Lewis and Clark Travel West

Using Primary and Secondary Sources to Teach Lewis and Clark

Intended Level: Grades 6-8
Subject: American History
Time: This lesson will take four to six 45-90 minute class periods, depending on whether the
social studies class has block scheduling.
Focus: The purpose of this lesson is for students to learn about Western Expansion through
the study of primary and secondary sources of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Standards to be addressed are:

Information Literacy Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information
accurately and creatively.

Standards to be assessed are:

History Standard 2: Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.
2.2 Students know how to interpret and evaluate primary and secondary sources of historical
information. 2.3 Students apply knowledge of the past to analyze present-day issues and events from
multiple,historically objective perspectives.

Reading and Writing Standard 2: Students write and speak for a variety of purposes and audiences.

Assessment:

1. Have each student describe the difference between a primary source and a secondary
source. Have each student give an example of one primary source used in the Lewis and Clark lessons.

2. Have each student write a one page essay telling what Meriwether Lewis was learning, doing
and recording on the Voyage. How was this different from what the Native American Indians were
doing and might have been thinking duringtheir encounters with the Expedition?

3. Have each student compare and contrast the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery with their
ownpresent day trip telling what they might encounter along the same trail today. What
transportation would they use, what supplies would they take along, what would they see as
compared to what the expedition saw in the early 1800s?

Materials/Teacher Preparation:

Possible Procedures

Activity 1: Jefferson's Expectations for the Corps of Discovery
Jefferson was an intelligent and forward thinking man of the Enlightenment and the United
States President at this time. Under his presidency, Jefferson acquired the Louisiana Purchase
from France, thereby doubling the size of the United States. Jefferson had very specific plans
and demands for the Corps of Discovery under the command of Captain Lewis.

1. Give students a list of vocabulary words about this time in history that they might not be
familiar with and their definitions in preparation for the lesson. Working in small groups of 3 or
4 students, students need to organize vocabulary into 'web' categories, on the Web of
Expedition Terms.
2. Have students read the primary source letter from Thomas Jefferson to Meriwether
Lewis about his expectations for the Corps of Discovery
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/images/vc168.jpg (original)
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/168.html (transcription)
3. Discuss the goals for the Corps of Discovery as requested by President Thomas Jefferson.
4. Have students make a list of the specific demands that Jefferson put forth for the Captain
and his Corps.
5. Discussion/Share the demands.
6. Show overview video of Lewis and Clark. (Discover the World: Lewis and Clark Go West
VC5312 Middle School, or use any good video available in your own district).

Activity 2- Meriwether Lewis
1. Tell the students that they will be given a Word Splash to prepare them for the readings on
Meriwether Lewis and the Voyage of Discovery.
2. Break the students into small groups.
3. Explain the rules of the Word Splash: each group receives a Word Splash handout and they
are to make a story using all of the words-assure them that there are no wrong answers.
Students may be as creative as they wish.
4. Discuss/share stories.
5. Hand out and read the biographical sketch of Meriwether Lewis available at
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/idx_corp.html. Tell them that this is a secondary
source.
6. Now have students compare the actual biography of Meriwether Lewis with their Word
Splashes. Discuss the similarities and differences.

Activity 3: Supplies for Expedition
The original cost for supplies appropriated by Congress in the amount of $2,500. It is thought
that Jefferson and Lewis did not ask for a higher amount because Congress might not have
approved a higher number. (In fact the trip ended up costing much more, as high as
$30,000+)

1. Share the list of the supplies that Lewis acquired for his journeys on an overhead projector,
available at: http://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/0100/0183.gif .
2. Use the supply list as an example of primary source. Discuss what a primary source is…a
secondary source. How do you know which is which? Give examples.
3. Hand out a copy of this list to each student.
4. Have each student make a 2 column note page **To do 2 column notes, fold a sheet of
paper in half, lengthwise. Entitle the left side Voyage Provisions and the right side Why These Provisions?
5. Then have students list what they learned from Lewis' supply list and the reasons they think
the provisions were essential to the Expedition.
6. Discussion to follow activity: What provisions did Lewis choose to take with him on the
Voyage of Discovery? Why did Lewis choose the provisions he did?

Activity 4: Mapping Expedition
1. Students will each receive a map to study and a map with the Lewis and Clark route
highlighted on it: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?
ammem/hh,gmd,aep,mymhiwebib,fawbib,pan,lhbprbib:@field(NUMBER+@band
(g4126s+ct000028))
2. Point out the highlights of the voyage and have students mark important sites along the
route on their maps as the events are discussed: the winter months with the Mandan Indians,
acquiring guides such as Charbonneau and Sacagawea. Follow Lewis & Clark and members of
the Expedition up the Missouri River to the Great Falls of Montana where they portage around
the falls. Move on to Shoshone territory where Sacagawea's brother is the chief of the
Shoshones, making it easier for the party to get horses for their trek over the Bitteroot,
Mountains. Highlight their journey to the Pacific Coast by way of the Columbia River and their
stay near the Clatsops and Chinooks for the winter before their return voyage home.
2. Have students refer to the Web of Expedition terms that will help them gather information
needed to do the comparison and contrast described in the assessment.
3. Take students to the Computer Lab and have students look up the PBS Lewis and Clark web
site at http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/ too research topics on the expedition.
4. Topics to research are on the Computer Worksheet and include: looking up one member of
the expedition (not Lewis or Clark), looking up one Indian tribe, and looking in the Archive
section for a primary source. Students will need to write down major points from their research
to share orally with the rest of the class so all students learn from the variety of topics
searched. Students should note the source of their information and identify whether it is a
primary or secondary source.
4. In addition, if there is time have each student search an area of interest from the
Expedition and note if the information comes from a primary or secondary source.

Activity 5: 'Lewis and Clark the Corps of Discovery'
1. Show pre-selected clips from the Ken Burns' PBS video to reinforce Lesson Activity 4. (i.e.
Mandan encounter, Shoshone encounter, boating on the rivers, Clapsop encounter.)
2. Between each clip, allow time for discussion and/or questions with students.

Support Materials:
Computer Worksheet
Vocabulary Worksheet
Word Splash
Web of Expedition Worksheet
Supply List for expedition: http://memory.loc.gov/service/mss/mtj/mtj1/028/0100/0183.gif
Letter from Jefferson to Lewis: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/jefferson/168.html
Biographical sketch of Lewis: http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/inside/idx_corp.html
Map with the Lewis and Clark route highlighted on it: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?
ammem/hh,gmd,aep,mymhiwebib,fawbib,pan,lhbprbib:@field(NUMBER+@band
(g4126s+ct000028))

Louise Johnson, Heritage Middle School

 

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