The Trail of Tears

Social Studies American History Westward Expansion to 1850 Trail of Tears
Students make observations about an 1870 U.S. census map, which explicitly does not count American Indians. Then they learn about the Five Civilized Tribes and create a concept map. Next they explain the Trail of Tears. Finally they watch a video about the Cherokee alphabet and research an interesting fact about one of the tribes.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for The Trail of Tears:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


Overview

In this experience, students make observations about an 1870 U.S. census map and learn that many Indigenous people were not included in the population shown. Then, they learn about the “Five Civilized Tribes” of the Southeast and create a concept map about their cultures and communities. Next, they learn about the forced removal of the Cherokee and explain why it became known as the Trail of Tears. Finally, they watch a video about the Cherokee alphabet and research the culture, history, or life today of one of the five tribes.

If you have access to leveled readers that describe the Southeastern tribes or Indian Territory, assign them to the students in parallel to this experience.

Estimated duration: 35-45 minutes

Discovery Reading

A printable Discovery Reading is included in the student pack as a support for understanding the experience’s core content and concepts. This Discovery Reading is not necessary to complete the experience and serves as an optional support resource.

Vocabulary Words:

These vocabulary words are used in the experience or connect closely to the standards and content students examine. Students should understand these terms as they work through the experience.

  • Five Civilized Tribes: a name white Americans used in the 1800s for the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole nations; today this term is considered harmful and inaccurate.
  • Indian Removal Act: a law signed in 1830 that allowed the U.S. government to make treaties that moved Native nations from their eastern homelands to lands west of the Mississippi River.
  • Trail of Tears: the forced journey of the Cherokee to Indian Territory, during which they suffered greatly and about 4,000 people died.
  • Indian Territory: land in the West, in present-day Oklahoma, that the U.S. government set aside for Native nations.
  • forced removal: when people are made to leave their homes and land against their will.
  • homeland: the place where a people have lived, built communities, and have deep historical ties.
 

Objectives

  • Describe the culture of the Southeastern tribes
  • Explain the conflict leading to the Trail of Tears
  • Describe the impact of the Trail of Tears on Native Americans


Engage


In this unit, you are learning about American settlers and immigrants moving west. The western lands were not empty or simply waiting for settlers to arrive. Native nations had lived on and governed these lands for many generations. In this lesson, you will learn how westward settlement affected the lands, communities, and ways of life of different tribes in the Southeastern United States.

Objectives

  • Describe the culture of the Southeastern tribes.
  • Explain the conflict leading to the Trail of Tears.
  • Describe the impact of the Trail of Tears on Native Americans.


a map showing where people lived in the US in 1870, Indian Territory is also marked

U.S. Population Distribution, based on the 1870 Census


Study the map shown above. Turn and discuss it with a classmate. Record an observation about the map. If someone has already posted your observation, try to think of something else to post.


Table Instructions


Students may make the following observations:

  • Most of the population shown on the map is in the eastern United States, especially the Northeast.
  • The population shown becomes much smaller farther west.
  • There are some areas of settlement in the West, including in California.
  • Large areas in the West appear to have few people living there.
  • The map says that it shows the “Constitutional Population,” excluding “Indians not taxed.”

If students do not notice the small text about the “Constitutional Population,” point it out. Explain that the map does not show everyone who lived on these lands. Many Indigenous people were not included in the population totals used to create the map. As a result, areas where Native nations lived may appear to have few or no people.

Also point out Indian Territory on the map. Explain that this was a name the U.S. government used for lands set aside for Native nations. Some Native nations had been forced from their homelands farther east and moved to Indian Territory.

Ask students: How might this map give someone an incomplete picture of who lived in the West?


When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.


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Social Studies American History Westward Expansion to 1850 Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
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