Road Schooling Alabama: Planning Our Trip Part 4

Sweet Home Alabama! 

Whether those words encourage you to break into song or conjure images of the 2002 Rom-Com with Reese Witherspoon, I am sure somewhere down the line you have heard them before. Alabama has a rich history that largely shaped the social dynamic of the United States to this day. As the location of major events in the American Civil Rights Movement, Alabama is a perfect road schooling destination for the next generation. 

Before we get too far into our journey, it should be said that this post will be a bit shorter than the rest in the series, likewise with our stop in Georgia next time. We are in the final prep days before road trip departure, so things are a bit hectic! 

That being said, I already have a list of over 20 places to see in Alabama brimming with fun-filled family adventures! With each new road schooling journey, I find myself eager to return. I’m sure that will be the same at the end of our whirlwind race through “The Yellowhammer State.” 

Let’s get going! 

1) Colonial Fort Conde – Mobile 

Our first road schooling stop is an 18^th-century fort replica in the center of Mobile. First built by French explorers in 1723, Fort Conde stood under various colonial powers going by different names, including Fort Louis, Fort Charlotte, and Fuerta Carlota. Its remnants were discovered in the mid-19^th century and the replica fort was opened in 1976. 

You can easily access Fort Conde from I-10E if you take exit 26A toward Water Street. 

Lesson Plan 

Subjects: Social Studies, Science 

Topics: Native American Studies, Colonial History, European Exploration, Pollution 

Fort Conde is a part of the History Museum of Mobile which displays a permanent exhibit on the history of the Mobile Bay area. Much of the exhibit supports Social Studies content standards, thus I recommend utilizing the vast array of educator resources provided on the website. Why recreate the wheel, you know? 

There are a number of “pre-visit activities” that you can use to get your little one in the right mindset before your visit. The topics are wide-ranging. We plan on using Pre-Visit Activity #1 to teach our 2^nd-grader about Mobile’s First People. Pre-Visit Activity #5 is a fantastic resource for those who want to understand Mobile Bay’s delicate ecosystem and how our actions can help preserve the environment. 

Full-fledged lesson plans are also available. The First Mobilians Lesson Plan expands on the pre-visit activity making for a seamless transition from the road to the destination. I found the lesson plan called Changing Flags in Colonial Mobile interesting. This one includes visual (looking at country flags) and writing components keeping things dynamic. 

Visit 

Hours: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 1 – 4:30 p.m., Sunday 

Fees: $10 (18 and over), $7.50 (13-18), $5 (6-12), Free (5 and under); Military,  

2) E.A.T. South – Montgomery 

We are jumping away from Mobile Bay and heading north for our return trip home. There are many, many more outstanding road schooling destinations in the Mobile-area but we will be trail-blazing down I-10 with little time to spare on this trip. 

By the time we reach Montgomery, we will be on Day 16 of our road schooling adventure. Tired and hungry are probably good forecasts of our collective mood. So, what better place to stop than an urban teaching farm? 

E.A.T. South is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that seeks to engage the “community by educating about, gathering people around, and growing good food.” They hope to “change the way food travels from the ground to our plates.” This is a great place to learn about the critical food and farming systems that we rely on every day. 

It is located in the center of Montgomery along the banks of the Gun Island Chute. If you’re entering Montgomery from the east on I-85, you will take exit 0 to I-65N, then exit 172 toward Herron Street. Volunteers are welcome along with visitors, all of whom get hands-on experience through immersive engagement opportunities. 

Lesson Plan 

Subjects: Science, Agriculture 

Topic: Food Production, Farming, Sustainability, Gardening 

The best way to leverage what E.A.T. South has to offer is to prepare for your visit in advance. Many resources are available across the web that will do the trick. One of my favorites is an on-line publication of Alabama Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC). The AITC’s Summer Institutes workbook, Agriculture All Around, includes a list of fun activities that supplement an agricultural lesson.  

Journey 2050 is a perfect addition to your road schooling lesson plan! It is a virtual farm simulation that explores world food sustainability and the impact our decisions will make by the year 2050. There is even a fun game that lets kids work together to build a sustainable farm. 

When you visit E.A.T. South, you are the architect of your own experience. When the gates are open, the farm doubles as a park where you can stop by and see what’s growing. This option gives you the utmost flexibility to customize your lesson plan in a way you see fit. You can also sign up for organized tours where you will learn from the farm’s experts and can even participate in specific hands-on projects. Virtual Tours are also available upon request. 

Visit 

Hours: 8 a.m. – dusk, Monday-Saturday 

Fees: Free (Self-Guided); $20 (Family Tours for 4; $5 for additional persons); $8 per person (Group Tours) 

Contact [email protected] for tours. 

3) Rosa Parks Museum – Montgomery 

While we will be camping 12 of our 19 nights out on the road, we just so happened to use our free night through Booking.com in Montgomery. This random decision turned out to be quite fortuitous since most of the sights are centrally-located and accessible on foot. After trapsing around Europe for 3 years, our little family is accustomed to walking everywhere (and prefers it that way). 

Our next road schooling stop is the Rosa Parks Museum which is only a short half-mile walk from EAT South on the corner of Montgomery and Lee Street. This reverent memorial to the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement” was dedicated on December 1, 2000, on the 45^th anniversary of her arrest in 1955. Just a few blocks up Montgomery Street, there is a bronze statue of Rosa Parks commemorating the bus stop where the events were set in motion that spurred the Montgomery Bus Boycott and, ultimately, the American Civil Rights Movement. 

Lesson Plan 

Subjects: Social Studies, U.S. History, Ethnography 

Topics: Civil Rights, Race, Government, Democratic System 

We started teaching Sarah about the American Civil Rights Movement quite a few years ago. Last year, she didn’t go anywhere without a book about Martin Luther King Jr. I still recall how angry she was when we explained why Rosa Parks was arrested on that Montgomery city bus. All this underscores why we are eagerly anticipating taking her through Alabama. 

The best place to resource a Rosa Parks lesson plan is Learning for Justice. You will have to create a free account to access the materials but it is well worth the 5-minute delay. Once you’re in, simply use the search bar in the top right to find what you need. You will be able to access any public learning plans and articles. You can also build your own learning plans by compiling resources, then either share them publicly or save them privately to your account. 

I found some fantastic learning plans in my search query results that are suitable for Grade Level 3-5. You will find, when homeschooling, that grade levels are subjective and your best bet is to adapt your instruction to the individual needs of your little one.

*Side Note: I’m not saying to shirk standard curriculum requirements, only to avoid limiting advancement due to age or ‘grade.’

I recommend starting with “Rosa Parks Stands Up to Racism” and “Recognizing acts of heroism- from Dr. MLK Jr. to Rosa Parks and more…” These two learning plans are well crafted with essential questions to start the conversation and a plethora of written and visual resources to expand on the topic. 

The Library of Congress has some good information that can supplement your lesson, as well. 

Visit 

Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Friday 

Fees: $7.50 (12 and over); $5.50 (4-12); Free (3 and under); Various discounts available at the door 

Reservations are required for groups of 20 or more. Call (334) 241-8616 to reserve. Virtual tours are also available if you’re not in the area! 

4) Civil Rights Memorial – Montgomery 

Taking our road schooling tour on a leisurely 12-minute walk up Dexter Avenue, we can continue our history and culture lesson at the Civil Rights Memorial. The Civil Rights Memorial is a circular black granite table that records the names of the American Civil Rights martyrs and chronicles the history of the movement. 

The Memorial is around the corner from the church where Dr. King served as pastor during the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Alabama Capitol, where the Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march ended in 1965, is a short stroll away, as well. Inside the Civil Rights Memorial Center, you can explore exhibits that highlight the lives and events of the movement, enjoy educational videos in a 56-seat theater, and pay your respects at the Wall of Tolerance. 

Lesson Plan 

Subjects: Social Studies, U.S. History, Language Arts, Reading 

Topics: Activism, Civil Rights, Race, Protest and Civil Disobedience 

The contemplative area is a great place to sit and discuss the importance of equality and tolerance. Similar to the Rosa Parks Museum, the Civil Rights Memorial is full of educational value for all ages. This is especially true for the young mind of a 2^nd-grader. 

To start, I recommend you download the Civil Rights Activity Book. Provided by the Southern Poverty Law Center, who works as a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, this activity book has puzzles, coloring pages, mazes, and information about the Civil Rights Movement and its heroes.  

After effectively piquing your little scholar’s interest, head over to Learning for Justice to build on the lessons you started at the Rosa Parks Museum. “The Civil Rights Memorial” is a great lesson that draws from core readings and applies creative and critical thinking skills for Grade Level 3-5.  

“Understanding the Message of The Civil Rights Memorial” is more advanced, tailored more to middle and high schoolers. However, given our world travels with Sarah, the extension activity which draws comparisons to Rwanda’s genocide and the French government’s ban on the hijab in schools is something that would really resonate with her.  

This is what I mean about being flexible and adaptive depending on your circumstances. That is why Amanda and I are huge proponents of homeschooling and other unconventional education practices. 

Visit 

Civil Rights Memorial is accessible 24/7 free of charge. The Civil Rights Memorial Center remains closed due to COVID-19. We will update this post when new hours are released. You can stay updated here and by signing up for our newsletter in the banner on the top of your screen. 

The NExT Chapter 

I hope you found our road schooling march through Alabama to be fruitful and entertaining. It was exceedingly difficult for me to narrow the list this week, thus the list below of honorable mention destinations is quite lengthy.  

I realized this week that I would like to expand this road schooling series beyond our family’s road trip. To do this, I am going to revamp how I write these. I’m going to spend the next 3 weeks working out a plan with Amanda, and, then, I will announce it in our monthly wrap up newsletter at the end of May and on our Facebook page.  

At initial glance, I’m anticipating that we will narrow the scope to one city at a time, as the states are simply too large. We are also thinking about sub-dividing the series to address specific ages and adult learning, as well. We would love to hear your thoughts, so please comment below or contact us! 

Our next post will discuss road schooling through “The Peach State.” I decided to postpone publishing the Georgia post until the end of the month since I need to focus on getting our family out the door next week! 

Until then, see you next time and don’t forget to travel mindfully! 

Think Big. Act Small. Travel with Purpose. 

-Michael 

Honorable Mention: Road Schooling Destinations 

The Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Museum – Montgomery 

National Voting Rights Museum and Institute – Selma 

Delchamps Archaeology Museum/Center for Archaeological Studies – Mobile 

Audubon Bird Sanctuary – Dauphin Island 

Dauphin Island Sea Lab – Dauphin Island 

Fort Morgan State Historic Site – Gulf Shores 

Mobile Medical Museum – Mobile 

Bragg-Mitchell Mansion – Mobile 

Fort Mims – Stockton 

GW Carver Interpretive Museum – Dothan 

Kreher Preserve & Nature Center – Auburn 

Alabama Natural Center – Milbrook 

Gaineswood Museum – Demopolis 

Old Alabama Town – Montgomery 

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail – Hayneville 

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute – Birmingham 

American Village – Montevallo 

Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum – Calera 

DeSoto Caverns – Childersburg 

Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park – McCalla 

Ava Maria Grotto – Cullman 

Florence Indian Mound and Museum – Florence 

Tigers for Tomorrow – Attalla 

~ Change the world one nameless stranger at a time. ~ 

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