860.

Civil War and Reconstruction

13 Describe how slavery contributed to sectional disagreements, divisions over states' rights, and economic disputes resulting in the Civil War.
- 13a Identify and describe how key events from the Missouri Compromise (1820) to the election of Abraham Lincoln (1860) contributed to growing sectional divisions.
  - Antebellum Period: slavery and politics part I (4-D.7)
  - Antebellum Period: slavery and politics part II (4-D.8)
- 13b Describe the influence of abolitionists, including enslaved persons and self-liberated Black Americans, on efforts to end slavery in the United States.
- 13c Describe the significance of the Clotilda's delivery of kidnapped people to Mobile Bay as an effort to expand slavery.
- 13d Summarize Alabama's role in the formation of the Confederate States of America, including the pivotal events that took place in Montgomery and the division over secession in the northern part of the state.
14 Evaluate how key figures contributed to events that shaped the United States' victory in the Civil War.
- Abraham Lincoln (4)
- 14a Identify Alabama's economic and military contributions to the Civil War, including weapons manufacturing, soldiers, and the use of and resistance to conscripted enslaved labor.
- 14b Locate and describe the impact of significant Civil War battles, including those affecting Alabama, and identify the location of Confederate states, states remaining loyal to the United States, and capital cities of the Confederacy and United States.
- 14c Describe how the Civil War affected the people of Alabama, including the end of slavery, destruction of transportation systems, collapse of the economy, and the role of women on the home front.
  - The Civil War: war tactics and the home front (4-E.3)
- 14d Summarize events that marked the conclusion of the Civil War, including the assassination of President Lincoln, the surrender of Confederate armies, the spread of emancipation, and Emancipation and Juneteenth celebrations in Alabama and other states.
  - The Civil War: war tactics and the home front (4-E.3)
  - The Civil War: the end of the war (4-E.4)
15 Identify major events of Reconstruction and evaluate the outcomes of Reconstruction policies.
- 15a Explain political changes in Alabama during Reconstruction, including new state constitutions, Black Codes, changes in political parties, voting rights, and citizenship rights for Black Americans.
  - Reconstruction (4-E.5)
- 15b Describe the effects of Reconstruction on education and social institutions in Alabama.
- 15c Explain how Africatown was established, describing the challenges its founders overcame and the ways they built community.
- 15d Recount the contributions of Alabamians who helped shape their state during Reconstruction.

Post-Civil War Developments and Expansion

16 Describe how political and social changes of the late 1870s to 1900 affected Black and White Alabamians, including the introduction of Jim Crow laws, sharecropping, voting restrictions, and violence.
- 16a Describe how industry, trade, farming, the rise of Populism changed Alabama after the Civil War and shaped its economy and communities in the late 1800s.
17 Describe the social, political, and economic impacts of the conflicts, legislation, and treaties that led to the United States acquiring additional territory after the Civil War.
- 17a Explain how territorial expansion and the construction of the transcontinental railroad affected immigrants and Native Americans, including how it led to the loss of land in Indian Territory where Alabama tribes had been relocated.
- 17b Locate states admitted to and territories acquired by the United States between 1865 and 1900, and describe how these additional territories were acquired.

Alabama

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Colonial Regions

1 Describe cooperation and conflict between the English, French, and Spanish colonists and Indigenous people over the fur trade, slave trade, and land claims.

1a Map the locations of significant European settlements and major Indigenous nations in North America and Alabama.

2 Compare and contrast the physical geography of the Northern, Middle, and Southern colonies, including geographic features and differences in climate, and explain how geography impacted settlement.

3 Explain the reasons for the establishment of the labor systems used in colonial America, including apprenticeship, indentured servitude, and slavery, and describe the differences among them.

3a Describe the triangular trade system, including the Middle Passage of the transatlantic slave trade, and describe the experiences of West Africans before and after being kidnapped and forced into slavery.

4 Describe how the contributions of various groups living in colonial North America helped colonies develop, including artisans, farmers, large landowners, tradespeople, women, children, Indigenous peoples, enslaved people, and indentured servants.

4a Describe the contributions of key individuals who established and developed early American colonies.

American Revolution and Early Republic

5 Summarize the causes of the French and Indian War and describe how its outcomes increased tensions that led to the American Revolution.

5a Explain how the French and Indian War affected power, trade, and claims to lands in Alabama for both Native Americans and European nations.

5b Describe key events that caused tension and led American colonists to protest against Great Britain, including the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Boston Massacre, Tea Act, Boston Tea Party, and Intolerable Acts.

6 Identify and describe key events of the American Revolution, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown.

6a Summarize the contributions of different groups and individuals to the American Revolution.

6b Describe events that took place in Alabama during the Revolution, including the Spanish seizure of Mobile and the Battle of Fort Charlotte, and explain the involvement of Native Americans.

6c Summarize the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

6d Explain how the Treaty of Paris (1783) and Pinckney's Treaty helped set the boundaries of the United States, including the area that would become Alabama.

7 Summarize the key factors leading to the ratification of the Constitution, including the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, Shays' Rebellion, and the Constitutional Convention with its compromises.

7a Describe the system of government established by the Constitution, including the three branches of government and their functions.

7b Explain why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution and how the amendment process allows changes to protect or expand rights.

Early Westward Expansion

8 Explain how the Louisiana Purchase and the actions of the Corps of Discovery accelerated westward expansion of the United States.

8a Summarize how the Federal Road increased access to Creek Territory for settlers and enslaved persons, and explain how their arrival affected Native Americans.

9 Outline the major causes and events of the War of 1812.

9a Describe the causes of the Creek War within the context of the War of 1812 and explain the social, political, and economic effects on Alabama and the nation.

9b Identify significant battles and leaders of the Creek War.

10 Explain how "Alabama fever" influenced Alabama's settlement, economic growth, and political development, leading to statehood and the 1819 constitution.

10a Identify contributions of Alabama's early political leaders, including William Wyatt Bibb, Thomas Bibb, Israel Pickens, William Rufus King, and John W. Walker.

10b Outline political and geographic reasons for changing the location of Alabama's state capital.

11 Describe events and factors that led to the United States' expansion prior to the Civil War, including conflicts, technological developments, trails, and the Gold Rush of 1849.

11a Locate states admitted to the United States between 1812 and 1860 and categorize these states as either "free" or "slave" states.

12 Explain how the growth of the United States from 1812 to 1860 changed economic and social life in Alabama.

12a Identify different trades and occupations of Alabamians in the period from 1812 to 1860.

12b Describe the living and working conditions and the cultural practices of enslaved persons engaged in skilled trades, domestic roles, and agricultural production, including effects of the domestic slave trade on their lives.

12c Explain how the Indian Removal Act (1830), Second Creek War (1836), and economic policies affected the lives, rights, and territories of the Muscogee Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole tribes.

12d Describe the development of educational institutions in Alabama from statehood through 1860.

Civil War and Reconstruction

13 Describe how slavery contributed to sectional disagreements, divisions over states' rights, and economic disputes resulting in the Civil War.

13a Identify and describe how key events from the Missouri Compromise (1820) to the election of Abraham Lincoln (1860) contributed to growing sectional divisions.

13b Describe the influence of abolitionists, including enslaved persons and self-liberated Black Americans, on efforts to end slavery in the United States.

13c Describe the significance of the Clotilda's delivery of kidnapped people to Mobile Bay as an effort to expand slavery.

13d Summarize Alabama's role in the formation of the Confederate States of America, including the pivotal events that took place in Montgomery and the division over secession in the northern part of the state.

14 Evaluate how key figures contributed to events that shaped the United States' victory in the Civil War.

14a Identify Alabama's economic and military contributions to the Civil War, including weapons manufacturing, soldiers, and the use of and resistance to conscripted enslaved labor.

14b Locate and describe the impact of significant Civil War battles, including those affecting Alabama, and identify the location of Confederate states, states remaining loyal to the United States, and capital cities of the Confederacy and United States.

14c Describe how the Civil War affected the people of Alabama, including the end of slavery, destruction of transportation systems, collapse of the economy, and the role of women on the home front.

14d Summarize events that marked the conclusion of the Civil War, including the assassination of President Lincoln, the surrender of Confederate armies, the spread of emancipation, and Emancipation and Juneteenth celebrations in Alabama and other states.

15 Identify major events of Reconstruction and evaluate the outcomes of Reconstruction policies.

15a Explain political changes in Alabama during Reconstruction, including new state constitutions, Black Codes, changes in political parties, voting rights, and citizenship rights for Black Americans.

15b Describe the effects of Reconstruction on education and social institutions in Alabama.

15c Explain how Africatown was established, describing the challenges its founders overcame and the ways they built community.

15d Recount the contributions of Alabamians who helped shape their state during Reconstruction.

Post-Civil War Developments and Expansion

16 Describe how political and social changes of the late 1870s to 1900 affected Black and White Alabamians, including the introduction of Jim Crow laws, sharecropping, voting restrictions, and violence.

16a Describe how industry, trade, farming, the rise of Populism changed Alabama after the Civil War and shaped its economy and communities in the late 1800s.

17 Describe the social, political, and economic impacts of the conflicts, legislation, and treaties that led to the United States acquiring additional territory after the Civil War.

17a Explain how territorial expansion and the construction of the transcontinental railroad affected immigrants and Native Americans, including how it led to the loss of land in Indian Territory where Alabama tribes had been relocated.

17b Locate states admitted to and territories acquired by the United States between 1865 and 1900, and describe how these additional territories were acquired.