Indian Removal Act Perspective Lesson Plan

The Content:
1 Previous Learning: The context for this lesson is a part of the Manifest Destiny unit.
More specifically, it focuses on the different perspectives and arguments about the Indian
Removal Act of 1830. In the previous lesson, the students have learned about America in
the early 1800s, Native Americans during the early 1800s, more specifically the
Cherokee tribe and how they assimilated to European culture, and background
information on the Indian Removal Act.
2 Future learning: For the next lesson, the students will use the sources they have analyzed
to debate their assigned perspective based on the Indian Removal Act. They will meet
with a group that has the same perspective as them in order to share what theyve learned
and build an argument. They will also be prepared for the debate with the analysis
worksheet and debate outline that they had completed the night before.
The Environment
3 I will have students desk grouped into groups of three. This will allow for students to
work together and collaborate on the readings and worksheets. I will be practicing
analyzing a document with the class, so the desk are angles that the students will be able
to see, hear, and participate.
The Lesson
1 Manifest Destiny/8th grade/American history
2 Performance Objective
Students will be able to analyze a primary source in order to understand and debate the
perspective of the assigned primary source.
3 Rationale
This lesson is important because it is giving the students opportunities to learn how to
analyze primary sources. They will also have to take the information theyve learned
based off their analysis and form an argument of an assigned perspective. Successfully
completing this is important because students will have to prepare to support their
argument with evidence. Assigning students a perspective is also important because it
takes the student out of their comfort zone. Having a forced perspective also challenges
the students to prepare a successful argument during a debate that they may not agree
with. Overall, this lesson accomplishes the Iowa Standard SS.68.H.8 Essential Concept
and/or Skill: Understand cause and effect relationships and other historical thinking skills
in order to interpret events and issues. Through this lesson, students learn what impact
people, especially politicians, perspectives and mindsets have on history. The students
also learn how some specifically the different mindsets play into how history is made.
4 Assessment Strategy: Students will be given a worksheet to outline their analysis. Based
on how well they complete this will decide whether I need to reteach on how to analyze
documents. They are also given a worksheet that will allow them to outline their debate.
This worksheet will help the students develop arguments with supporting evidence from
 the text they have read. Again, based on how well they complete this worksheet will
decide whether I need to reteach how to use this historical thinking skill.
5 Accommodations for Exceptional Learners: Students who are exceptional learners will
be able to work with their peers in their groups. Also, because the readings are difficult, I
added a vocabulary list to help them with any words that are harder to understand. I will
also offer to read any document out loud if the students are more comfortable with that as
an option.
6 Supporting Content Development through Language
a Language Function: Students will be able to identify the perspective of the
primary source after analyzing the document.
b Key Vocabulary: Students will be able to identify the mindset and justifications
behind the different perspectives and will be able to debate said perspective.
c Additional Language Demand: The additional language demand is discourse
because students are analyzing and preparing to debate their assigned perspective.
d Language Supports: The planned language supports will be implemented
throughout my lesson. I will ask give students a worksheet that will allow them to
organize their analysis and help identify what the perspective they are reading is.
7 Grouping Strategy: Students will be put into groups of three or four. This will allow
students to work together when reading and analyzing the documents.
8 Materials: Powerpoint, six primary sources, analysis worksheet, debate outline
9 Enactment:

a (7 minutes) Hook: The students will begin class with a bell ringer like they do
every day. The journal prompt for today will be: What is the importance of
learning the different perspectives in a history class? After the students are done
writing, we will discuss their answers as a class.

b Student Aim: Students will be able to analyze a primary source in order to

identify its perspective.

c (25-30 minutes) Development: The student will be placed into groups of three. I
will ask the students what a primary source is. After we have discussed this, we
will go over the learning target and discuss what it means to them. Then we will
analyze Andrew Jacksons letter to the Cherokee tribe together. This will include
going over when the letter was written, who wrote it, who it was addressed to,
what was the purpose of the letter, and breaking the source down together. Each
student will have their own copy they can write on. Then I will give each group a
primary source that are from the perspective of either: Andrew Jackson, Congress
members who opposed of the Indian Removal Act, Congress members who
agreed to the Indian Removal Act, and the Cherokee tribe. For the rest of the
development, they will read the sources as a group and fill out a worksheet that
will outline what they need to analyze in the document. During this time, I will be
walking around the class to answer questions and assist students.
 d (2 minutes) Culmination: I will ask students that they keep these primary
sources with them. For homework, I will assign a worksheet that contain a
graphic organizer where the students will need to outline their argument based on
their assigned perspective.

e (1 minute) Leap: I will ask students to prepare and be excited for a lively debate
tomorrow!

Name: ______________________________
Directions: In your group read your primary sources. After you have read a source, fill out the
worksheet to help you outline your analysis.

Written Document Analysis Worksheet

Title of the Document:
__________________________________________________________________________

Date of the Document:

__________________________________________________________________________

Who was the author or creator of the document?

___________________________________________________________________________

Position held by author or creator:

Who was the audience written for?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Document Information:
a. List two things the author said that you think are important:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

b. Why do you think this document was written?

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

c. What in the source helps you know why it was written? Use a quote.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

d. List two things that tells you about life in America during this time:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

Name: _________________________________
Directions: Review your primary source and analysis worksheet. Then, come up
with an argument based on the primary sources youve read. Discover reasons that
 support your argument. Then, back up your reasons with quotes from the primary
sources. Explain how the quote supports the reason.

Supporting Evidence

Reason 1

How does this quote

support the reason?

Argument
Supporting Evidence

Reason 2

How does this quote

support the reason?

Supporting Evidence

Reason 3

How does this quote

support the reason?