by Ken Karsmizki, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
Carolyn Purcell, Columbia Gorge Discovery Center

In this webquest, students in grades 9-12 investigate scientific inquiry on the Lewis and Clark expedition, by examining their roles as ethnographers, linguists, and paleontologists.

Teacher Introduction

Program Description

The mission of the Lewis and Clark Expedition went far beyond finding a passage through the North American continent.  Lewis and Clark were asked to collect as much information as possible about the people, plants, animals, geography, geology, and climate.  They had to become scientists in order to successfully gather all the information they encountered in their arduous 29-month journey from St. Louis , Missouri , to the Pacific Ocean and back in the early 1800s.  In this webquest, students will work collaboratively to explore some of the scientific endeavors of the expedition.  In doing so they will learn about the Lewis and Clark expedition, the state of science in the early 1800s, and about scientific fields of study available to them today.

 

Learning Objectives

After completing this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Describe some of the scientific objectives and methods of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

2. Compare and contrast historic and contemporary attitudes and procedures regarding collecting scientific information.