Trail of Tears Lesson Plan               

Created by Franci Frisch

 

  

Grade Level    4^th Grade 

MN Standards:

 

I. U.S. History, E. Growth and Westward Expansion, 1801 - 1861.  The student will demonstrate knowledge of western expansion, conflict, and reform in America

IV. Historical Skills, A. Concepts of Time.  The student will acquire skills of chronological thinking.

VII. Government and Citizenship, A. Civic Values, Skills, Rights and Responsibilities.  The student will recognize the importance of individual action and character in shaping civic life.

 

Objectives of Lesson/Learner Objective

  

-                      Students will be able to explain the process that ledup to the removal of the American Indians

-                      Students will be able to identify the main reasons for the removal of the American Indians

-                      Students will be able to create and use timelines to represent the events and people involved

-                      Students will be able to identify the key people involved in the Trail of Tears

 

I was able to identify each objective within your lesson plan.  Good job!

I think I would put the objectives in the order they are presented in the lesson.  They are very clear and very thorough!

 

Materials Needed/Preparation

 

-           Samuel’s Memory by Michael Rutledge

-           The Trail of Tears by Michael Burgan      

-           Trail of Tears Vocabulary PowerPoint

-           Trail of Tears Vocabulary worksheet

-           Trail of Tears Vocabulary fill-in-the-blank

-           Trail of Tears Chapter Quiz

-           Map of Trail of Tears route          

-           Timeline Self-Assessment Rubric

-           Trail of Tears Crossword Puzzle

-           Miscellaneous magazines

-           Construction paper of various colors

-           White roll paper

-           Beads

-           Feathers

-           Miscellaneous pieces of Indian looking material scraps

-           Crayons/markers

 Very thorough list!

You've thought of everything!

      Online Resources:

http://www.ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html

http://cherokeehistory.com/samuel.html

http://members.tripod.com/~kirbyTD/totimgsindex.html

www.nps.gov/trte/

www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-2722

www.georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/trailtea.htm

Nice list of resources! No copyright infringement here!  :)  

Anticipatory Set/Motivation/Snappy Launch

 

-                      Teacher will read “Samuel’s Memory” by Michael Rutledge.  This is the story Samuel Cloud, retold by his great-great-grandson.  Samuel turned 9 years old on the trail and this is his story. 

That will peak their interest!

 

Procedure/Instructional Method Steps

 

Constructivist instructional method - Teacher will read Samuel’s Memory and The Trail of Tears.  The students will discuss what led up to the removal of the American Indians – Westward Expansion, discovery of gold, greed, etc.  The teacher will present the Trail of Tears route map and discuss. The teacher will present a completed timeline to demonstrate how to create one.  Then the students will work in cooperative groups to create timelines to be mounted in the hallway.  The teacher will assign group topics (The Europeans, Battles, Treaties, People, The Trail). The teacher will assign student roles: group leader, researchers (2), and recorders (2).  Students will use the online references provided and "The Trail of Tears" book by Michael Burgan to locate their timeline information.  Once the students have gathered all the information they need to create their timelines, each student will take turns adding information to the group timeline and decorating it.  The students will complete vocabulary worksheets and Trail of Tears crossword puzzle.

Your content seems to be age appropriate and valid.  I can tell you worked hard on finding information on your subject.  You incorporated different teaching strategies to provide for an engaging lesson.  How will you meet the needs of ELL, special needs, and gifted students? 

 

I like the way you've thought through every step of the lesson and have plans for the students when they're done with the timeline (vocab ws and crossword).  Will you choose the groups, or do students get to pick their group members?...Never mind!  I see below that you'll do it--good plan!

Vocabulary:

 

-           Removal – to take something or someone out of their place 

-           John Ross – 1790 – 1866 - He was the principal chief of the Cherokee Indians

-           Elias Boudinot – 1800 – 1839 - Cherokee publisher and supporter of Major Ridge

-           Plantation – a large area of land where crops, usually tobacco or cotton, are grown

-           Mandatory – something that is required

-           Impatient – not able to wait or to be restless

-           Dispense – to pass or hand out items

-           Migration – people or animals moving from place to place

-           Andrew Jackson – 1767 – 1845 - seventh president of the United States and a major player in the removal of the

            Indians

-           Sequoyah – 1760 – 1843 - Sequoyah created the Cherokee written alphabet

-           Exiled – a person who is forced to move from their home

-           Coerced – to force someone to do something they don’t want to do or shouldn’t do

-           Systematically – to be organized

-           Confinement – to keep something within particular boundaries, sometimes by force

Nice that you included the vocabulary words.  It will make it easier if there happened to be a sub. 

Great!  Will these be displayed or just talked about?

Classroom Management: Routines: Materials distribution/clean-up, Movement, Transitions

  

-                      Students will sit in group area for Samuel’s Memory

-                      Students will sit attentively and listen to stories

-                      Students will return to desk to view Trail of Tears Vocabulary PowerPoint presentation and complete vocabulary worksheet

-                      Teacher will divide students into groups of 6 (approximately) – done ahead of time

-                      Students will work in groups gathering timeline information and creating timelines

-                      Students will clean up after themselves at end of class – put crayons/markers away – wash hands

   

Student Assessment & Check for Understanding:  How do you know if the students understand what you just taught? 

  

-                      Students will answer questions and discuss Samuel’s Memory, The Trail of Tears, and the reasons behind the removal of the American Indians

-                      Teacher observation of discussion participation

-                      Students will create group timelines representing the topic assigned – this demonstrates their knowledge of the particular topic  Timeline Self-Assessment Rubric.pdf

-                      Students will complete crossword puzzle which will demonstrate their knowledge of the vocabulary words and key people

-                      Students will complete the vocabulary fill-in-the-blank 

 

 

- I found your lesson plan to be interesting and engaging.  You included several activities and plenty of discussion/question/answer time.  Your lesson was thorough and easy to understand.  Nice job!

-You need to add the state standard(s) you addressed in your lesson plan.  The lesson plan evaluation said to remind each other that they should be stated and numbered as in the state documents. 

You've obviously spent a lot of time thinking through this lesson, and you have incorporated many learning approaches.  Well done!

 

                                                            

 

Trail of Tears

NCSS Ten Themes

Social Studies Standards