Students learn how the Indian Removal Act and Supreme Court rulings reflected limits on Indigenous rights, showing how U.S. law and Jackson’s policies prioritized expansion and power over Native sovereignty and land ownership.
Students learn how the Indian Removal Act and Supreme Court rulings reflected limits on Indigenous rights, showing how U.S. law and Jackson’s policies prioritized expansion and power over Native sovereignty and land ownership.
Students are introduced to the focus of the experience and its objectives, then examine a map related to the Age of Jackson. Using a drawing tool, they circle notable features, label connections to what they already know about Andrew Jackson’s presidency, and place question marks where the map raises new questions. They then read a brief introduction explaining that they will learn why the Indian Removal Act was created, what it required, and how legal traditions shaped Indigenous rights, and view an image of Cherokee people preparing for a ceremonial dance.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objectives, clarifying key vocabulary as needed. Guide students through the map activity by prompting them to share what they circled, labeled, and questioned, emphasizing that the goal is to surface thinking rather than find a single correct answer. Highlight patterns in their observations and questions related to movement, boundaries, and government decisions to build curiosity about the Indian Removal Act. Use the closing text and image to transition students toward examining how U.S. policy and court rulings affected Indigenous nations, then organize students into small groups for the next scene.
Students read an introduction explaining how the Indian Removal Act and court decisions reshaped relations between settlers and Indigenous nations. They watch 28th May 1830: The Indian Removal Act signed into law by President Andrew Jackson and read Georgia, the Cherokee Nation, and Indian Removal to understand why the U.S. government supported removal and what the law required. Using this information, they answer a multiple-choice question about the causes and terms of the Indian Removal Act and complete two inline-choice items that require them to select words or phrases that best complete sentences about the policy and its impact.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene by explaining that students will connect government policy and court rulings to the limits placed on Indigenous rights. If needed, pause or direct students to stop the video before it shifts to the Trail of Tears so the focus remains on the Indian Removal Act itself. After students respond to the questions, review their answers to highlight patterns rather than just correctness, stressing the difference between what the law claimed (negotiated treaties) and what happened in practice (forced removal). Explain how the Supreme Court first limited and then affirmed some Cherokee rights, and how Jackson’s refusal to enforce rulings revealed who controlled Indigenous rights. Use discussion prompts such as “What do the Indian Removal Act and the Supreme Court cases together suggest about who controlled Indigenous rights in the 1830s?” Then ensure students are in small groups before unlocking the next scene.
Students read an overview describing how disputes over land and authority in the Jacksonian era raised questions about sovereignty and control. In small groups, they read Johnson v. M’Intosh and the Doctrine of Discovery and respond on two discussion walls: one explaining what the Inter Caetera and the Doctrine of Discovery were, and another identifying the issue the Supreme Court addressed in Johnson v. M’Intosh. Next, they read Adapted Excerpt from the Inter Caetera and collaboratively complete a concept map graphic organizer showing how the Pope’s decree, the Doctrine of Discovery, and Johnson v. M’Intosh influenced U.S. laws regarding Indigenous nations and their land.
Teacher MovesClarify the purpose of the scene as tracing how older European religious and legal ideas shaped U.S. policy. Review student responses on the discussion walls to ensure they understand that Inter Caetera was a papal decree granting Christian rulers authority over non-Christian lands, that the Doctrine of Discovery justified Christian claims to already-inhabited lands, and that Johnson v. M’Intosh addressed who could sell and own Indigenous land. Support groups as they complete the concept map, prompting them to show a progression from religious justification to legal doctrine to U.S. policy limiting Indigenous sovereignty. Facilitate a debrief in which students explain each part of their map and connect these ideas to Jackson’s Indian Removal Act, highlighting continuity from European justifications to U.S. law. Conclude by asking how Jackson’s policies toward Indigenous people aligned or conflicted with his populist platform, then unlock the next scene when students are ready.
Students read an explanation that they will analyze President Andrew Jackson’s 1835 address to the Cherokee Nation to understand how he defended Indian removal. They closely read the excerpted speech and answer a multiple-choice question about its main idea and another about which quotation best supports that idea. Finally, they complete a hot-text item by selecting the phrase that best shows Jackson’s plans if the Cherokee resisted removal, focusing on how he described consequences such as punishment and suffering.
Teacher MovesIntroduce this scene as an optional extension that applies earlier learning to Jackson’s own words, previewing challenging vocabulary before students read. After students respond to the questions, lead a discussion that surfaces Jackson’s overall message: that removal was presented as the only path to “improvement and prosperity,” while resistance would bring legal pressure and violence. Highlight the contrast between Jackson’s paternal tone and his threats of punishment, connecting this rhetoric to broader limits on Indigenous rights. Encourage students to justify their answer choices with textual evidence and to explain how Jackson framed removal as inevitable rather than a true choice. When discussion is complete, unlock the next scene.
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.
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