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Lesson Plan
Middle School Course: American History
Grade Level: 8th Grade
Topic: Indian Removal/Trail of Tears
Big Idea: By this lesson, students will have already covered the Indian Removal Act
and subsequent events like the Trail of Tears. The purpose of this lesson is to take
have students go beyond just understanding what happened to the Native Americans
at this time so that they are actually empathizing with these people, by momentarily
stepping into their shoes.
Instructional Objective(s):

After listening to a guided imagery reading about the Cherokee Removal,
students will individually write a timed response imagining what it would have
been liked to have lived through this event.

Given background information on the Trail of Tears and a character’s story,
students will work in pairs to explain why, from their characters point of view,
removing the Indians from their lands was justified or unjustified.

As a class, with the teacher facilitating, students will debate whether the Indian
removal process can be viewed as something good, due to the benefits the
United States received.
NCSS Theme(s):
People, Places, and Environment: Students will learn about the resources found in the
Cherokee lands which made the U.S. want to take over their lands.
Power, Authority, and Governance: Students will learn about the decisions of the
Supreme Court in regards to Indians being removed and how states took it upon
themselves to disregard those decisions.
Florida Sunshine State Standard(s):
American History
Standard 1: Use research and inquiry skills to analyze American History using primary
and secondary sources.
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
SS.8.A.1.7: View historic events through the eyes of those who were there as
shown in their art, writings, music, and artifacts.
Standard 4: Demonstrate an understanding of the domestic and international causes,
course, and consequences of westward expansion.

SS.8.A.4.4: Discuss the impact of westward expansion on cultural practices and
migration patterns of Native American and African slave populations.

SS.8.A.4.13: Explain the consequences of landmark Supreme Court decisions
(McCulloch v. Maryland [1819], Gibbons v. Odgen [1824], Cherokee Nation v.
Georgia [1831], and Worcester v. Georgia [1832]) significant to this era of
American history.
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Instructional Sequence
& Strategies
Attention-Getter
(5 minutes)
Teacher Talk, Content, and
Student Practice
Prior to class beginning, tape
numbers 1-16 to desks. Pass
out numbers (1-16) to the
students, seemingly at random,
and ask students to gather their
belongings and move to the
matching desk number. The
goal is to make sure that
students do not end up sitting
sure that students end up
sitting away from people they
usually associate with. Tell
students that they will be
partnered based on their
numbers, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, etc.
If students groan or complain
about their new seating
assignments or partners,
explain that today’s lesson is
going to be a practice on other
people who had to do
something they did not want to
do. Ask for a volunteer to
explain the Indian Removal Act
and another to explain the Trail
of Tears which the students
should know.
After the explanation, tell
students to think about the fuss
they made over having to
change seats for 50 minutes
out of one day. Have students
consider the gravity that the
Native Americans being forced
was not only changing where
they lived, but where their
ancestors had lived for
hundreds if not thousands of
years. This change was not a
minor inconvenience which
they could be rid of in an hour,
but was something that would
change their whole lives and
their culture in the process.
Resources & Course
Materials
Two sets of cutout numbers
1-16
Tape
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Learning Activity:
Guided Imagery
(20 minutes)
Tell students to further get into
the mindset that a Native
American may have had at this
time period, you are going to
read to the students.
Guided Imagery Reading
Audio clips
Do Not Disturb sign
Place a Do Not Disturb sign on
the door and begin reading
Guided Imagery paper, making
sure to go over directions with
the students.
After reading the guided
imagery to the students, ask
them to write a short journal
entry as if the scenario had
really happened to them
complete with their own
thoughts and feelings. When
students are done writing ask
volunteers to share their
responses and discuss the
guided imagery reading.
Learning Activity:
Role-play response
(20 minutes)
After the guided imagery
activity, advise students that
they are going to work in pairs
to assume the role of a
character either prior to, during
or post the Trail of Tears.
Advise students that as that
character they will be
responsible for writing a letter
to the Supreme Court arguing
their position on the matter. Tell
students they will have about
12 minutes to complete their
letter and then we will share as
a class a little of about each
character and the letter they
wrote.
After students are done
sharing, ask if any having any
lingering questions about
what’s been covered to this
point.
Handouts: Role Play
Response Worksheets
Paper
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Closure
(10 minutes)
Assessment
After completing the role play
response, ask students to
share their thoughts about the
Indians being removed from
their lands or if they have any
questions. Share a little more
details about the fate of some
of the characters in the roleplay response. Tell students
that they are all historical
figures. That Major Ridge and
others who signed the Treaty
were assassinated by
Cherokee for signing the Treaty
of Echota, although his nephew
would survive the attack and
become Chief of the Southern
faction of Cherokee during the
Civil War. Discuss differences
between approaches by Ridge
and Ross, explaining that some
could see Ross as a realist
making the best of an
impossible situation.
While discussing the Indian
removal, ask students to list
benefits to the U.S. that may
have come from the Indian
Removal. Ask them to share if
they think it was worth it. Have
them think about the land
where the school was built or
the land where their house is
and consider that it may have
once been Seminole land. Ask
students if they would
reconsider their opinions if the
government decided to give
these lands back to the
Seminoles.
Students will first be assessed
individually based on their
timed journal entry responses
to the guided imagery. Student
will be assessed on whether
they showed that they followed
and were able to retell the story
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of what happened from their
own perspective.
Students will also be assessed
based on the character role
play responses they work on in
their groups. They will be
assessed on their ability to
contribute to the group based
on the teacher’s observations
during the activity. They will
also be assessed on how well
they can assume the identity of
their character and articulate
the character’s point of view
despite possibly not agreeing
with him or her.
References:
Burnett, J. G. (1978) The Cherokee removal through the eyes of a private soldier. Journal of
Cherokee Studies Vol. 3: pp. 180-85.
Deverell, W. F., & White, D. G. (2013). United states history beginnings to 1877. Orlando:
Holt McDougal.
"The Trail of Tears and the Forced Relocation of the Cherokee Nation." (n.d.) National Park
Services. U.S. Department of Interior.
http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/118trail/118trail.htm
"Trail of Tears." (n.d.) History.com. A&E Television Networks.
http://www.history.com/topics/trail-of-tears
Attachments:
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Numbers 1-16 Cutouts
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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Guided Imagery Exercise: Cherokee Removal
Tell students that they are going to take an imaginary trip into the past. Decrease the stimuli in
the room by turning off the lights, closing the blinds, placing "Do Not Disturb" on door, etc.
Ask students to stand up for a moment to stretch and ease tension in their bodies. Then have
them sit down, get into a comfortable position in their chairs, close their eyes and relax their
bodies. Finally tell them to breathe deeply, clear their minds and close their eyes.
(Bold phrases are audio to be played)
Now listen carefully and picture the following as I read to you.
It is May 23, 1838 and you are a part of the Cherokee Nation, a proud group of Native Americans
which has been established in the Southeastern United States for hundreds of years and whose
ancestors lived here for thousands of years. With the introduction of the white man, the Cherokee lands
have shrunken dramatically and your family has relocated to New Echota the capital of the Cherokee
tribe where you have lived most of your life.
This morning you have awoken to the sounds of men shouting and the cries of women and children
and you suddenly realize the moment you have been dreading for the past several years has arrived.
Over 7,000 fully armed soldiers had entered New Echota a few days ago, telling the Cherokee that per
the terms of the Treaty everyone had to leave their homes immediately and prepare to move to the
Indian Territory set up by the U.S. out west. Some other tribes had already been forced to leave their
lands including the Creek and Chickasaw, with many dying along the way to the Indian Territory. Yet,
you had still held onto hope as you looked into the faces of these white men that they would see the
errors of their ways and those in command and uphold the justice they had so proudly boasted of,
especially since the Treaty the claim to enforce was not agreed to by the Cherokee Nation.
But as you hear footsteps approaching your door and it slowly creep open, all hope you have
carried these past few years suddenly vanishes. Two soldiers already have their long rifles with
bayonets attached drawn and pointing at you. The only words they say to you are that it is time to
leave. For a moment you consider fighting back. Why not you think? Everything else has failed, you
adopted the white man’s ways and Chief Ross even won a Supreme Court case against Georgia. So
why not fight for your land of your ancestors? But you snap out of these thoughts when you smell
something burning and hear the crackling of fire. You then think about all the people outside, even
though the Cherokee number close to 4,000 and the soldiers about 7,000 many of the Cherokee are
elderly or children. Plus virtually none are armed. Any sign of rebellion would quickly be turned into a
slaughter. As one soldier moves closer with his bayonet pointing menacingly towards you, you quickly
grab your belongings and hurry out the door of your home.
As you exit, you can now see what was causing the burning smell. Several homes, including that of
your best friend’s family, are engulfed in flames. You hope that they are not inside but a group of
soldiers pushes you away from the houses. You see a trail of people being led out of the town by the
soldiers and fall in line. You have yet to see your family, but you are too stunned and line is too long to
check now. As you plod along with the rest of the Cherokee exiting the town you feel the wind
blowing against your face and hear the trees rustling in the wind, but something catches your
attention. You hear a single Cherokee voice singing a somber song asking the Cherokee ancestors to
grant everyone a safe passage to wherever they’re being led. In a field just outside of town, you finally
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turn to looking back at the town as the young girl continues her song. You say goodbye to the only
place you’ve ever known and goodbye to the spirits of your kinsmen who cannot follow. You turn
back around and continue along the journey into the unknown, now only hopeful that you can survive.
Ask students to slowly open their eyes and come back to the present. Ask them to consider how
they would have felt had they been forced to leave their homes.
Next, ask students to take out a sheet of paper. Tell them that they are going to write a timed
response to the short story you just read them. The goal is to write as much as they possibly can,
but that they should stay on topic describing how they would have felt if they were in the shoes of
the main character and were being forced to leave their homes. Students may also continue
about what worries they might have about the journey to come.
Ask students to write as if they were completing a journal entry at the end of that day, beginning
the first sentence:
As I woke up the morning of May 23, 1838….
From beginning of the reading to the end of the discussion, this activity should take 15 minutes.
Allow students approximately 7-8 minutes to complete the timed writing making sure to leave
about five minutes for discussion. Once the time for writing is done, ask students to stop and ask
students to share their responses. Afterwards explain to students that this was the beginning of
the Trail of Tears for the Cherokee as they were forced out of their homes and led to another
location, from which they would make the long trek to Indian Territory, during which many of
them would lose their lives.
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Background Information on The Trail of Tears
For thousands of years Native Americans and their ancestors lived in settlements
located from Florida to Mississippi. By the early 19th century there were five Native tribes that
dwelled at these settlement sites including the Seminole, Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw and
Chickasaw Indians. In 1830 with the support of President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed
the Indian Removal Act which aimed to remove Indians from their lands and relocate them to
the Indian Territory out west. The Choctaw were moved first with almost a quarter of the
population dying along the way. The Creeks initially resisted but were soon captured and
moved west, losing a large number of lives during their trip.
The Cherokee initially tried to avoid removal and avoid conflict by adopting the culture
of the white Americans, setting up Christian schools, a writing system for the Cherokee
language and a government similar to that of the United States. For a short time there was hope
that this could appease the people who wanted them removed, but then gold was discovered in
their land near Georgia and people were more determined than ever to remove the Cherokee.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that the state of Georgia had no jurisdiction over the Cherokee
and only the federal government could presume authority over the tribe, the pressure to move
the Cherokee persisted. In 1836, sensing that nothing would change the white man’s mind, a
small group of Cherokee who claimed to represent the Cherokee nation signed the Treaty of
New Echota. This treaty agreed to give up Cherokee land in the Southeast for Indian Territory
land in the west, $5 million dollars and assistance to move the tribe.
Although most Cherokee, including the Chief, and indeed many Americans denied the
Treaty from being official due to the way it was obtained, the businesses, farms and property
that were once Cherokee were claimed by Georgia in 1838. The Cherokee were forced by
troops to leave their homes and march 800 miles to the Indian Territory. Of the 18,000
Cherokee who took this journey, almost a quarter died from disease, hunger and other causes.
One traveler described the trip as an eerily silent one of people who were constantly mourning
their loss of their home and loved ones who had died. Men, women and children alike cried
along the way of what would become known as the Trail of Tears.
Source: Deverell, W. F., & White, D. G. (2013). United states history beginnings to 1877. Orlando: Holt McDougal.
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Character # 1: Trail of Tears
Major Ridge: Cherokee
You are Major Ridge, a Cherokee elder who served alongside Andrew Jackson and
Chief Ross in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend against the Creek during the War of 1812.
You do not like the Indian Removal plan and would prefer to stay in the land of your
ancestors but nonetheless has agreed to sign the Treaty of Echota. You’ve done this
despite knowing that it may brand you a traitor to your people and as such you could be
signing your death sentence, because you feel that Georgia will be unrelenting in its
pursuit of the Cherokee lands. You defend your decision by saying that you would die
to preserve the land of your fathers but that the Cherokee nation is weak and the U.S.
strong and to fight for your lands would cost the Cherokee not only their lands and lives,
but the lives of their children as well. As such you argue that the Cherokee nation must
move forward together, safely to the Indian Territories to the west and collect what the
U.S. is offering for your ancestral home before they rescind their offer and just take the
land.
Assuming the role of Major Ridge, prior to the Trail of Tears, try to convince the other
Cherokee to agree to the Treaty of Echota. Create a letter explaining why you feel the
way you feel about moving to the Indian Territory.
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Character # 2: Trail of Tears
Chief John Ross: Cherokee Chief
You are the Principal Chief of the Cherokee nation. You served alongside Andrew
Jackson and Major Ridge at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend against the Creek during the
War of 1812. You decided against signing a treaty when the Chickasaws, Choctaws and
Creeks did after the Indian Removal Act. Instead you encouraged the Cherokee nation
to adopt the ways of the White Americans. When this failed to stop the push to take the
Cherokee land primarily due to the discovery of gold, you sought to stop the state of
Georgia by supporting two cases before the United States Supreme Court, Cherokee
Nation v. Georgia and Worcester vs. Georgia. In 1832, the latter case would declare that
Georgia held no authority over the Cherokee Nation and only the federal government
could enforce laws upon the Cherokee. Yet this would still not stop Georgia. You
opposed the Treaty of Echota and had petitions signed declaring it was not approved by
the true Cherokee nation. You feel that the U.S. should recognize the sovereignty of the
Cherokee nation and let your people keep the lands of their ancestors. You do not
understand how a nation that proclaims that ‘all men are created equal’ can justify
removing the Cherokee and demand that justice be carried out by protecting the rights
and liberties of the Cherokee nation.
Assuming the role of Chief Ross before the Trail of Tears, create a letter to accompany
a petition the Cherokee have signed, arguing why your people should not be forced to
give up the land of their ancestors. This letter is intended for the President of the United
States.
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Character # 3: Trail of Tears
Private John G. Burnett: U.S. Army
You are Private Burnett a soldier in the U.S. who has grown up in Tennessee and has
gotten to know Cherokee customers during your childhood. You have watched with
disgust as the Cherokee people were dragged from their homes in late 1838 and forced
to march to stockades until the time was ready to march them west. You have seen
during this travel west, the so-called Trail of Tears, how many Cherokee Indians died as
the result of mistreatment, cold and hunger. You watched Chief John Ross’ own wife
die from exposure to the cold of winter as she gave her only blanket to her sick child.
Although you feel outraged by the actions of the United States against these people,
you stay faithful to your duty as a Private in the Army. You are only one man, so you
feel there’s not much you could do to change what is being done to the Cherokee by
the state of Georgia. The Supreme Court already sided with them and nothing
changed, but regardless you are reassured that unlike many of your fellow soldiers you
can say no Cherokee blood has be drawn by your rifle or bayonet. You feel that justice
ought to be served for the nearly 4,000 Cherokee who died or were murdered along
the Trail of Tears.
Assuming the role of Private Burnett after the Trail of Tears, write a letter to the
Governor of Georgia explaining the atrocities you have witnessed against the Cherokee
and how you feel that what has been done to them is unacceptable. Also explain what
you think could have been done differently.
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Character # 4: Trail of Tears
John C. Calhoun: Former Vice President and Secretary of State of U.S.
You are John C. Calhoun a stern proponent of removing the Indians in the Southeast
from their lands. You originally proposed this idea to President Monroe arguing that
the Indians are constantly under persecution by Americans and would be better served
to be away from the expanding population. It was your idea to create the Indian
Territory in the west and moved the Indians there so they could live happily in
isolation. Upon being elected as Vice President under Jackson in 1828 you supported
the Indian Removal Act that was passed in 1830 as you felt it would stop the growing
conflicts between settlers and the Indians. This you continued would be the only
permanent solution to the Indian problem. Although you and President Jackson
disagreed on many policies, you stood by his proclamation in 1835 that the peculiar
customs of the Cherokee would make it virtually impossible that they could flourish
while surrounded by a civilized community.
Assume the role of John C. Calhoun and write a letter to Chief Ross explaining why you
think the Cherokee should stop stalling moving west and accept the treaty to gain their
rightful place in the Indian Territory. Give the reasons why it would be in their best
interests to do so.
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Character # 5: Trail of Tears
Georgia Farmer
You are a farmer and land owner in Georgia circa 1836. You have just learned that the
lands just south of you are full of gold. The only problem is that the lands are
controlled by the Cherokee Indians. You had assumed that when President Jackson
passed the Indian Removal Act a few years before that the Cherokee would be moving
west like the Choctaw and Creek had. However you’ve seen how their Chief Ross keeps
fighting for their land, which you find both admirable and equally irritating. You are
confident that if they just move away you are going to gain a significant chunk of land
and will hopefully strike gold. You know that the Cherokee have a large chunk of land
being given to them, so you think they will be fine. Plus from what you’ve heard they
have been offered nearly $5 million dollars. That’s more than you could ever hope to
have even if you do find some gold. You feel that the Cherokee are mostly wasting
their land anyways. They do not really do anything to improve upon the land like
normal Americans would, so land here or in the Indian Territory should be all the same
to them.
Assume the role of the Georgia farmer and write a letter to the local newspaper
explaining why you think the Cherokee should give up their land and move on. Explain
both the benefits for the people of Georgia and for the Cherokee nation if they go
west.