Poetry for Children 5903-23
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Poetry Break 16

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Available from http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch. Accessed july 16, 2005

A poem relevant to the social studies(history,geography,etc)
 
The Trail of Tears
by Mark Turcotte
 
President Andrew Jackson,
elected in 1828,
believed in westward expansion
of what was then the United States
 
The U.S. policy was to claim every inch of land,
As far as the eye could see.
Every tree and rock and grain of sand,
they would take to meet their greed.
 
"Get rid of the Indians," the pioneers cried,
"We want the land as our own.
Why, they're not even civilized.
They don't really want a home."
 
"We'll make a new law," said Jackson,
"one to clear Indians out of the way.
I'll send soldiers to force quick action
and to take them someplace else to stay."
 
So the Indian Removal Act was signed,
authorizing relocation that took years.
The Cherokee were forced to leave their lives behind,
marched, and died on the trail of tears.
 
The Cherokee were left, like many others,
with few blankets,supplies ,or winter clothes.
Sons,and daughters , fathers and mothers,
thousands were swept away in the bitter snows.
 
This is one more story of greed and shame,
one more injustice cause by hate and fear,
one more tradgedy that was given a name,
 the terrible Trail of Tears.
 
Songs of Our Ancestors, Poems about Native Americans
     Chicago: Childrens Press, Inc. 1995

Introduction

This poem is geared toward students in grade 4 and 5th as they start their studies of the Westward Expansion.

 Expansion

When you start the lessons on the Westward Expansion ask the class what were some important events that occured ? Read the poem the Trail of Tears and ask the students to pay close attention. Give the class a blank map and see if they can locate the states where the Trail of Tears occurred. Put the students in pairs and see if they can locate other Native America poems that tell about other events. Make a poem folder with the poems they have found. Work on a time line. Start a discussion about what happened ? How do you feel ? Was it fair? Pretend you were living in this time and you were Native American. Write your feelings down you can use free verse or rhyme.

A poem relevant to mathematics