Process
Your first task as a group is to assign roles. Try and pick a role where you feel you can excel and help your group. There are four roles as follows:
1. Group Leader: in charge of keeping group on task and the journal entries
2. Cartographer: in charge of keeping a map of the journey West
3. Naturalist: in charge of keeping a scrapbook of the plants and animals seen on the journey
4. Reporter: in charge of the front page of the newspaper welcoming the expedition home
After you decide which roles you will each take, write the names of your group members and their roles on a piece of paper and hand them in to Miss Teal to be approved.
Before you start your journey read the instructions sent to Lewis by Thomas Jefferson telling him what he was to do on the journey west. After reading write down in your own words what the goal of the expedition is and hand one copy in to Miss Teal.
You are now ready to begin your journey! Continue reading to learn about your assignments!
Project 1: Journal
You will need to take on the role of a member of the expedition. The name used should be an actual name of a member of the expedition. You will need to write 4 journal entries that should each be at least 2 paragraphs long. Make sure that each of your journal entries are dated and mention actual events that occurred on the expedition around that date. Feel free to be as creative in your journal entries as you want. Show how you feel as the journey continues. Your first entry should be either before or soon after departure and your final entry should be near the end of the journey. The other entries can be spaced as you would like, however try to include important events in your journal. I would prefer these typed but if you handwrite make sure it is VERY neat and in pen. Here are some websites that feature actual journal entries from members of the expedition:
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/archive/index.html
Project 2: Map
You will be making a map of the journey west. Your map should include at least 8 locations that were important along the journey. The locations should be labelled and placed as accurately as possible on the map. For each location you need to write a 2-4 sentence description about why it was important and what happened there. Make sure you include the names of Native American tribes that the expedition encountered. Also on your map label the bodies of water that were passed on the journey. The map should be colorful and easy to read. See Miss Teal for a transparency of a map that you can trace to make the map any size you want. Use the following links to see maps of the journey as well as a journey log.
Project 3: Scrapbook
You will be making a colorful scrapbook of the plants and animals encountered along the expediton. The Journey Log link above has great pictures and information about the wildlife. There are 22 legs of the journey described in the Journey Log, try and space out the plants and animals you pick. Each leg shows thumbnail images of the plants and animals found during the leg at the top. If you have trouble finding the pictures ask Miss Teal. You need to include at least 10 plants or animals. Each entry should have a colored picture and a 2-3 sentence caption explaining what it is a picture of and where it was found on the journey. You can either hand draw or color in black and white printed copies of pictures. If you have a color printer at home feel free to use that. I am putting the link to the Journey Log here:
Project 4: Front Page of a Newspaper
Your job is to make a front page of a newspaper welcoming Lewis and Clark back to St. Louis. The date on the paper should be after they have returned home from the expedition. On the front page there should be at least one article giving the facts about the Lewis and Clark expedition, what they found and any other interesting details. A second article should be an editorial piece in which you can give your opinion on how the expedition went, though it needs to be supported by facts. Other things in one the paper should be at least one picture of Lewis and Clark as well as a catchy headline. How you fill up the rest of the front page is up to you, try to be creative as possible about what else might have been front page news during this time. There will be newspapers around the classroom that you can look at to see what type of stuff is on the front page. Use information from the links listed with the other projects as well as the following books which Miss Teal will have for use in the classroom.
Lewis and Clark An Illustrated History by Dayton Duncan (1997, Alfred A. Knopf)
Lewis and Clark Expedition. John Hamilton. Abdo Daughters Publishing, 2002
Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery With 21 Activities. .Janis Herbert. Chicago Review Press, 2000