Understanding By Design
Lesson Plan Format
Title: Lewis and Clark
Subject Matter Emphasis and Level: Reading/Communication Arts Grade 6
Author: Jean Morrison
School District: Mitchell School District
Email:
Brief Description of the Lesson/Unit:
This unit will raise student awareness of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, including major goals set up by President Jefferson and discoveries the members made along the way. It includes a variety of writing and art projects, as well as a culminating activity that can be presented as a program.
Stage 1: Identify Desired Results
1. What enduring understandings are desired?
The students will learn to understand and appreciate the overwhelming tasks and challenges of exploring a new territory in the early 1800’s.
2. What essential questions will guide this unit and focus teaching/learning?
1. What change took place in the U.S. that motivated President Jefferson to direct Captain Lewis to explore the land west of the Mississippi?
2. Why do you think President Jefferson set out the 4 main goals of the Expedition?
3. Why did Lewis include the things he did in the list of supplies for the trip?
4. Why were each of the people chosen for the Expedition?
5. What did Lewis and Clark learn about the Indians of the Louisiana Territory, and why did President Jefferson insist they communicate with these Indians?
6. How were the various types of transportation chosen for the different phases of the trip?
7. How did the members of the Expedition meet the challenges of the trip?
8. Why was recording the kinds of plants and animals discovered on the trip an important part of the Expedition?
3. What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?
6.R.3.1 Students will be able to explain how literature can be used to better understand other time periods and events.
6.R.4.1 Students will be able to use reference sources to retrieve information.
6.R.4.2 Students will be able to compare and contrast information on one topic contained in several sources.
4. What prior learning, interests, misconceptions, and conceptual difficulties might be brought to this unit?
Interests: U.S. history, Indians, transportation, plants and animals, mapping, study of rivers and the Rocky Mountains
Misconceptions: that Sacajawea was hired as a guide on the Expedition
Conceptual difficulties: with our modern conveniences of today, it is difficult for students to understand the immense challenges with which these explorers were faced.
Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence
1. What evidence will show that students understand?
Performance Tasks:
Talking Statues: Students will research a member of the Expedition, write a report, turn that report into a first person speech, memorize it, and select dress for the character.
Students will act like statues until someone touches them, where they will then “come to life” and recite their speech. They then return to statue form when they are finished.
Other Evidence:
Quizzes, Tests, Prompts, Work Samples (summarized):
Copies of word finds, quizzes, etc. are included with this lesson plan. (If not found here, look at my lesson plans for Lewis and Clark under grades 3,4,5 from August 5 workshop.)
Unprompted Evidence: (observations, dialogues, etc.)
Students may be finding current newspaper articles of the Lewis and Clark story because this is the bicentennial year for their expedition.
Student Self-Assessment
Students may be looking for new sources of information, comparing conflicting information that they may find, etc.
Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction
1. What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired understandings?
Major Learning Activities:
Make a time line of the events of the Expedition.
Make a list of things you would take on the trip and compare it to the list of supplies Captain Lewis purchased.
Study the different forms of transportation used on the trip and make a model of the keelboat.
Go on a field trip to collect plants. Press the leaves.
Study the Indian tribes-their homes, clothing, foods, language, names. Compare them. Make face paint, tepees, head bands, moccasins. Learn some sign language. Choose own Indian name.
Research the animals discovered on the trip and report on them.
Research the individuals on the trip, develop into Talking Statues activity described earlier in Performance Tasks.
Read excerpts from the journals. Proof-read and revise them into modern day spelling and vocabulary.
Compare the Expedition with Neil Armstrong’s exploration of the moon.
Journal daily for a week, pretending to be a member of the Expedition.
Compare Clark’s map to present-day maps. Study longitude and latitude.
Do a study on the foods they ate on the expedition. Find a Lewis and Clark cookbook and prepare some of the dishes. Make fruit leather. Have a tasting party.
Management:
Teaching kit on loan from South Dakota Historical Society-a wonderful resource. It costs $20 plus about $28 freight to ship back to Pierre for a 2 week period. Kit includes replicas of peace medal, sounden horn, trading beads, animal pelts, etc. as well as activity lesson plans, complete with materials, and about 20 large display panels. (I also understand that the South Dakota National Guard will have a similar kit available this fall, free of charge!)
West with Lewis and Clark Activity Book-William and Jan Hill
Lewis and Clark for Kids-Janis Herbert This is excellent for information and activities
America Looks West: Lewis and Clark on the Missouri-Nebraska Land Magazine
Lewis and Clark Information, Activities and resources-Judy Van Middendorp
How We Crossed the West-Rosalyn Schanzer
America in the Time of Lewis and Clark-Sally Isaacs
Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale-Laurie Myers
Current newspaper clippings
August 1 and August 2, 2004 editions of the Omaha World-Herald
Lewis and Clark Expedition-#4427 – Teacher Created Materials, Inc.
2004 Corn Palace murals
Lewis and Clark board game available at Teaching Treasures in Sioux Falls
Chamberlain rest stop overlooking Missouri River. It has a keelboat and a Lewis and Clark display
Places to visit:
Spirit Mound near Vermillion,
Sgt. Floyd’s monument south of Sioux City
Lewis and Clark State Park at Onawa, Iowa
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at 900 Larsen Park Road
Sioux City, Iowa
51101
Web sites:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lewisandclark/?source=google
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/
http://www2.edgate.com/lewisandclark/
http://www.nevada.edu/~rpeters/teacherr.htm
http://nd.water.usgs.gov/lewisandclark/
http://www.lewisclark.net/timeline/
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/class/idx_les.html
http://www.proteacher.com/090087.shtml
http://members.aol.com/MrDonnHistory/American.html
http://members.aol.com/MrDonnHistory/American.html
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=297 -has actual supply list for Expedition
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/2000/bmam/bmam.htm- contains listing of birds and mammals Lewis and Clark discovered
http://www.surfnetkids.com/lewisclark.htm- a good one!
http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Colleges/LFSC/life_sciences/.plant_biology/L&C/L&Cpublic1.html-a listing of the plants found on the expedition
http://www.childrenstheatreplays.com/lac.htm
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/lewisclark/
Management:
This unit could easily span a semester, or more, depending on how much detailed study you give to each of the goals of the Expedition. There are many hands-on activities and many allowing movement among the students.
Support Services and Special Teacher Notes:
Extensions and Adaptation: