In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off on an adventure of a lifetime. They set sail down the Missouri River and explored the newly acquired Western regions of America. On their journey, they documented plants and animals, detailed maps, encountered Native American tribes, and found a passage to the Pacific Ocean. There are plenty of learning opportunities packed in this voyage to share with your students. Here are 18 activities for learning about this historical expedition.
1. Interactive Lewis and Clark Trail
In this digital activity, your students can follow the timeline of the Lewis and Clark Trail. There are short readings and videos included throughout that describe the different events and discoveries of the expedition.
Learn More: PBS Learning Media
2. Pretending To Be Lewis & Clark
Your students can go on their own Lewis and Clark expedition at the local lake. They can make detailed journal entries about the different plants and animals. Encourage them to take notes as if they’re observing everything for the first time!
Learn More: Homegrown Learners
3. Animal Discovery Journal
Your students can learn about the animal discoveries that Lewis and Clark made on their expedition. These include the prairie dog, grizzly bear, coyote, and more. Your students can note the physical description and habitat of these animals in their discovery journals.
Learn More: Education Possible
4. To-Scale Mapping Activity
A major outcome of the expedition was the detailed maps of the continent’s Western portions. Your students can make their own map of a local park. They can determine the area of space that represents one grid on their map and then record their observations.
Learn More: Our Journey Westward
5. Drawing Activity
Your students can contemplate what Lewis and Clark saw along their arduous journey. They can draw what the explorers may have seen while traveling down rivers, across the Rocky Mountains, and viewing the Pacific Ocean.
Learn More: Crayola
6. Cross-Country Camping Packing List
What items would be on your students’ packing list for a cross-country trip? Your students can create a list of supplies they’d bring. After completion, they can compare their lists with each other and to the actual supply list of Lewis and Clark’s journey.
Learn More: Literacy in Focus
7. Sacagawea Close-Reading Activity
This unit would not be complete without learning more about Sacagawea; a teenage girl from the Shoshone Native American tribe. She translated and assisted the explorers during the expedition. This activity includes a close-reading passage for your students to read and answer follow-up comprehension questions.
Learn More: Amped Up Learning
8. Explorer-Perspective Writing
What thoughts do you think went through the explorers’ minds when they encountered a grizzly bear for the first time or saw the beautiful Rocky Mountains? Your students can write a first-person account of the journey using the perspective of one of the explorers.
Learn More: Classroom Confections
9. Westward Bound Board Game
Board games are a fun learning activity. Students can roll dice and move the rolled number of spaces Westward. Each spot will have an associated fact card to read. Whoever is first to reach Fort Clatsop (the final destination) on the route wins!
Learn More: Deceptively Educational
10. Louisiana Purchase Geography Game
What modern-day states were included in the Louisiana Purchase? Your students can roll a state-covered die and mark their roll on the board. If they roll “Roll & Return”, they must unmark the state on their next roll. Whoever is first to cover all states wins!
Learn More: Deceptively Educational
11. Understand the Native American Experience
The expedition was not a mere two-man show. Various Native American tribes provided food, maps, and invaluable advice to the explorers. Your students can read about the Native American experience of the expedition and the lasting impact it has had on their present-day livelihood.
Learn More: Learning for Justice
12. Poster Project
Poster projects are an excellent way to summarize learning for any American history topic! You can adjust poster requirements to your expectations, but this example includes 5 facts about the journey and a timeline.
Learn More: Appletastic Learning
13. Crossword
You can print this Lewis and Clark-themed crossword for in-class learning or assign your students to do the online version at home. There are 12 questions to test their knowledge of vocabulary related to this historical expedition and a word bank is included.
Learn More: Reading is Fundamental
14. Word Search
This word search comes in a printable and online version for vocabulary practice. Sample words include settler, journal, and wildlife. There are varying levels of difficulty available at the link below.
Learn More: Reading is Fundamental
15. Coloring Pages
Coloring can provide a much-needed brain break for your students. If you have extra time at the end of a lesson, you can print out these free Lewis and Clark-themed coloring pages.
Learn More: Super Coloring
16. Paddle Down The Missouri River
The Missouri River is the 2500+ mile water route that the explorers followed on the first part of their expedition. It could be fun to paddle some of it, or any accessible river, with your class.
Learn More: Just Houseboats
17. Read “The Captain’s Dog”
In this historical fiction book, your students can follow the adventure of the dog, Seaman, along with the thrilling Lewis and Clark expedition. Throughout the novel, your students will discover real journal entries and maps from the journey.
Learn More: Amazon
18. Video Overview
This video can provide a good overview of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. You can show this to your class at the beginning of the unit to introduce the topic or at the end as a review.
Learn More: Learn Bright
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