Trail of Tears

Web Quest

Introduction

Task

Resources

Worksheets

Evaluations

The Quest

The Paper

Introduction

The Cherokee petitioned all the way to the Supreme Court in order to remain on their homelands. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Cherokee nation, however, President Andrew Jackson saw the situation differently and enacted the Indian Removal Act of 1830. Thus began the Trail of Tears for the Cherokee. The Cherokee were not the only tribe to walk this trail and die along the way. The Chocktaw, Chicasaw, Creek, and Seminole Indians also walked to the Indian Territories in the west. The focus of this Web Quest will be on the Cherokees, but you will come across these other tribes. Be aware and do not neglect them to history's dusty back shelves. You may choose to include them in the history that you will write.

Task

On this quest you will seek out information about the Cherokee's experience on the "Trail of Tears." You will also look at the United States government and the role it played in Indian Removal. It will be up to you to write a history that covers the who, what, where, why, and when. You will use both primary and secondary sources to answer these questions to help you to write a short history of the "Trail of Tears."

While searching for clues it will be important to take notes you may work in pairs or alone for note taking and evidence discovery. We will spend most of a week seeking out the important facts that will be used to write a history. Check the website resources as more sites may be added.
Your paper needs to be 3-5 pages long and you should use the format for papers that you have been given. Your paper should have an introductory paragraph, paragraphs that support your main idea or focus, and a conclusion. You may focus on one or several aspects of this historical event. You can use the Rubric as a guide to what will be a good paper. If you quote a source you should cite the source. For information on how to cite sources go to how to cite, use the MLA style for citing sources.

Resources

Indian Removal Act-the document that began the legal removal of the Native Americans.

Andrew Jackson v. Cherokee Nation-an article comparing the ideas of President Jackson and the Cherokee nation.

Andrew Jackson-a biography of Andrew Jackson.

Jackson's Address to Congress Regarding Indian Removal Act

Tribes-information about the tribes that marched the Trail of Tears.

Cherokee History-a history of the Cherokee.

Cherokee on the Trail of Tears

Worksheets

Artifact Analysis

Photo Analysis

Document Analysis

Evaluation

The Quest

Criteria	Excellent	Well Done	Satisfactory	Needs Work
On Task Behavior	Didn't have to be reminded to stay on task by teacher	Had to be reminded only once to remain on task	Had to be reminded 2 times to remain on task and behave appropriately	Had to be reminded several times to remain on task and behave appropriately
Internet Use	Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.
Identifies Important Information	Student lists all the main points of the article without having the article in front of him/her.	The student lists all the main points, but uses the article for reference.	The student lists all but one of the main points, using the article for reference. S/he does not note any unimportant points.	The student cannot important information with accuracy.
Notes	Notes are recorded legibly and are somewhat organized.	Notes are recorded.	Notes are recorded only with peer/teacher assistance and reminders.	No notes are recorded.

The Paper

Criteria	Excellent	Well Done	Satisfactory	Needs Work
First Draft	Detail draft is neatly presented and includes pertinent information	Draft includes pertinent information and is legible	Draft includes some pertinent information and is legible	Draft has little information and is difficult to read
Final Draft
Paragraph construction	All paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence.	Majority of paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence.	Paragraphs include related information, but were not well constructed.	Paragraph structucre was not clear and sentences were not typically related within the paragraphs.
Mechanics (Grammer/Spelling)	No grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	Almost no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	More than 3 grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.	More than 10 grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
Organization	The paper has a clear introduction with a thesis statement, supporting paragraphs, and clear conclusion.	The paper has an introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.	The paper is in paragraph form, but it is not clearly introduced, supported, or concluded.	The paper is confusing to read and the reader has a difficult time following the authors train of thought.
Quality of Information	Information clearly realtes to the author's main topic. (Should refelect the theme of the Webquest.) It includes several supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly realtes to the author's main topic. (Should refelect the theme of the Webquest.) It includes only 1 or 2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly realtes to the author's main topic. (Should refelect the theme of the Webquest.) No details and/or examples are given	Information has little or nothing to do with the theme of the Webquest