Educator Resources

Gateway Arch National Park

Lewis and Clark

Type: Field Trips
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

In this program, students learn about the Corps of Discovery's trip to the Pacific Coast from 1803 to 1806, which started and ended in St. Louis. Students also learn about the members of the expedition and the people they interacted with throughout the voyage.

Gateway Arch National Park

Lewis and Clark Traveling Trunk

Type: Traveling Trunk
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Learn about the Lewis and Clark voyage from the eyes of Patrick Gass, the longest living member of the expedition, in this interactive traveling trunk.

Gateway Arch National Park

Lewis and Clark (Distance Learning)

Type: Distance Learning
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Students in this distance learning program will learn about the Corps of Discovery's expedition to the Pacific Coast from St. Louis, a round trip that took three years to complete between 1803 and 1806. They will also learn about the lives of Lewis and Clark and the people they interacted with during the expedition.

Important Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Using the Webquest Slides, students will explore and learn about the important members and contributors to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Each slide will have links) to National Park web pages with information about each member or group. For each member, students find four facts and write a sentence about their role (contribution) to the expedition. This activity can be done in a handful of ways, with the suggested method being a Jigsaw.

Biomes and Climates of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade

This virtual field trip can be completed as a whole class or individual if your school has student devices (Google Earth can be used on most devices, including cellphones). The information can be found on the attached Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint Slides. The presentation will explore the biomes and climates that the Lewis and Clark expedition traveled through during their exploration of the North American Interior. The slides include short videos (Hyperlinked to YouTube), Google Earth

The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

Follow a trail of discovery to the Pacific Northwest. Although the corps' findings destroyed the dream of a water route to the Pacific Ocean, their accomplishments had far reaching effects in expanding human knowledge and opening a new course for American history.

“With Great Pains and Accuracy”

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Lewis and Clark were given specific instructions on what to write about on their expedition. By reading the original letter given by Thomas Jefferson have your students identify not only the reasons for the Corps of Discovery but also if these can be useful in their own lives while traveling.

To Code or Not to Code, That was the Question.

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Middle School: Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade

In preparation for the Lewis and Clark expedition Meriwether Lewis and Thomas Jefferson practiced using a newly created cipher. This lesson will teach students how to use the same cipher that they had practiced with for their own use in real life and emphasize the importance of security.

Gifts and Trading

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Trading was a very important part of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In this lesson plan students will engage in trading for supplies with other students and learn what the expedition used for trading and traded for.

I’ll Take This, and I’ll Need That!

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

This lesson will have students looking at the items bought by the Lewis and Clark expedition and how their estimated cost compared to the actual cost of the expedition. It will then have students identify items they would need to bring on their own trip somewhere.

“Tracking” Down the Secret Code / North American Animal “Who am I”

Type: Lesson Plan
Grade Levels: Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade

This lesson will present the diversity of animals found along the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, and will help students understand what we can learn about animals from the way they live and move.