Last updated: October 22, 2023
Lesson Plan
“With Great Pains and Accuracy”
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 90 Minutes
- Thinking Skills:
- Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.
Essential Question
What are important things we should learn about meeting new people and seeing new places?
Objective
List the reasons the Lewis and Clark Expedition was sent to the Pacific Ocean
Identify important things we should learn about meeting new people and seeing new places.
Background
Finally, in 1803, halfway through his first term as President, Jefferson was in the position to ask Congress to approve an expedition and its funding. This he did on January 18, 1803. With Congress' approval, Jefferson was able to put into motion the plans he'd had for so many years. He asked his secretary-aide Meriwether Lewis to prepare and lead the expedition. After three futile ventures, his dream would finally be fulfilled by this fourth attempt—the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
During 1804-06, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led an expedition which played a very important role in the growth and history of our country. Their expedition was made up of 33 permanent members—31 men, mostly soldiers, plus Sacagawea and her infant son Jean Baptiste Charbonneau—and some temporary help. These explorers, called the Corps of Volunteers for Northwest Discovery, traveled from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean and back.
Before this expedition, the region between the Mandan villages—in present-day North Dakota—and the Pacific Ocean was known only to the American Indians inhabiting the region. Thomas Jefferson had been curious about this part of North America for many years and had tried several times, without success, to mount an expedition. When he became president in 1801, he hired Meriwether Lewis to work for him as secretary and began to plan another expedition to explore the west. Jefferson and Lewis put a lot of time and energy into the planning for this journey. They consulted with experts on medicine, navigation, science and the lower Missouri River. President Jefferson was also concerned about the safety of the expedition. As a consequence, much of his letter to Lewis was related to this subject and other instructions. Lewis then invited his former army colleague and friend William Clark to join the expedition as co-captain.
Jefferson’s Instructions:
1. To find, if possible, and map the fabled Northwest Passage, which would serve as “...the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce.
- William Clark accepted the responsibility of mapping their route. After the expedition, he produced a map of the region from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. This map was published in 1814 and was the first fairly accurate map made of the American west.
- With their exploration of the Rocky Mountains, the Corps of Discovery finally put to rest the rumor of the existence of a Northwest Passage across the continent.
- The explorers wrote extensively about the American Indians they encountered.
- They learned and recorded as much as they could about the politics, languages, occupations, food, clothing, tools, health, customs and beliefs of the people they met.
- Lewis and Clark also held diplomatic meetings with the chiefs to encourage them to be friends with the United States and be peaceful with other native nations.
- Lewis spent much time and energy writing scientific descriptions of these things.
- The Expedition introduced 122 new animals and 178 new plants to the United States.
Although many of the tools of 1804-06 seem antiquated and unusual in today’s technological world, they provided the explorers with food, light, shelter, clothing and safety. The Corps of Discovery worked very hard to meet Jefferson’s goals. In addition to all of these tools, the members of the expedition were also asked by Jefferson to keep journals.
Preparation
Print out or display a copy of the handout "President Jefferson’s Letter of Instruction"
Materials
Print copy of Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Lewis.
Download President Jefferson's Letter of Instruction
Procedure
Procedures:
1. Discuss the terms “goals” and “objectives.”
2. Read and discuss the Background information.
Have the students identify the reasons for the expedition.
3. Have the students determine what they would do if given an opportunity to visit a different state, country, culture or people they don’t know.
- Have them write their “objectives” for their visit to this new place.
- What would they need to know to survive?
- What would help them get along with the people?
- What are the differences between this countryside and the students own neighbor.
5. Discuss how they could learn about these places without actually visiting?
Vocabulary
Goals: The object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result. Typically broad or long-term.
Objectives: A thing aimed at or sought. Typically narrow and specific.
Assessment Materials
EvaluationAfter the students have read the Background information and/or President Jefferson’s Letter of Instruction, have them answer the following questions:
- Name President Jefferson’s three main goals for the expedition
- What types of things were Lewis and Clark instructed to learn about the people they met along the way?
- What types of scientific concepts were Lewis and Clark to learn about?
- Was there anything else the expedition was to accomplish?