WorksheetsThunderclappers - Lewis & Clark Challenge
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 20mins
When did Lewis & Clark begin their journey?
1776
1801
1804
1861
1997
How long did the complete journey last from start to finish?
Over two years
About 6 months
Almost four years
Just about 3 weeks
one leap year
Where did the expedition officially begin its journey westward?
Washington, D.C.
Jackson, Mississippi
Columbus, Ohio
St. Louis, Missouri
Portland, Oregon
Which of the following is not an original task of the expedition according to the article?
make maps of the land between the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean
look for willing Native American interpreters to help along the way
leave markers along the way so that others could follow in their footsteps
follow the course of the Missouri River, hoping it would empty into the Pacific Ocean
Which of the following was not listed on the first page of the article as something they ate?
frog legs
beaver tail
buffalo hump
prairie dog
porcupine
What was the purpose of a thunderclapper?
to keep travelers strong and fit
to keep the horses calm when they might get spooked (for example, by gunshots or thunder or crossing deep rivers)
to loosen the bowels when the food and water either stopped food from passing through or caused diarrhea and flatulence
to provide the vitamins they were missing by not eating fruits and vegetables
to measure the time between lightning and thunder to see how close a storm is
Which of the following was NOT one of the things the explorers studied before leaving on the expediction?
medicine
navigation
botany (plants)
astronomy
map-making
How do we know the exact trail they took today?
It was traveled so much by settlers that followed them that first it became a well traveled path and eventually a train track followed the path of the original journey.
They planted a special variety of tree wherever they stopped to camp that was not indigenous to the country, so where those trees grow today tells us their trail.
The thunderclappers they took contained mercury, so anywhere they went to the bathroom, the mercury remains in the soil today.
The maps they made were so expert, it's obvious to see down to the smallest detail exactly where they were at all times.
Follow the prairie fairy.
TRUE or FALSE Most of the water they drank was so muddy that it contained parasites and diseases.
True
False
Which of the following is NOT another meat the article said they ate
horse
dog
pork fat (bacon)
squirrel
bear
Why didn't the lethal dose of mercury in the thunderclappers kill them?
the exertion from their journey worked it out of their bodies in sweat
the mercury couldn't react with the dirty water they were drinking
the ended not taking them after one of their team got extremely ill from taking it and couldn't continue the journey
the pills made things move so fast out of their body that there wasn't time to be poisoned to death
there wasn't actually any mercury in the thunderclappers: they were placebos
TRUE or FALSE The article says, "...the first astronauts to walk on the moon had a better idea of what they were in for than [the expedition]".
True
False
Which is true about the dog that came along on the expedition?
it belonged to Lewis, it was a Newfoundland, it would howl through the night because of the amount of mosquitos biting it
it belonged to Clark, it was a Fox Hound, it would help them hunting meat when their supplies got scarce
it belonged to a French trapper who joined them, it was a French Bulldog, it saved one of the men by warning there was a bear nearby
it was a gift from the Shoshone people, it was a mastiff, it wouldn't settle for the night until everyone settled
it was the only one who truly knew where they were going
Why did they hire Toussaint Charbonneau, the hairy French-Canadian fur trader?
as an interpreter because he could speak many of the native tribe languages and help them communicate and perhaps get advice about their journey
as a scout because he knew the land and its dangers
as someone to trap furry animals to use to create warm clothing for them before their journey over the Rocky Mountains
as a cook and a doctor so they wouldn't need to take thunderclappers anymore
they liked his name
TRUE or FALSE Sacagawea was in love with Charbonneau, her husband. So she left her tribe to marry him.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE Charbonneau won 16-year-old Sacagawea in a bet.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE Every time their boats reached impassable currents and whitewater, waterfalls, or too shallow water, they had to cull down what materials they needed most and the number of people traveling in their group, and leave one of their boats behind because they had to carry the rest.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE Aside from a few places where they had to carry their boats, they did make it all the way to the Pacific Ocean by river.
True
False
Which of these horrible things was not listed as having happened to them somewhere along their journey?
carry their boats over rocks and through forests
stabbed by cactus
attacked by Native Americans
got lost in Rocky Mountains
almost starved to death
TRUE or FALSE There was a black slave along on the trip. When the Native Americans saw him, some would try to "rub the color off" his skin.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE Sacagawea made the dangerous journey and helped them from getting lost all while carrying her baby.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE American coins with Sacagawea's image on them, and worth a dollar were minted in 2000.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE Sacagawea dollar coins are still minted in this country today.
True
False
Which of the following is NOT something the article said Sacagawea did to help the expedition?
she showed them how to build lighter boats for the times when they had to carry their belongings over land in them
she helped with food preparation, including finding native, edible plants to add to their diet
she was a helpful guide, pointing them in the right direction when they weren't certain which way to go
when one of their boats overturned in the water with the expedition's journals and equipment aboard, she dove into the water and rescued everything (all with her baby still on her back)
translated with some Native American tribes with her husband for the expedition
TRUE or FALSE Sacagawea was the only woman on the expedition.
True
False
Finish this statement from the article: "Out in the wilderness, rolling on the great river, ..."
no man could have survived on his own.
all men and women really were created equal.
the vast wilderness seemed like a new world.
the expedition made history.
the surfing was gnarly
TRUE or FALSE Mosquitos weren't a particularly big problem on the journey.
True
False
Which president did Lewis and Clark take this expedition for?
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
James Madison
Thomas Jefferson
Theodore ("Teddy") Roosevelt
Approximately how much land did the Louisiana Purchase add to the U.S.?
It added another quarter of the land we already had
it doubled the country in size
it tripled the country in size
it added the amount of land that equals about the same size as California and Texas today.
the land between Mount Hood and the Pacific Ocean
What was the largest boat on the expedition?
a pirogue
a sailing ship
a steamboat
a keelboat
a yacht
Which of the following animals was NOT listed in the article as strange and new to the expedition?
prairie dog
buffalo
antelope
coyote
TRUE or FALSE Sacagawea had a baby WHILE on this expedition.
True
False
What is a pirogue?
a lightweight boat used for navigating more shallow waters
a kind of jerky the expedition made to preserve their meat
a torch used to scare of dangerous wildlife at night
a net used to keep mosquitos away
a stick and ring game that they used to amuse themselves when they settled for the night
When they reach the falls of the Missouri river, how far do they have to portage their boats over land?
6 miles
11 miles
15 miles
18 miles
8,000 miles
How long did that portage take?
3 days
nearly a week
a month
3 months
28 months
On October 18, 1805, what did they finally see in the distance?
the Columbia River
the end of the Rocky Mountains
Mount Hood
the Pacific Ocean
Powell's Bookstore
Approximately how long did it take the exhausted expedition to cross the final 20 miles across Oregon to the Pacific Ocean?
3 days
3 weeks
3 months
6 months (because they had to wait for winter to pass)
3 hours
TRUE or FALSE Lewis loved the Nez Perce and called them "the most hospitable, honest and sincere people that we have met ...".
True
False
TRUE or FALSE To the nearest thousand, the expedition traveled a total of approximately 4,000 miles total.
True
False
TRUE or FALSE In the summer months, Lewis could barely raise and aim his rifle at times because the mosquitos were so thick.
True
False
