Lewis and Clark Who?

Student Activity Number One

Created by Norma E. Bartley

Project Web Page Coordinator Patti Greenleaf

Introduction

Imagine the President of the United States calls you and tells you that the government will supply you with some cash, men, and other supplies if you would go explore an unknown part of the Country to learn about the land, peoples, and wildlife including plants and animals. You will be expected to document each and every experience in a daily journal as well as draw a map illustrating the land, plants, and animals you explore. You will also be expected to travel hundreds of miles a day on foot while you build and carry canoes for river travel that will weigh about 100 pounds. You also may meet up with some indigenous peoples who have never seen your kind before and will likely view you as enemies at first sight. The area in which your President would like you to explore is marked on the current map as a vast blank space labeled, UNKNOWN. Oh yeah, and one more thing, there are rumors of enormous, vicious, not to mention deadly animals who could, and would break you like a measly twig just for being in their path. Amazingly enough, that is exactly what Meriwether Lewis, age 30 and William Clark, age 33 were asked to do in 1803 by President Thomas Jefferson of the United States. The "UNKNOWN" territory that Lewis and Clark were asked to explore was everything west of the Mississippi River to the west coast of the Pacific Ocean. Join them on their Expedition as they document their travels. First, let's begin with WHY President Jefferson wanted this land explored , WHAT supplies they took with them, and WHO went on the Expedition.

Your Task

First, Print pages 2-4 so you can refer to them throughout this lesson. (Go to File and scroll down to print. Then, where it gives blanks for pages type in 2 to 4. Now print.)

Site One

With a partner,

Go to Inside the Corps and read the brief introduction explaining why President Jefferson initiated the Trip.
Scroll down until you see the Circa 1803 link. (You can tell it's a link because it will be in a different color.)
Now, read the introduction paragraph entitled, Living in America one paragraph at a time.
After you have read the first paragraph of this section, discuss the main idea of that paragraph.
When you come up with a main idea sentence for the first paragraph, open a Word document and title it Student Activity One. Then, type number one with the main idea sentence for that paragraph. [To open a Word document, go to the Start button on the lower left corner of the screen and scroll up to new office document. Then click on the Blank Document icon (picture).]
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for each paragraph in the Living in America section.
Now, minimize the Word document. (You can do this by selecting the minus sign on the upper right corner of your screen.)
Read the section entitled Navigating Towards Commerce.
Maximize the Word document that you minimized earlier. (You can do this by selecting the Word Untitled bar on the bottom of your screen.
Type the following question: Why was it so important for President Thomas Jefferson to send a team to explore the land west of the Appalachian Mountains? Then, type your answer in the Word document.
Save the Word document on the Desktop or a disk. [To do this, go to the save icon at the top left of the screen. Make sure you go to the Desktop or disk (top blank space) before you name your document. Name your document: Lewis and Clark 1. Now click save.]
Print the Word document. Use the print icon at the top left corner of screen. Be sure your name and your partner's name is typed on the Word document.
Continue reading through the next three sections of Circa 1803.
Finally, use your map of the United States and outline the trail going West of the Lewis and Clark Expedition with a yellow highlighter.
Now, highlight the trail going back east of the Expedition in pink. (It should be almost the same, but not quite.)

Site Two
With a partner,

Go to Equipment and read the lists of supplies that Lewis and Clark took on their Expedition across the U.S.
Ask the teacher to assign you a list and discuss with your partner why you think Lewis and Clark took each of the assigned list items west.
Open a new word document (click on the new icon at the top left of your screen. Then open the Blank Document icon)
Save this document entitled Lewis and Clark 2 on your disk or the Desktop.
Type what you and your partner think each item was used for and why it was taken West on the Expedition.
Print this document to turn in. (go to the print icon at the top left corner of your screen) DON'T FORGET TO RESAVE BEFORE GOING ON.

Site Three
With a partner,

Go to The Corps and read the introduction.
Go to the Sacagawea link and read how she participated in the Expedition.
The class will divide into two groups. One group will debate why Sacagawea was a hero and the other group will debate why Sacagawea was not a hero.

How You Will Be Assessed

Site One:

Did you paraphrase each paragraph in the Living in America section using only one sentence?
Did you answer the question in point ten correctly?
Did you save and print the Lewis and Clark 1 document correctly?
Did you complete your map by tracing the Expedition to and from using the correct highlighters?

Site Two:

Did you save and print the Lewis and Clark 2 document correctly?
Did you type what each item on your list was used for and why it was taken on the Expedition?

Site Three:

Did your team debate using logical reasoning? (Did your arguments make sense?)
Were your arguments based (at least in part) on what you learned at the Sacagawea site?
Did you communicate calmly and rationally without extreme emotion?

WHEW, YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ACTIVITY ONE!! CONGRATS!!!

Activity 2 / Activity 3

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