Special Collections seeks to connect educators with local history. State history begins in 4th grade and various classes in Social Studies and History are taught through 12th grade. The following resources try to match archival resources with Alabama's specified curriculum standards, with the hope that educators can supplement their curriculum with examples from local Huntsville/Madison County History.
A full list of curriculum standards can be found through the Alabama Department of Education:
2010 Approved Standards
2024 Draft Standards
This collection features artifacts that can be dated to pre-historic Alabama and belonged to the Native population that lived and prospered here. These artifacts include projectile points and pottery shards among them. These items provide a great visual aid when describing the cultures of the peoples who lived in Alabama prior to European contact.
Run time: 6 minutes
Frog effigy bowl (replica) - Associated with the Mississippian culture
Some scholars believe that animal effigies represented important aspects of the Mississippian Culture. For example, frogs were seasonal markers ushering in spring and planting season and linked to agricultural fertility. Source: Saint Louis Science Center
Point - Late Archaic Period (1,000 BCE - 70 CE)
Over time, points were made out of various materials: stone (flint, obsidian, chert), bone, antler, and eventually metal. The came in different shapes to serve different hunting purposes. Beyond their practical use, points often carried symbolic meaning related to hunting prowess, bravery, and spiritual connection. Source: National Park Service
The content on the Teacher Resources pages originated from a Special Collections intern who conducted a survey of Madison City School history and social studies teachers in Fall 2024. Survey findings can be found here: