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Lewis & Clark:  Rediscovering our past!
Lesson 1

Title:  "Introduction to the Lewis & Clark Expedition"

Grade Levels: 4-7 (teacher can adjust to meet grade level needs)

Subjects: Language Arts, Social Studies, Fine Arts

Learner Outcomes:

• Students will know how to access Internet sites.
• Students will learn about why the Expedition was initiated by President Thomas Jefferson.  Letter from President Thomas Jefferson
• Students will learn about how the expedition was put together and some of the people who were in the Corps of Discovery.  Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Begins
• Students will complete a Scavenger Hunt to answer some questions about the journey.  Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet   and check their answers with the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet
• Students will learn about canoes and will construct a paper canoe to "launch" into "rediscovering" the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Canoe Information and Pattern

Duration: Approximately four 40-minute class periods.

Materials:

• Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet
• Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet
• Canoe Information and Pattern
• Roll of brown craft paper, oaktag, or brown construction paper
• Handheld hole punches
• Yarn and twine
• Scissors

Technology Tools/courseware:

• Internet ready computers
• Word processing software (to print out activity sheets)
• Printers

Teacher Notes:

• The teacher should direct students to the site containing Jefferson's letter to Lewis. Letter from President Thomas Jefferson
• The teacher will direct students to the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Begins
• The teacher will need to copy the Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet,  the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet and the  Canoe Information and Pattern for students.  For the canoe patterns, the teacher may want to print out the directions and enlarge the patterns for students.  Students will be using brown craft paper, oaktag, or brown construction paper instead of soaked bark.  Instead of sweet grass, use yarn.

Procedures:

• Students will be directed to read the Letter from President Thomas Jefferson  and will discuss exactly what Thomas Jefferson was asking Lewis and Clark to accomplish during their Expedition westward across the Louisiana Territory.
• Students will learn many interesting facts about the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery Expedition on this site Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Begins
• As the students read this information, they can fill out the answers to the Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet  and check their answers with the Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet .
• Students may be interested in learning about canoes and can actually make their own model canoes using the patterns on this site Canoe Information and Pattern
• For something really clever, have students complete the enrichment activity below!  It's really clever!  "Lewis and Clark didn't like canoes, either"

Modifications:

• Students not able to do independent reading or scavenger hunt answers may be partnered with another student who will help them read the questions.  Together they can decide upon the answers.

Enrichment Activities:

• Just for fun, the teacher and students can read a very funny excerpt from "Lewis and Clark didn't like canoes, either" .

Evaluation/Assessment:

• The teacher can use the written activity sheets as assessment for this activity.
• The teacher can also use the enrichment activity as an assessment for this activity.
• The canoes can be decorated with markers, etc. and displayed for parents or in the classroom.

West Virginia IGOs:

• Language Arts:  4.27, 5.15, 6.27, 6.30, 7.16
• Social Studies:  4.40, 5.30
• Fine Arts:  4.20, 4.22, 7.19

Language Arts:

• Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
• Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts.

• Understands the United States territorial expansion between 1801 and 1861, and how it affected relations with external powers and Native Americans

• Understands the characteristics and merits of one's own artwork and the artwork of others

b) additional resources
Resource Page

c) student resources
Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet
Scavenger Hunt Answer Sheet
Canoe Information and Pattern
"Lewis and Clark didn't like canoes, either"

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Overview of Lesson

Lesson 1 Introduction to the Lewis & Clark Expedition!

Lesson 2 Bringing Biographies to Life!  (Paper People)

Lesson 3 Creating a Journal and picking supplies for the trip!

Lesson 4 Taking a virtual Expedition with the Corps of Discovery!

Lesson 5 Animals and Plants and Birds... Oh, my!

 Created by:
Jan Madden
Nicki Melissinos
Tammy Taylor
Marshall County Schools - Sherrard Elementary School and Union Junior High School