Lewis & Clark -Enrichment
Targets:
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Students will identify and describe the values and practices of Native American tribes with
which the Corps of Discovery interacted; highlighting the contributions these tribes made to the
Corp of Discovery efforts.
Students will design a map that shows the physical locations of Native American regions and
identify landmarks noted by the expedition along the way highlighting physical obstacles the
expedition encountered.
Students will examine and interpret Corps of Discovery journal entries as primary documents
sources providing insight into the expedition’s journey.
Students will analyze the impact the Corps of Discovery expedition had on the shaping of the
present day United States.
Tasks:
1. Students will complete a matrix regarding Native American tribes that includes the following
information: Tribe Name, Tribe Leader, Location, When the Corps encountered the tribe,
Description of the tribes way of life and beliefs, Resources or information the Corps learned
from the tribe, and Relationship the tribe had with the Corps. This will be linked to a QAR and
will be a part of the class map.
2. Students will complete a matrix regarding a prominent figure from the Corps of Discovery in
order to share the following information in regards to the Corps of Discovery: dates, locations,
major events, weather conditions, contact with Native American tribes, and natural resources
found or used. Students will add this information to the classroom map by linking a QAR and
posting it to the location where the men joined the Corps of Discovery. (Nathaniel Pryor, John
Shields, George Shannon, Richard Warfington, John Newman)
3. Students will compare and contrast the reactions that the Shoshone and Blackfoot tribes had
when encountering the Corps of Discovery. The information will be shared in a journal format
with each student taking on the role of a member of each tribe as well as a member of the Corp
of Discovery; this totals three journal entries. Possible tribe member choices include the
following: Chief, warrior, tribal healer, religious leader, tribal elder, child, etc. Students will link
these journal entries to a QAR and posting it on the location where the tribes encountered Lewis
and Clark.
Lewis & Clark -Enrichment
4. Students will choose one of the following topics to defend in a RAFT.
a) Compare the information that you were able to discover using primary resources to the
information that is presented in the textbook. Why do you think the textbook includes
the information that it does? What details or bits of information were left out? If you
were to rewrite the chapter, what key points and details would you include? Why? Be
sure to back your arguments. Complete the RAFT below:
Role: You are an Author of the textbook
Audience: Your Editor
Format: A summary of the new textbook chapter. This includes main headings, (key
ideas) supporting evidence, and important vocabulary. You must back your ideas with
factual evidence from primary resources. This is not just what you think happened.
Topic: Your version of what REALLY happened to Lewis and Clark on their expedition
b) Look at the Native American tribes that Lewis and Clark encountered; choose two. Think
about how different the expedition may have been if the Tribe(s) you have chosen
would not have been there. Complete the RAFT below:
Role: You are a descendent of Lewis, Clark, or Sacagawea
Audience: A group of middle school students
Format: A game
Topic: How would the journey have been different for the Corps of Discovery if they had
not met the Indian Tribes in that particular stage in their journey?? (Consider weather
conditions, resources they had help finding, their point in the journey, etc.)
c) Look at the prominent figures that were researched for Lewis and Clark; choose two.
Think about how different the expedition may have been if the person(s) you have
chosen were not along for the duration of the journey. Complete the RAFT below:
Role: You are a playwright
Audience: A group of elementary students
Format: A skit or role play addressing the problems that may have been encountered
without the assistance of your Corps members. This must be performed for the class or
taped on a flipcam.
Topic: How would Lewis and Clark’s journey have been different if that Corp member
had not been there at that particular stage in the journey?
Lewis & Clark -Enrichment
Resources:
http://www.lewisandclarktrail.com/corps.htm- Corps of Discovery Information
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/- PBS Documentary Information about Lewis and Clark, Contains a
lot of information about the Native American Tribes that were encountered
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/- National Geographic Documentary Information
about Lewis and Clark
http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/- The Journals of Lewis and Clark