EXPLORING IDEAS

On this page you will find lesson ideas related to the Kids' Compass "Exploring" page.

While you are thinking about exploring, don't overlook the terrific web site on ADVENTURE AND EXPLORATION offered by the National Geographic. Click here.

Captain Meriwether Lewis took his dog, Seaman, along on the journey west. Seaman is seldom mentioned in accounts of the Lewis and Clark adventure. Here is a chance to read about Lewis and Clark's adventures first-hand as told by Seaman.

Hey, this is an exciting book. Ya' just gotta read it!

Born the runt of his litter and gambled away to a rusty old riverman, the Newfoundland pup Seaman doesn't imagine his life will be marked by any kind of glory beyond chasing down rats. But when he meets Captain Meriwether Lewis, Seaman finds himself on a path that will make history. Lewis is just setting off on his landmark search for the Northwest Passage, and he takes Seaman along. Sharing the curiosity and strength of spirit of his new master, Seaman proves himself a valuable companion at every turn. Part history, part science---and adventure through and through. The Captain's Dog is the carefully researched, thrilling tale of America's greatest journey of discovery, as seen through the keen, compassionate eyes of a remarkable dog.
[Review from Amazon.com]

Have students make dioramas for each section of the trip, then line them up as a timeline.

Create a large map of the route of Lewis and Clark. Have students research the habitat of the various animals from the "Wild Animal" section. Print out pictures of the animals and have students cut them out and place them on appropriate spots on the map. The map should indicate the geography of each area (prairie, desert, water, mountains).

Have each student research one of the six areas in depth and write a narrative about it.

Have the class make a large collage of the Lewis and Clark journey, using printed pictures from Kids' Compass and other pictures they find.

Print the copies of the following six sections from "Exploring" with Lewis and Clark:

   Map of Lewis & Clark's Journey
   Up the Missouri River by Keelboat
    Sacajawea
   The Rocky Mountains
    Wild Animals
    The Columbia and Snake Rivers

[Individual Activity] Give each student a printed copy of one of the six sections. (It is all right for several students to have the same section.) Each student prepares a presentation for the class. Presentations could include maps, pictures, skits, stories, art work, or something else the student may think of. At the end, the students make their presentations to the whole class. In this way, each student contributes to a simulation of the entire trip. Use a map to keep track of travels the class has made.

Note: Some students may want to make a presentation of the winter at Fort Clatsop on the Pacific Coast. This is a fine idea, but they will have to get material from another source. Only the "Whale" section of this web site contains material relating to the Pacific Coast, and it is not adequate for a report.

[Group Activity] Form six groups and assign one of the sections to each group. The groups will read the material and prepare presentations for the entire class. Presentations could include maps, pictures, skits, stories, art work, or something else the student may think of. At the end, the students make their presentations to the whole class. In this way, each student contributes to a simulation of the entire trip. Use a map to keep track of travels the class has made.

Read The Captain's Dog aloud to your class as you study Lewis and Clark. The book describes many of the things seen in the "Exploring" section of Kids' Compass. As you read, bring up the web pages on keelboats, pirogues, wolves, grizzly bears---anything that inspires you and your students.

Read a paragraph from the book to enhance pictures on the exploring page.

Have students act out skits based on passages from the book.

Have students make an art piece to depict a chapter or an episode from the book.

[Class project] Have each student choose one animal from the "Wild Animals" section. The student pretends to be that animal as it observes the Lewis and Clark party travel past its home territory. They can model this after the Seaman's story. He will give them lots of ideas. For example, keep in mind that the prairie dog sees everything from ground level. The cougar sees things from above---rocky ledges, trees, and so on. Each animal has its own pride, fears, and concerns, and its observations are colored by those.

Though each animal story will be narrow and specific, put together they will tell many details of the Lewis and Clark adventure. Stories can be posted on the bulletin board in geographic order. If you want, the skits and these written stories can serve as a unit culmination activity for parents and other visitors.