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Grade: all Subject: Literature

#2458. The Trail of Tears

Literature, level: all
Posted Wed Dec 12 15:44:37 PST 2001 by Marsha Goodston ().
Cornerstone Academy, Houston, TX
Materials Required: Mind
Activity Time: Any time
Concepts Taught: To help students realize that the Trail of Tears was a long terrible trek.

First let kids sit down with a group. Let them read the following poem.

The Trail Of Tears
By: Aditi Rao

My heart breaks,
Everytime I see.
Our tribal people,
Suffering dearly.
For their souls are blank,
Their hearts are torn.
Their minds are still,
And their fears shown.

The sun disappears,
The moons they pass.
I see the days,
Like shattered glass.
Yet silently I continue on,
No words escape my speechless lips.
I gently shush the children's words,
With softly curled fingertips.

How long, how far?
These questions come.
They wait to be answered,
By the Chosen One.
Yet some of me,
Can't wait and cry.
So I let go of life,
With a mourning sigh.

Have the students discuss emotions and feelings in the poems. Have them answer the following questions.

1)What is the conflict in the poem?
2)Does this help bring back the historic time of the Trail of Tears?

Further activity:
Have students research the Trail of Tears and write a poem of their own based on this one.