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Lewis and Clark: 1804 - 1806 |
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An Internet WebQuest on the Corps of Discovery and the Impact of the Experiences of Lewis and Clark on the Settlement and Development of the Louisiana Purchase. |
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Created by Rob Hansen Harborside Middle School |
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Introduction: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out in May 1804 to explore and map the lands of the Louisiana Purchase. President Thomas Jefferson ordered Lewis and Clark to lead their detachment of 45 men up the waters of the Missouri River. On May 14, The Corps of Discovery began traveling west. Half of the men went on the entire trip to the Pacific and back; while others turned back to bring maps and scientific specimens back to the President. The Corps of Discovery was joined in North Dakota by the Shoshone interpreter, Sacajawea. She traveled with the group west to the Pacific Ocean and back to her people in North Dakota. Lewis and Clark returned as heroes. Their journey took 2 years, 4 months, and 10 days. They covered over 8000 miles. Their expedition was the first to describe numerous new plant and animal specimens, including the grizzly bear. In addition, Lewis and Clark introduced themselves, and the wares, of the growing new country to the Native American population of the great American West. In conclusion, Lewis and Clark made an enormous impact of the development and settlement of the Louisiana Purchase and the American West. |
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Task: You must research the exploration and discoveries of Lewis and Clark and the rest of the members of The Corps of Discovery. In order to facilitate this project, each student will be working in cooperative learning groups. Each assigned group will present your findings in the form of articles in a newspaper, that will demonstrate your familiarity with the topic. Each group will present their newspaper to the class. The students' newspapers should include a science section detailing information learned about plants, animals, and geology along the way; a "people in the news" section covering the Indian tribes visited and what was learned about them, as well as profiles about Lewis and Clark themselves; a business section reporting on possible opportunities for trade within this new area of the country; and a travel section outlining the route of the expedition and what they discovered about the land. Each newspaper should also include an editorial section. Letters to the editor should answer the following essential question: Should explorers and discoverers be viewed as heroic figures, or those responsible for the displacement and destruction of Native cultures? |
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Process: Each group should begin by choosing roles. Each group will need a(n):
All members of the group will work together in order to write the editorial section of the newspaper. Each group will also be responsible for creating an Inspiration graphic based on the material used in writing this editorial page. Each person should preview the sites listed below under general resources. You are encouraged to seek out other sites regarding the exploration of The Corps of Discovery that provide additional information that is specific to the role that you have in producing the newspaper. The final project is to create a newspaper that can be displayed. The newspaper should be complete with headlines, articles in columns, captions, and graphics. Each section should be created in Microsoft Word. Please follow these directions in order to complete your finished product:
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General Resources: http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/
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