Walk in Their Shoes: The Cherokee Trail of Tears

Confront a difficult chapter in American history with this sensitive reading comprehension worksheet on the Trail of Tears.
Guide your students on a thought-provoking journey, exploring:

• Forced Farewell: Uncover the Indian Removal Act and its devastating consequences for Native American tribes.
• A Long Walk of Loss: Analyze the Cherokee experience on the Trail of Tears through a primary source account.
• A Legacy of Resilience: Evaluate the lasting impact on Native American communities and the importance of honoring their history.

Sharpen essential reading skills with a variety of questions:

• Multiple Choice: Test core factual knowledge.
• Matching: Connect terms with their definitions.
• Fill-in-the-Blank: Solidify essential details and chronology.
• Short Answer: Encourage analysis, synthesis, and empathy using a primary source excerpt.

Answer Key included for easy assessment!

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to explain the historical context that led to the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears.
• Students will be able to describe the experiences of the Cherokee people during their forced removal.
• Students will be able to analyze a primary source excerpt to understand the human cost of the Trail of Tears.
• Students will be able to evaluate the long-term impact of the Trail of Tears on Native American communities.

Recommended Common Core Standards:

• RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says or when analyzing its content.
• RI.5.2: Determine the central ideas or author's purpose of a text and explain how it is supported by key details.
• RI.5.3: Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a text.
• RI.5.6: Analyze the author's point of view in a text and distinguish it from the narrator's or character's point of view.

Review:
This reading comprehension worksheet delves into the somber story of the Trail of Tears. Students will explore:

• The Indian Removal Act, a federal law that authorized the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to territories west of the Mississippi River.
• The Cherokee Nation's plight as they were forced to leave their homes and embark on a dangerous journey westward, known as the Trail of Tears.
• A firsthand account from a Cherokee letter, offering a glimpse into the suffering, hunger, and despair endured during the forced removal.
• The lasting impact of the Trail of Tears on the Cherokee people and other Native American tribes, including cultural disruption, loss of life, and the erosion of trust with the U.S. government.

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