Lewis and Clark Lesson

Lewis and Clark

Louisiana Purchase

• Thomas Jefferson wanted the port in New Orleans

• France owned much of the West side of the U.S.

• France sold New Orleans and all of Louisiana for $15 million!

Multiple Choice

What country did Thomas Jefferson buy New Orleans and Louisiana from?

• Britain

• France

• Spain

Thomas Jefferson did not know much about the land he purchased! No American had ever explored that far west before.

• How big was it?

• Who were the Native Americans living there?

• Was there a river that went all the way across to the Pacific Ocean?

Explorers

Thomas Jefferson decided to send Meriwhether Lewis and William Clark to explore the Lousiana Purchase. They were both in the army and knew how to live outdoors.

Meriwhether Lewis

Lewis knew a lot about living outdoors! His mother taught him how to make medicines from leaves and berries.

Multiple Choice

What made Meriwhether Lewis a good fit for the job?

• He knew how to build tents

• He knew how to make medicine from leave and berries

William Clark

Clark was an artist. He used his talents to draw maps and pictures. During their journey, Clark made around 140 maps!

Multiple Choice

What made William Clark a good fit for the job?

• He knew how to hunt

• He knew how to make maps

Starting the Journey

Lewis and Clark led 40 men named The Corps. They traveled in 2 large conoes across the Missouri River. The canoes held things like food, tents, supplies and goods to trade with the Native Americans.

Multiple Choice

How did Lewis and Clark start their expedition?

• On horseback

• On canoes

• In airplanes

New Animals

• Lewis and Clark drew and wrote about 178 new plants and 122 animals!

• antelope

• prairie dogs

• white pelicans

Harsh Conditions

• The sun was very hot in the summer

• Heavy rains soaked them

• Mosquitos bit them

• They got sick very easily

• They had to stop when the river froze and built forts to protect themselves from the harsh weather.

Multiple Choice

The journey was easy for the men

• True

• False

Sacagawea

When the weather got warmer, The Corps continued their journey. Sacajawea, a woman from the Shoshone tribe, went with them as a guide because she knew the land and spoke many Native American languages. She went with her husband, Charbonneau, and her baby, Jean Baptiste.

Multiple Select

Why was Sacajawea a good guide for Lewis and Clark?

• She knew the land

• She spoke Native American languages

• She was a healer

Barriers

As The Corps traveled, the rivers got smaller and smaller. Eventually, they reached the Rocky Mountains, which were blocking the way west. The Corps would have to climb over them!

Multiple Choice

What did The Corps bump into along the way?

• The Appalachian Mountains

• The Rocky Mountains

• The Colorado River

Multiple Choice

How will they get around the mountains?

• Walk around them

• Climb over them

• Give up and go home

When went came again, the snow in the mountains made the journey almost impossible.

• The explorers were wet and cold

• They could not find animals to hunt

• They had to melt snow for drinking water

• They ate candles that were made from animal fat

Reaching the Pacific!

It took them 3 and a half months to get across the rockey mountains. Finally, they came across the Colombia River and followed it until it reached the Pacific Ocean!

Multiple Choice

Which river did Lewis and Clark follow to the ocean?

• The Colombia River

• The Mississippi River

• The Colorado River

Multiple Choice

Which ocean did they reach?

• The Atlantic Ocean

• The Arctic Ocean

• The Pacific Ocean

Multiple Choice

Lewis and Clark succeeded in reaching their goal.

• True

• False

Open Ended

Why was the Lewis and Clark expedition difficult?

-weather

-Rocky Mountains

-food

Open Ended

Would you want to be an explorer with Lewis and Clark?

I _____ want to be an explorer with Lewis and Clark because ____.