Students learn about the events leading up to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the subsequent removal of the Southeastern Native American Tribes, including the Cherokee who were evacuated in 1838 in a journey described as the "Trail of Tears." Then, students compare life for the Native Americans before and after the Indian Removal Act.
Students read an overview of the experience and background text describing long-standing Native American settlement in the southeastern United States and their forced removal west of the Mississippi. They examine a map showing the routes of southeastern Native Americans’ journeys and, in small groups, discuss what the map reveals about those journeys. Each group posts its observations about the routes and destinations to a shared class wall.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the experience and review the objectives. Facilitate a whole-class share-out of group observations about the map, prompting students to consider the length and difficulty of the journeys and the reduction in Native-held land, and to imagine what the journey might have been like for people traveling on foot or horseback while carrying their belongings.
Students read background text explaining differing U.S. government approaches to Native Americans, including early efforts at assimilation and Andrew Jackson’s push for access to Native-held farmland, culminating in the 1830 Indian Removal Act. Using Indian Removal Act Summary and Indian Removal Act, small groups discuss the sequence of events leading up to and following the Act. One group member completes a graphic organizer by recording four key events from this period.
Teacher MovesLead a discussion of student graphic organizers, ensuring that key events from the reading are represented and accepting all reasonable answers that accurately reflect the progression of policies and actions related to Indian removal.
Students read about the context of the Cherokee response to removal and then examine selected sections—Case Summary, Legal Issue, and Decision—from Worcester v. Georgia Summary and Worcester v. Georgia. After small-group discussion, each student individually answers a multiple-choice question explaining how Worcester v. Georgia contributed to the removal of the Cherokees.
Teacher MovesUse student responses to identify understandings and misconceptions, and to guide follow-up discussion.
Students read a brief explanation of the forced removal of over 17,000 Cherokees in 1838 and view images related to the Trail of Tears and Indian removal. They watch the video Trail of Tears and read the article Trails of Tears to learn about the conditions and human impact of the journey. In small groups, they discuss the video and article, then post a written explanation to a shared wall describing the challenges the Cherokee faced during their winter journey, citing evidence from the video, article, and map.
Teacher MovesFacilitate small-group and whole-class discussion of the Trail of Tears, prompting students to support their explanations with evidence from the resources. Highlight and share interesting or exemplary student responses to deepen understanding of the hardships and human costs of removal.
Students read The Life and Customs of the People, How Culture and Life Changed on the Indian Territory, and American Indians to investigate what life was like for Native Americans relocated to Indian Territory. Working in groups, they create an outline summarizing post-removal life, focusing on changes to tribal cultures, language, and economy. They then complete a two-column chart comparing “Life in the Southeast” and “Life in Indian Territory,” describing how life changed after the Indian Removal Act.
Teacher MovesReview group charts and outlines, accepting all reasonable answers. Draw attention to points such as quieter communities, increased open space and undeveloped land, the presence of wildlife, and the establishment of schools and missionary-led education for Native American students.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
©2026 Exploros. All rights reserved.