Trail of Tears/Ukraine Speech

1. Lesson Objectives:

Subject/Grade Level: ELA, 5th grade

Observable Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast the devastation caused by
the Navive Americans and the Ukrainians losing their land unjustly.

Multicultural Goal: Develop an educational environment that promotes respect for differences,
and understand social, political, economic realities affecting student learning.

2. Materials:

“Trail of Tears” on Kiddle

https://www.kiddle.co/s.php?q=Trail+of+Tears#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Trail%20of%20Tears&gsc.pag
e=1

Ukraine/Russia on NewsForKids.net https://newsforkids.net/

Venn diagram handout

Teacher’s Smart Board

Google Slide presentation/directions

Chrome books to write speeches on

3. Instruction-learning Process:

Do First: Today we are going to talk about how you would feel if you had your land stolen
away from you. We are going to talk about two groups of individuals that we have talked about
before. One group is the Native Americans. We are going to discuss a historical event called
“Trail of Tears” Why do you think it is called “Trail of Tears”? How does that title make you
feel? How do you think the Native Americans may have been feeling with a trail called that?
(Have students discuss these questions) 2.5 min

We are also going to talk about another group of people right now that are having their land
being stolen. They are the Ukrainians. I am sure that you have seen it on the news or heard your
parents talking about it, but the Ukrainians have had their own state since the former U.S.S.R.
(now Russia) broke apart in 1991. That is over 30 years. Now Russia wants their land back, and
they are at war with Ukraine about this. How would you feel if there were tanks on the borders
of your yard? What would you do if you had lived in your country your whole life, and now
someone wants to come in and take it away from you, and force you to move somewhere else,
with pretty much just the clothes on your back? (Have students discuss these questions) 2.5 min

Mini-lesson:

We are going to open up our Chromebooks and get onto the websites: Kiddle, and
NewsForKids.net. On Kiddle we are going to take a look at “Trail of Tears”. On
NewsForKids.net, we are exploring Russia’s war on Ukraine. I want you to read/research both
of these events. I want you to pick out 2 elements in each story that are similar, and two
elements that are different. Look at aspects like why the land was stolen? Where was the land
stolen? Who stole the land? How did it make/affect the Native Americans and Ukranians feel
when their land was stolen?How do you feel when you read about this? Do you think it was/is
right or fair?
(15 min)

Guided Practice: Now that you have read and researched both websites; we are going to fill out
a Venn diagram. A Venn diagram is a tool used to compare and contrast events. We are going to
take a look at my Google slide to get an idea of what I am talking about.

So with a Venn diagram, you have 2 cicles that innertwine. The circles on the left and right, we
put information from the text that is different. The circle that is at the intersection of the circles,
is for information that is similar. Looking at my Google slide you see that I have put the
Ukrainians on the left side, and the Native Americans on the right. I want you to put your two
differences that you found for each group in the correct circle. I then want you to put your two
similarities of the two cultures' experiences in the middle circle. I will give you a few examples
of some differences and some similarities, you may use one of my examples in your Venn
diagram. I will display my examples on the smart board.
Differences: Different countries, Different cultures
Similarities: Land taken illegally, Native Americans/Ukranians mistreated

Questions, Discussion (10 min)

Independent Practice: Writing our speeches

Looking at the Google slide, we are going to start writing our speeches. In our first paragraph I
want you to talk about how it would make you feel to be a Native American or a Ukrainian who
has had their land taken away from them, and now is forced to move somewhere else, in a very
dangerous situation. You could even talk about what may happen to you if you said “No.”

In our second paragraph, I want you to talk about how the two situations, Trail of Tears and
Ukrainian/Russia conflict are similar. Use the two similarities in the middle of your Venn
diagram to demonstrate this.

In the third paragraph, I want you to talk about the differences between the Trail of Tears and
Ukranian/Russia conflict. Use the 4 examples in your outside circles of your Venn diagram for
this.

In our last paragraph, I want you to talk about what possible solutions could have been used
instead of taking the Native American and Ukrainian land away, how both sets of these people
could have been treated differently, and your final thoughts on the subject.

Please make sure to include an introductory sentence like, “These are two reasons the Trail of
Tears and Ukrainian conflict are similar. Be sure to include a concluding sentence too. “I feel
that these situations were very different because of these reasons.” Also, since you are talking
like you are either a Native American or Ukrainian citizen, please be sure to talk in first person.
“This was my land.” “I feel this way, because…”

You are going to need to open a Google doc in your Chrome book and name it “Trail of
Tears/Ukraine Speech”. When you are finished writing your speech, please share it with the
classmate I assigned you to; to edit your doc, looking for any grammatical, spelling, or
capitalization errors. After you feel like your speech is completed, please share it with me.
(17 minutes)

Exit slip: Before class is over, I would like for you to fill out an exit slip about our speech
lesson. (3 min)
 Resources

Common Core State Standards. (2022) English Language Arts Standards.

http://www.corestandards.org/

Kiddle. (2021, July 16) Trail of Tears Facts for Kids. In Kiddle.
https://kids.kiddle.co/Trail_of_Tears

NewsForKids. (2022, March 10) Russia’s War on Ukraine.

https://newsforkids.net/russias-war-on-ukraine/
 Reflection

What specific subject concepts, skills were taught?

The specific subject concepts that I taught were based off of the Common Core Standards of a
5th grade curriculum. The reading standards that I touched upon were: “Explain the
relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a
historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text, . Draw on
information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer
to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.” (Common Core, pg. 24) The writing
standards I touched upon were, “Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences, and with
guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach”(Common Core, pg. 39-40).
These concepts were taught in the classroom, and taught by researching, using a Venn diagram,
setting up our speeches, typing them, and then peer editing them. These subjects were taught by
direct instruction by the teacher.

What specific multicultural knowledge, skills were achieved?

The specific multicultural knowledge that was achieved was to develop an educational
environment that promotes respect for differences, and understand social, political, economic
realities affecting student learning. I hope by researching, and comparing and contrasting, the
struggles and hardships that both Native American and Ukrainian people faced, and are facing,
leads the students to understand how social and political policies and laws can affect an entire
culture of people. Students should recognize the injustice of having a government demand and
torture, people that are different from them, and that they feel they can “boss” around or be made
to feel “less than”. I want to show students that we need to stand up for ourselves and others,
and not take anything and everything that our government says for face value, especially if they
are trying to force you out of your rightful lands and homes. I would also hope to instill in
students it is not just to hate or be cruel to anyone, any race, culture, or country.

Evaluate the level of active student learning during the “Instruction-learning process”.

There was at least 75% active student learning through the Instruction-learning process.
Through the mini lesson, guided lesson, and independent practice, there was direct active student
learning from the teacher.

List the strengths and weaknesses of the Multi-cultural activity

Strengths: The lesson showed the social and political injustices imposed by the government,
American and Russian, on Native Americans and Ukrainians. It also showed how these
injustices made these two groups feel, and that we should not repeat history, and that we should
learn from our past mistakes.

I feel that it also had strengths educationally by having students researching evidence for their
speeches, using a Venn diagram to compare and contrast, and practice speech writing.

Weaknesses: Having the students sit and listen for such a long time, I feel is a weakness. I
would not want them to get bored and then not pay attention. The other aspect that really is not a
weakness, but more of a negative aspect, but still a very teachable moment, is that students have
to learn about what is going on in the Ukraine today, and really can compare to what happened
when the Native Americans had their land taken away from them by the U.S. government. It is
just a very sad reality. I hope it would inspire students to never let anyone ever do that again in
the United States, especially after seeing how it is affecting Ukrainian people today.