Could You Survive the Trail of Tears?

Focus: To give students an in-depth look at the hardships endured by Native Americans along the Trail of Tears as well as the events leading up to and surrounding the Indian Removal Act of 1830.  This project is designed so that students will place themselves in the Native Americans' shoes rather than simply read about it in a text book. By the end of the WebQuest, students should have been able to empathize with Native Americans on the Trail.

Objectives/Goals: I would briefly introduce the topic before turning students over to this WebQuest.  By the end of the WebQuest, students should have been able to empathize with Native Americans on the Trail. Students will learn about the culture and traditions of different Native American tribes prior to the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Students will learn about the hardships along the Trail, as well as the adjustments in lives that Native Americans were forced to endure as a result of being displaced to the Oklahoma territory.

Resources: Many thanks to:

"Native Languages of the Americas." Cherokee Indian Fact Sheet. 01 Oct. 2008 http://http://www.bigorrin.org/cherokee_kids.htm.

"Native Lanuages of the Americas." Creek Indian Fact Sheet. 01 October 2008. http://www.bigorrin.org/creek_kids.htm.

"Native Languages of the Americas." Choctaw Fact Sheet. 01 October 2008. http://www.bigorrin.org/choctaw_kids.htm

"Native Languages of the Americas." Chickasaw Fact Sheet. 01 October 2008. http://www.bigorrin.org/chickasaw_kids.htm

"Native Languages of the Americas." Seminole Fact Sheet. 01 October 2008. http://www.bigorrin.org/seminole_kids.htm

"Battle Creek Health Center." Native American Names & Meanings.  01 October 2008.  http://www.bchealth.com/services/birthcenter/nativeambabynames.shtml

"PowerSource."  The Trail Where They Survived. 01 October 2008. http://www.powersource.com/cocinc/history/trail.htm

"History For Kids." Food of North America after 1500. 01 October 2008. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/food/index.htm

"National Weather Service." Weather Conditions on the Trail of Tears. 01 October 2008. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/research/trail_of_tears.htm

"Cherokee History." Samuel's Memory. 01 October 2008. http://cherokeehistory.com/samuel.html

Prerequisite: Students should be comfortable with the Internet and Microsoft Word.