LEWIS AND CLARK

Teacher Guidelines ▶ pages 1 – 2

3-6
Instructional Pages ▶ pages 3 – 6
Activity Page ▶ page 7
Practice Page ▶ page 8
GRADE Homework Page
Answer Key
▶
▶
page 9
pages 10 – 11
 Classroom Procedure: Approximate Grade Level: 3 – 6
Objectives: The students will be able
1. Ask: Have you ever explored an unknown place? to identify Lewis and Clark and define,
Where was it? What was it like? Did you discover summarize and list facts related to the Lewis
anything new? What were some of the problems you and Clark Expedition.
encountered?
State Educational Standards*
2. Allow for responses and discussion. What do you think LB.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.3
it would have been like to explore thousands of square LB.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7
miles of unknown land in the early 1800s? (Remind LB.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3
students there were no cars, trains, etc.) LB.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.3
LB.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.3
3. Allow for responses and discussion. Introduce Lewis
Class Sessions (45 minutes):
and Clark
At least 3 class sessions.
4. Distribute Lewis and Clark content pages. Read and
Teaching Materials/Worksheets:
review the information with the students. Display a
Lewis and Clark content pages (3), Activity
large U.S. Map during the lesson to show the journey page, Practice page, Homework page
of the expedition. Explain further the explanation of
a continental divide. Save the final question for the Student Supplies:
Markers, scissors, colored pencils, index
lesson closing. Use the additional resources to enhance
cards, poster board, dice or spinner, items
understanding. for board pieces, handouts
5. Distribute Activity page. Read and review the instructions.
Prepare Ahead of Time:
Pair students. Brainstorm additional ideas for game Activity supplies, pair students.
types. Distribute supplies. Circulate through the room Copy handouts.
to assist students with their ideas when necessary. Allow
Options for Lesson: Students may work in
sufficient time for game creation, about 2 or more class larger groups or alone for the activity. Assign
periods. Allow access to the Internet. the type of game students may develop.
6. Once games have been completed, student pairs Allow other classes to play the students’ board
exchange games and/or join other pairs of students to games. He class creates one single board
game, with all students contributing ideas.
play both games. Depending on time available, students Students vote for the best, most creative,
may take turns playing the board games. enjoyable game, etc. Students create 3D
7. Distribute Practice page. Check and review the students’ maps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, using
responses. the Internet for additional information. Invite
a history expert to speak to the class about
8. Distribute the Homework page. The next day, check and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
review, allow students to share open ended questions’
answers. *Lessons are aligned to meet the education objectives and goals of
most states. For more information on your state objectives, contact
9. In closing, ask: If you were a part of the expedition, what your local Board of Education or Department of Education in your state.

duty would you have wanted to be assigned? Why?

10. Allow for responses and discussion.

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 Teacher Notes
The lesson is primarily related to the 2-year Lewis and Clark expedition across America exploring the west to
the Pacific Ocean and back again. Many students may have heard of the expedition but are not aware of the
impact it had on the United States. The lesson also includes a summary of the Louisiana Purchase. Students
can “travel” with the explorers and learn about places, discoveries, and the people they encountered. The
lesson may be used in conjunction with other lessons related to explorers or westward expansion. The lesson
is only an overview of the journey, and it is suggested the additional resources be accessible to the class.
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Lewis and Clark
The Louisiana Purchase
In the early 1800s, you might have been able to buy
an acre of land for a nickel. In 1803, France owned
some land west of the Mississippi River and sold it
to the United States for just 5 cents per acre totaling
$15 million. Today, it would be very difficult to double
the size of the United States but on April 30, 1803,
the U.S. purchased about 828,000 square miles of
land from France. The size of the U.S. doubled.
The population of the United States was growing
rapidly, and President Thomas Jefferson took
advantage of the deal in a treaty known as the Louisiana Purchase. The land stretched from the Mississippi
River to the edge of the Rocky Mountains.
The U.S. needed more land because of its growing population. However, the land was mostly unexplored
wilderness, and no one knew what valuable resources, if any, would be found in the area. The states today
that were in part or whole of the purchase included: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.
After the purchase of the land, Jefferson requested that Congress approve $2500 for an exploratory expedition
west. The funds were approved and Jefferson chose Captain Meriwether Lewis as the leader of the
expedition, and he chose a co-captain as an assistant, Second Lieutenant William Clark. It was Lewis
and Clark who would explore the giant land purchase known as the Louisiana Purchase.

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The Explorers and Purpose of the Expedition
Lewis was the personal secretary to Jefferson, but he was also a frontiersman
who already had some knowledge of the west, as well as an experienced
Army officer. Clark, his co-captain, had once been Jefferson’s commanding
officer in the Army. He too was a frontiersman as well as a draftsman.
Jefferson called the exploration group the Corps of Discovery,
which included around 40 volunteers chosen to join the Lewis and Clark
Expedition. The two men could not do it alone. The group later included two
interpreters, a French Canadian named Toussaint Charbonneau, and
his wife, Sacagawea, who was a Shoshone Indian. Their son, John
Baptiste, was born on February 11, 1805, during the trip.
Sacagawea was a courageous and skilled guide. Her presence proved invaluable, not only with communicating
with the Native American tribes, but it showed the tribes the group came in peace. It was not a war party,
because war parties normally did not include women. She also helped the explorers identify edible plants.
Other corps members were chosen for their expertise in hunting, woodcutting, craftsmanship, and the other
necessary skills needed for the long journey. Every member of the group had responsibilities that had to
be carried out for the success of the journey. The group had to work together to accomplish the goals and
purposes of the expedition.
Besides exploring the land from the Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark had to:
• Keep a journal about the expedition
• Study and record information about plants, animals, geology, and the geography of the land.
• Study the weather and the climate of the area
• Map the lands they journey through and identify its natural resources
• Establish trade and U.S. sovereignty over the Native American tribes along the Missouri River
• Establish a claim (ownership) by the U.S. to the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territory
The explorers had to pack many supplies for the trip, some of which included:

compasses telescope plotting instruments cloth for tents/sheets

hand tools mosquito curtains hatchets/saws fishing supplies

soap, salt, paper, ink iron corn mill clothing guns/ammunition

medical supplies various books maps blankets

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In addition to the above, they had taken nearly 200 pounds of “portable soup”
which was a thick paste made from beef, eggs, and vegetable. They also had
presents for the Indians such as mirrors, needles, scissors, handkerchiefs,
cloth, tobacco, knives, kettles, face paint, beads, and much more.

The Expedition Begins

Lewis and Clark officially began the expedition on May 21, 1804 when
the leaders and the Corps of Discovery left from their camp near St.
Louis, Missouri. They traveled up the Missouri River on a large flat
boat called a barge and two smaller dugout boats called pirogues. They
traveled through places that were part of present-day Kansas City, Missouri
and Omaha, Nebraska.
The only death of the trip took place on August 20, 1804, west of the Mississippi, when one of the soldiers
accompanying the trip died of appendicitis. Later, the group reached the edge of the Great Plains
and discovered many plant and animal species that were new to them.
Later, on two occasions they encountered two tribes of the Lakota. The first meeting was peaceful, but the
second nearly led to a fight, but both sides retreated. The Lakota had demanded payment of a boat before
they would allow them to pass. The corps refused, violence was threatened, but peace prevailed.
In December of 1804, the journey continued upriver.
They stopped at the villages of another tribe, and while
waiting out the winter they built Fort Mandan, named
after the tribe. This was near present-day Washburn,
North Dakota, where they stayed until April of 1805.
While waiting out the winter, the first report of progress
was sent to President Jefferson. The report chronicled
108 new plant species and 68 types of minerals. The
report was delivered to Jefferson by some members
of the expedition and included a map drawn by Clark
with directions back to St. Louis.
About a month later in May, they came to a fork in the
Missouri River, which resulted in the expedition being split into two groups. They eventually found the true
Missouri River when the groups joined each other in June.
Soon after, they arrived at the Continental Divide, which is the area or line that divides the flow of water
between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. It runs along the crest of the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico. The
explorers had to continue on horseback at the Lehmi Pass on the Montana-Idaho border in August of 1805.

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Next, they continued the expedition in canoes down the Rocky Mountains on the Clearwater River, Snake
River, and ended on the Columbia River located in present-day Portland, Oregon. They finally reached the
Pacific Ocean in December of 1805. They had to wait out the winter again and built Fort Clatsop on the south
side of the Columbia River. The corps explored the area, hunted elk and other animals, met other Native
American tribes, and got ready for the journey back home.
On March 23, 1806, the journey home began, retracing much of the same route with a couple of exceptions.
The group separated for a short time so Lewis could explore a tributary of the Missouri River, the Marias
River. The corps reunited at the convergence (joining together) of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers and
then returned to St. Louis on September 23, 1806.

Expedition Results
A direct waterway was not found between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean, but new knowledge
was gained about the previously unexplored new land. There were new facts discovered about natural
resources, new species of plants and animals were documented, and information on the size, minerals, and
the geology of the area was recorded.
Relations were established with the Native Americans, which were mostly peaceful, as the corps received
help from the tribes they encountered. In all, the Lewis and Clark Expedition produced about 140 maps of
the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
The total journey was over 7,000 miles. The explorers discovered a variety or natural formations such as
waterfalls, mountains, plains, and wetlands, that was covered by a wide variety of wildlife and natural resources.
Following the expedition, Lewis was appointed as governor of the Louisiana Territory but died a few years
later, and Clark became governor of the Missouri Territory.
In 1978, the U.S. Congress established the 3,700-mile Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

If you were a part of the expedition, what duty

would you have wanted to be assigned? Why?

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 Activity Name __________________________ Date _________

Instructions: Lewis and Clark Board Game

1. Supplies: Markers, scissors, colored pencils, index cards, poster board, dice or spinner, items for board
pieces
2. You and your partner will create a “Lewis and Clark” Board Game for your classmates.
3. Use your imagination to create the game. The game may include any of the following:
a. A Journey on the Lewis and Clark Trail beginning in St. Louis and ending in Oregon and may include
the return trip to St. Louis.
b. It may be designed as a Trivia Game.
c. You could model your game using a real-life board game.
4. Use the following sites for maps/locations of Lewis and Clark’s Expedition:
a. http://www.lewisandclarktrail.com/
b. https://www.tripline.net/trip/Lewis_and_Clark’s_Journey-0000000000001000B225B2FFF04CF576
5. The game must include players answering questions related to Lewis and Clark and their expedition. You
must use the content from the lesson to create the questions. Create as many questions as possible.
6. The game must accommodate 2 to 4 players for any single game.
7. The rules of the game must be written clearly and include:
a. The object or goal of the game
b. How to play the game
c. How a player wins the game
8. The Poster Board is to be used as the main playing surface for the game. Create a rough draft and
outline of the playing surface before beginning the final design.
9. The index cards (depending on your game design) may be used for question/answer cards, pick cards,
movement cards, etc.
10. You and your partner must cooperate with each other, and respect each other’s opinions and ideas.
11. Remember, this is you AND your partner’s game. Design it using your imaginations.
12. The game should be fun for students to play while also learning about the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
13. Once all games are completed, the students in the class will take turns playing each other’s games.
14. At any time, if you have a disagreement with a partner, or have questions, ask your teacher to intervene.
15. Your teacher will determine the amount of time available to design and create the Board Game.

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 Practice Name __________________________ Date _________

Match. Who is it?

1 French Canadian used as an interpreter for the trip. A Thomas Jefferson
2 President responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. B Meriwether Lewis
3 Captain for the trip and was a frontiersman. C William Clark
4 Co-Captain for the trip and was also a draftsman. D Sacagawea
5 Shoshone Indian helped explorers identify edible plants. E Toussaint Charbonneau
Match. What is it?
6 Exploration group led by Lewis and Clark. A Barges
7 Doubled the size of the United States. B Pirogues
8 Area dividing the flow of water between oceans. C Corps of Discovery
9 Small dugout boats. D Continental Divide
10 Large flat boats. E Louisiana Purchase
Match. Where is it?
11 Waited out the winter here, what is now Washburn, ND. A France
12 Land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. B Louisiana Purchase
13 The furthest point west of the expedition. C St. Louis, Missouri
14 Jefferson purchased land from this European country. D Fort Mandan
15 The starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. E Portland, Oregon
Tell the significance of each number or date.
16. $15 million________________________________________________________________________
17. $2500____________________________________________________________________________
18. 5 cents___________________________________________________________________________
19. September 23, 1806_________________________________________________________________
20. May 21, 1804______________________________________________________________________

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 Homework Name __________________________ Date _________

For each pair of events place an X in the box next to the expedition event that came first.
1 Arrival at the Continental Divide or Only death of the trip takes place
2 First progress report sent to Jefferson or Canoe trip on the Clearwater River
3 Lewis and Clark begin their journey or Sacagawea’s son, John Baptiste, born
4 Ride horseback on the Lehmi Pass or Pass the winter at Fort Mandan
5 Corps reunite-Yellowstone/Missouri R's or Group reaches the edge of the Plains
6 Lewis and Clark Expedition or Louisiana Purchase
7 Soldier dies of appendicitis or Corp reaches the Pacific Ocean
8 Congress funds an expedition or Corps of Discovery created
9 William Clark named co-Captain or Meriwether Lewis named leader
10 Charbonneau hired as an interpreter or A near-fight with a Lakota Tribe
Answer each question
11. Name the 14 current states that were in part or whole of the Louisiana Purchase:_________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
12. Name 5 different supplies the explorers had packed for the trip. Tell why they were needed:
a.________________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________________________________
13. Summarize the goals and purpose of the expedition and tell if those goals were met:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

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 Practice Answer Key
Name __________________________ Date _________

Match. Who is it?

1 E French Canadian used as an interpreter for the trip. A Thomas Jefferson
2 A President responsible for the Louisiana Purchase. B Meriwether Lewis
3 B Captain for the trip and was a frontiersman. C William Clark
4 C Co-Captain for the trip and was also a draftsman. D Sacagawea
5 D Shoshone Indian helped explorers identify edible plants. E Toussaint Charbonneau
Match. What is it?
6 C Exploration group led by Lewis and Clark. A Barges
7 E Doubled the size of the United States. B Pirogues
8 D Area dividing the flow of water between oceans. C Corps of Discovery
9 B Small dugout boats. D Continental Divide
10 A Large flat boats. E Louisiana Purchase
Match. Where is it?
11 D Waited out the winter here, what is now Washburn, ND. A France
12 B Land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. B Louisiana Purchase
13 E The furthest point west of the expedition. C St. Louis, Missouri
14 A Jefferson purchased land from this European country. D Fort Mandan
15 C The starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. E Portland, Oregon
Tell the significance of each number or date.
16. $15 million Purchase price of land west of the Mississippi, Louisiana Purchase.
17. $250 Amount approved by Congress to fund the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
18. 5 cents Cost of an acre of land for the Louisiana Purchase.
19. September 23, 1806 The end of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
20. May 21, 1804 The beginning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

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 Homework Answer Key
Name __________________________ Date _________

For each pair of events place an X in the box next to the expedition event that came first.
1 Arrival at the Continental Divide or x The only death of the trip takes place
2 x First progress report sent to Jefferson or Canoe trip on the Clearwater River
3 Lewis and Clark begin their journey or x Sacagawea’s son, John Baptiste, born
4 Ride horseback on the Lehmi Pass or x Pass the winter at Fort Mandan
5 x Corps reunite-Yellowstone/Missouri R's or Group reaches the edge of the Plains
6 Lewis and Clark Expedition or x Louisiana Purchase
7 x Soldier dies of appendicitis or Corp reaches the Pacific Ocean
8 x Congress funds an expedition or Corps of Discovery created
9 William Clark named co-Captain or x Meriwether Lewis named leader
10 x Charbonneau hired as an interpreter or A near-fight with a Lakota Tribe
Answer each question
11. Name the 14 current states that were in part or whole of the Louisiana Purchase: Arkansas, Colorado,
Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South
Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming.
12. Name 4 different supplies the explorers had packed for the trip. Tell why they were needed:
a. Responses will vary________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________________
c. ________________________________________________________________________________
d. ________________________________________________________________________________
13. Summarize the goals and purpose of the expedition and tell if those goals were met: (may vary)
The goal of the expedition was to explore the land of the Louisiana Purchase, identify the resources, study the
weather, climate, study and record information about plants and animals, and the geology and geography of
the land. The goals were met because Lewis and Clark, along with the other explorers, could document the
information Jefferson had requested. New relationships with the Native Americans were also established.
It helped settlers learn about the area prior to migrating further west.

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