The Alabama State Department of Education (SDE) invites you to participate in our popular monthly Virtual Field Trips. Alabama has been a trailblazer using technology for the purpose of advancing education. Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide (ACCESS), Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX), Alabama Technology in Motion (ATiM), and e-Learning for Educators are all strong tools used for the advancement of digital learning, in addition to the expansive ways technology is used in the classroom.
November 2026 Schedule at a Glance
| Date | Time | Session |
|---|---|---|
| November 3 | 9:00–10:00 AM | Movement and Motion |
| November 3 | 10:15–11:15 AM | Careers in the NFL |
| November 4 | 9:00–10:00 AM | American Women Who Changed History |
| November 4 | 10:15–11:15 AM | A Journey Into the Life of Helen Keller |
| November 12 | 9:00–10:00 AM | Media and the NFL |
| November 12 | 10:15–11:15 AM | Movement and Motion |
| November 16 | 9:15–10:00 AM | The Bill of Rights in Real Life |
| November 17 | 9:00–10:00 AM | What’s in a Wetland? |
| November 17 | 10:15–11:15 AM | What’s in a Wetland? |
| November 18 | 9:00–10:00 AM | Setting Up the Civil War, Pt. 1: Three Kinds of Southerners |
| November 19 | 9:00–10:00 AM | A Journey Into the Life of Helen Keller |
| November 19 | 10:15–11:15 AM | Amazing African Americans from Alabama, 2nd Edition |
Presenters very much appreciate seeing the students they are presenting to.
Session Descriptions
This program examines the relationship of science and the game of professional football. Straight-line movement, zig-zags, circular motion, back & forth, pushing & pulling — all movements that influence the sport. This 50-minute, highly interactive program is supplemented by a lesson aligned with Common Core/National Standards of Education.
Classroom Activity Supplemental VideoThis program examines the importance of education and the hundreds of careers available in and around the National Football League. A 10-minute career video examining a wide variety of careers with the San Francisco 49ers organization is shown during the session. The 50-minute, highly interactive program is supplemented by a lesson aligned with Common Core/National Standards of Education.
Classroom ActivityAmerican history is filled with remarkable women whose courage, vision, intelligence, and determination opened doors, challenged injustice, advanced education, strengthened communities, and changed the course of our nation. This presentation gives teachers a compelling way to introduce students to women whose stories deserve to be remembered — not as distant names in a textbook, but as real people who used their voices, talents, and convictions to make a lasting difference.
Through these inspiring examples, students will discover that history is shaped by individuals who are willing to lead, serve, question, create, and persevere. Teachers will find this program especially meaningful because it connects character, citizenship, leadership, and resilience in a way that encourages students to see their own potential to influence the world around them.
Keller Johnson-Thompson, great-grandniece of Helen Keller and President of the Helen Keller Education Foundation, offers teachers a meaningful and engaging way to bring Helen Keller’s story to life for students. This presentation takes students on a memorable journey through the remarkable life of Helen Keller, America’s First Lady of Courage — from her childhood in Tuscumbia, Alabama, to her travels and influence around the world.
More than a history lesson, this program helps students understand perseverance, empathy, courage, and the importance of strong character. By connecting Helen Keller’s inspiring example to values students can use in their own lives, this presentation supports classroom learning while encouraging students to believe in their ability to make a positive difference in the world.
This program examines the role of television in the history of the NFL and its impact on viewers. Students will receive an overview of the history of television in the NFL and gain knowledge about the growth of the NFL through television. The topic will also examine the growth of Super Bowl advertising and TV ratings. The 50-minute, highly interactive program is supplemented by a lesson aligned with Common Core/National Standards of Education.
Classroom Activity Supplemental VideoStudents will focus on the rights and limitations within the Bill of Rights. They will identify Bill of Rights issues using historical scenarios from the holdings of the National Archives and learn why it is important for citizens to know their rights.
The 9:00 AM session is geared toward younger students (K–5); the 10:15 AM session is more suitable for middle and high school students.
Beware of the swamp! If you like getting wet and sometimes muddy, this might be the place for you! From marshes to bogs to cypress swamps and mangrove forests, these wet habitats are found all across Alabama and our Gulf Coast. Join us to discover some of the plants and animals that make up these important habitats and how they are adapted to live in these dynamic environments. We’ll have a ‘boggy’ good time!
Appropriate for all grades. Addresses the following disciplinary core ideas: (1) From molecules to organisms: structures and processes; (2) Unity and diversity; and (3) Ecosystems: interactions, energy, and dynamics.
Why was the Civil War fought mostly here in the South? What were the goals of each army and social group? Join the Alabama Archives in exploring these questions and more as we consider events that led to the war and Alabama’s connections to them through the voices of three kinds of Southerners: “fire-eater” William Lowndes Yancey, author and self-emancipated slave Henry Goings, and the schoolteacher turned Unionist leader Christopher Sheats.
- SS24.4.11a — Locate states admitted to the United States between 1812 and 1860 and categorize these states as either “free” or “slave” states.
- SS24.4.13 — Describe how slavery contributed to sectional disagreements, divisions over states’ rights, and economic disputes resulting in the Civil War.
- SS24.4.13d — 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.
- SS24.4.14 — Evaluate how key figures contributed to events that shaped the United States’ victory in the Civil War.
- SS24.6.12 — Explain how forms of governments established prior to the founding of the United States influenced the formation of the new nation’s system of government.
- SS24.US1.11 — Analyze how government policies and events related to slavery led to increased sectionalism throughout the United States prior to the Civil War.
- SS24.US1.12 — Explain the progression of the Civil War, analyzing the events and the decisions by key figures that led to United States victory and the abolition of slavery.
Alabama’s history is filled with extraordinary African Americans whose courage, creativity, leadership, and determination helped shape our state, our nation, and the world. This field trip gives teachers a powerful opportunity to introduce students to inspiring real-life role models who prove that history is not just something to read about; it is something students can connect with, question, and carry forward. Through these remarkable stories, students will discover examples of resilience, achievement, and service that can spark classroom conversations, build pride in Alabama’s rich heritage, and encourage every student to imagine the difference they too can make.