Tears that Water the Trails

Unit: Tears That Water A Trail
Authors: Zena Lews & Lori Lane, Oklahoma
Grades 6-8

Students will learn about what led to the Trail of Tears and how this impacted Indigenous People in the Southeastern U.S. They will compare and contrast the Trail of Tears and its results with those of the Holocaust. They will also learn about the importance of Land Acknoweldgements and the connections between the Trail of Tears and respecting indigenous lands.

Tears That Water the Trails
Authors: Zena Lews & Lori Lane, Oklahoma
Grades 6-8

Students will learn about what led to the Trail of Tears and how this impacted Indigenous People in the Southeastern U.S. They will compare and contrast the Trail of Tears and its results with those of the Holocaust. They will also learn about the importance of Land Acknoweldgements and the connections between the Trail of Tears and respecting indigenous lands.

Land Acknowledgements
Authors: Zena Lews & Lori Lane, Oklahoma
Grades 6-8

Students will learn about what a land acknowledgement is and why it is essential to indigenous cultures. They will also learn about how their own school location is connected to Indigenous Peoples of the past and how they can create a land acknowledgment to acknowledge this relationship.

Trail of Tears Jeopardy

Authors: Zena Lews & Lori Lane, Oklahoma

Grades 6-8

Game

Spanish

Lesson Materials

Additional Westward Expansion
Teaching Resources

Teacher's Guides and Analysis Tool - Library of Congress
Frontier Museum Virtual Field Trip. Visit the museum from the classroom and explore life in the old world.
Library of Congress. Firsthand accounts from Americans as they traveled west from 1750 to 1920. Great for providing primary sources to students!
National Park Service. A resource article titled, The Expedition’s Impact on Indigenous Americans.
National Gallery of Art. A resource that looks into the role that artists played when it came to shaping the publics’ understanding of the western part of the United States.
PBS Interactive Westward Expansion map. A resource that allows you to view native tribes, geologic features, and precipitation from 1790 to 1850.
History Channel. A resource with various articles on the western Expansion from different perspectives.
National Archives. Primary resources for teaching Westward Expansion.
National Geographic Western map. Maps, articles, and encyclopedic entries for all grade levels!
PBS Interactive Westward Expansion map. A resource that allows you to view native tribes, geologic features, and precipitation from 1860 to 1890.
Library of Congress. Student discovery set of free eBooks on the Industrial Revolution.
National Gallery of Art. A classroom activity focusing on the multiple viewpoints of the Industrial Revolution.
The Ohio State University, History Teaching Institute. Classroom activities on teaching the Industrial Revolution.
C3 Teachers. A high school level lesson on Industrialization.
PBS Learning Media. Teaching instruction, activities, and videos for 3rd -12th grade.
Cherokee Phoenix and Indian’s Advocate Newspaper 1800s.Primary sources resource of newspaper articles from the 1830s.
Sequoyah Research Center, American Native Press Archives. A primary source that shares accounts of families and family members who either experienced the Trail of Tears or are passing on the stories from their elders.
Native American Rights Fund. “Since 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has provided legal assistance to Indian tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide who might otherwise have gone without adequate representation.”
Library of Congress. A resource that provides additional information on Native American Boarding Schools.
Bureau of Indian Affairs. An interactive map that displays the land areas of Federally-Recognized Tribes.
How to Address Native American Issues as a Non-Native: A Resource for Allies.