Have students try these games and activities to expand their knowledge and interest in Lewis and Clark.
History, Art
The U.S. Mint has commemorated the Lewis and Clark expedition in several ways. The Missouri quarter released in 2003 as part of the “50 States Quarter program,” depicts Lewis and Clark’s historic return to St. Louis. The “Westward Journey Nickel Series” for 2004 and 2005 show images of the expedition on the reverse side of the Jefferson five-cent coin, such as the Indian Peace Medal and keelboat used during the journey. Bring in a few of these coins to share with students. Ask students whether they think these are appropriate images for the expedition. Students can then draw an image that they feel could be used on a coin to commemorate the journey.
Math, Geography
Have students chart the Corps of Discovery’s route on a map with a distance scale. Ask students questions about the geography of the route, such as “What major mountain ranges did the Corps of Discovery cross?” and “What cities are now located along their route?” Next, have students use the map’s scale to answer questions about distances on the map, such as “How far did Lewis and Clark travel before they reached the Yellowstone River?” Students can then write their own questions and answers that use the scale and challenge each other.
Language Arts, Science
Have students work together in groups of four to six. Explain that they are the core members of a new expedition that will explore a remote area of the world for one month. Give groups a few minutes to select a remote area they want to explore, such as Antarctica, the Sahara Desert, the Amazon Rain forest, and Siberia. Students should then list the characteristics and abilities of the other people they would take on the expedition. Encourage students to look at the roles of the Corps of Discovery’s team members as described in Profiles of Lewis, Clark, and Others.
Next, students should list food, equipment, and other materials the team should take for the month’s expedition. They might refer to the list in Preparing for the Expedition for an idea of what Lewis and Clark took. Finally, teams should share and defend their lists with the class. Encourage students to make comparisons among the various groups’ choices.
Language Arts
Have students imagine that they are members of the Corps of Discovery. Students may wish to select one of the team members described in Lewis, Clark, and Others. Have students write a diary entry for one day of the trip. Before they begin, encourage them to read the excerpts from Lewis and Clark’s diaries found throughout the issue. Just as Lewis and Clark did, students should include in their entries information about the weather, the day’s tasks, the animals and plants they encountered on the trip, their feelings, and so on.
