Lewis and Clark –Louisiana Purchase

Diary Entry Mini Project

Task:

Construct a diary entry about the Lewis and Clark expedition from the perspective of someone on the expedition.

Use facts, and details from the reading packet. Be sure to use descriptive language and help the reader visualize what you saw during your journey. Be sure to include the purpose of your trip, places you went, and people you have encountered. Discuss what you hoped to find and what you actually found.

Perspective: Lewis, Clark, or an explorer on the trip (cannot be Sacagawea)

Purpose: To record the events taking place on the Lewis and Clark expedition

Audience: A historian trying to gather information from this journal entry (primary source)

FAQs:

1. Can I create several short entries instead of one long one?

Yes! You can create several short entries as you embarked on your journey or one long entry as a flashback.

2. Can I make things up for this entry?

The short answer is no, you cannot invent people that Lewis and Clark never met, or places they never

visited. You can however, use creative license to elaborate on details that may be lacking from the text.

Additionally, you can be creative in describing emotions and thoughts.

3. How important is the date?

The date is very important! All diary entries must have a date. Dates help historians create a timeline and

understand the exact details of a journey. You can date your entry by: month, day, year, or month and

year, or simply year. Just keep in mind all dates should be as close to accurate as possible.

4. How long does my entry have to be?

Your entry should reflect 7th grade writing standards. When you’ve completed your assignment you should

ask yourself the following questions: Does this look like an 7th grader completed this assignment? Did I add

details and facts from the texts I have been provided? Did I use imagery and help the reader visualize what I

was writing about? Will Mrs. Randazzo-Bruno accept the length of this assignment or will she tell me it’s

not enough? If your answers are no, or you’re not sure if your answer is a yes, chances are you did not

meet the expectations of the assignment and need to do some more work. Additionally, you can self-check

your assignment using the rubric. (See attached)

5. How should I plan my diary entry?

A tree map would be a great way to plan out the details you want to include in your diary entry. You can

create branches that include: people, places, obstacles, accomplishments, etc. As you complete the

readings you can fill information in on this map.

Louis and Clark - Diary Entry Mini Project Outline

Name ____________________________

Total Score:_______/ 20

Lewis and Clark Diary Entry Rubric

Grading

Criteria

Score 4 Score 3 Score 2 Score 1

Content Response to assigned topic thorough and well written, with varied sentence structure and vocabulary; opinions always supported with facts

Response

thoughtful and

fairly well

written; most

opinions

supported with

facts

Response adequately addresses some aspects of the assigned topic; opinions sometimes based on incorrect information

Response

consists of

unsupported

opinions only

marginally

related to topic

Idea

Development

Excellent use of

examples and

details to

explore and

develop ideas

and opinions

Good reliance

upon examples

and details to

illustrate and

develop ideas

and opinions

Incomplete

development of

ideas; details

and examples

not always

relevant

Ideas not clearly

stated or

developed

Organization Very logically organized; contains introduction, development of main idea (or ideas), and conclusion

Contains

introduction,

some

development of

ideas, and

conclusion

Topics and ideas discussed somewhat randomly; entry may lack clearly defined introduction or conclusion

Entry is

unstructured

Mechanics Flawless

spelling and

punctuation

Few or no spelling errors; some minor punctuation mistakes

Several spelling

and punctuation

errors

Many instances of incorrect spelling and punctuation

Creativity Very creative,

looks authentic

and old. Exercised

a lot of creativity

Somewhat creative, some effort put into making final product appear old

Some attempt at

creativity and

antiquing.

No attempt at creativity. Assignment not made to look old or authentic (done on loose-leaf in pencil and crumbled up)

Mapping the West: The Journey of Lewis and Clark

Mapping the West: The Journey of Lewis and Clark By Michael Stahl

The United States of America is one of the largest countries on the planet. Much of America

today is located between Canada and Mexico, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the

Pacific Ocean. This part of the United States is called the continental U.S. It did not always

stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, though.

After the Revolutionary War, when the U.S. won its independence from England and

became its own small country, there were thirteen states that bordered the Atlantic Ocean.

France and Spain owned a lot of the land that would eventually become the rest of the

continental U.S. That changed in 1803 when the president of the United States at the time,

Thomas Jefferson, bought a large chunk of land from France’s ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, in

what was called The Louisiana Purchase. However, Americans knew very little about the

land that was west of the Mississippi. Therefore, Jefferson asked two men to lead an

exploration of that area. Their names were Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

Jefferson felt that Americans needed to explore their new territory for a few reasons. First,

and most importantly, he wanted Lewis and Clark to find a “water route” to the Pacific

Ocean from the Mississippi River. Jefferson knew that if Americans could travel by river all

the way west to the ocean, they could settle there and establish trade with Native

Americans in the West. Second, Jefferson wanted to claim the northwestern portion of the

continent’s midsection before another country did. Lastly, he thought that knowledge of the

area’s geography would be needed for all of the other goals to come true. Jefferson knew

that whomever he chose for the exploration would be in for a dangerous trip. In fact, he,

along with many others, figured that the west was home to gigantic volcanoes, huge woolly

mammoth animals, and a mountain made of pure salt.

Mapping the West: The Journey of Lewis and Clark

Jefferson chose a group of men named the Corps of Discovery and named Lewis, a captain

in the U.S. military, its leader because he was an expert in surviving in the wilderness and

was familiar with the lifestyles of Native Americans. Lewis would choose Clark, his old

friend, as co‐leader.

In May of 1804, Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery began their journey on the

Missouri River, leaving St. Louis and sailing northwest. Lewis’ main job, besides leading the

men, was to collect rocks, plants, and animals along the route to be studied. Clark would

make maps and charts of the geography of the unknown land.

Lewis and Clark headed deeper and deeper into uncharted land. As the trip continued, one

of their men became ill and died. They also had to do their best to find food and stay

healthy during the winter months.

Lewis and Clark were worried there would be battles with many Native Americans. Some

tribes were hostile toward the group. However, they were able to make alliances with many

Native American tribes. Sacagawea, a Native American woman, joined the Corps of

Discovery in the spring of 1805. Sacagawea’s knowledge of Native American cultures and

her ability to speak Hidatsa and Shoshone, two Native American languages, made her a

valuable asset to the expeditionary group. She played a key role in establishing relations

between the Corps of Discovery and some of the Native American tribes the Corps of

Discovery encountered.

Lewis and Clark would eventually reach the Pacific Ocean after traveling through several

rivers, including the Clearwater, Snake, and Columbia Rivers. However, they did not discover

one direct water route that could lead boats straight to the Pacific from the Mississippi.

Still, the trip was incredibly beneficial. It lasted three years and covered 8,000 miles. The

members of this expedition had discovered the Rocky Mountains, which were not volcanoes

nor made of salt. Clark and his crew had learned about over two hundred plants and

animals that were new to the Americans, though they did not see any woolly mammoths.

Lewis and Clark were the first to trade with dozens and dozens of Native American tribes

that had never met the Americans before. Finally, Lewis and his men drew about 140 of the

first maps of most of the western United States. It has been said that the maps provided a

fill‐in of what was mostly a general outline of the area. Therefore, Lewis and Clark made it

much more possible for the United States to stretch all the way “from sea to shining sea.”

Questions: Mapping the West: The Journey of Lewis and Clark

Name: _____________ Date: _______________________

1. What does this passage describe?

A This passage describes life during the Revolutionary War.

B This passage describes the childhood of William Clark.

C This passage describes the death of Meriwether Lewis.

D This passage describes the trip taken by Lewis and Clark.

2. Lewis and Clark’s trip was a success. What evidence from the passage supports this

statement?

A Lewis and Clark’s team discovered the Rocky Mountains, learned about two

hundred plants and animals, and drew the first maps of the western United States.

B Thomas Jefferson wanted Lewis and Clark to find a water route from the

Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean that would increase trade with Native Americans.

C During their trip, Lewis and Clark headed deeper and deeper into uncharted

land, worrying that there would be battles with Native Americans.

D In May of 1804, Lewis, Clark, and The Corps of Discovery began their journey

by sailing northwest on the Missouri River.

3. Why might Americans have known little about the land west of the Mississippi River

in 1803?

A The part of the U.S. between Canada and Mexico is the continental U.S.

B Americans had not lived west of the Mississippi River before 1803.

C Meriwether Lewis was a captain in the U.S. military.

D Meriwether Lewis and his men drew about 140 maps of the western United

States.

Questions: Mapping the West: The Journey of Lewis and Clark

4. What were Jefferson’s three goals for Lewis and Clark’s trip?

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5. Did Lewis and Clark’s trip achieve Jefferson’s goals? Explain why or why not, using

evidence from the passage.

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Sacagawea

Sacagawea by Noah Remnick

In 1804, President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether

Lewis and William Clark on a very difficult expedition. He

wanted them to explore the massive 828,000 square miles of

territory west of the Mississippi that the United States had bought

from France for $15 million. The deal between Jefferson and the

French emperor Napoleon was

known as the Louisiana Purchase and it doubled the size of the

United States.

Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery were

charged with finding a route from the east through this enormous

and uncharted new terrain all the way west to the Pacific Ocean.

Opening a route to the west would

increase trade opportunities with China, particularly for the lucrative fur business. But to do so, the

explorers needed to deal with Native American tribes they did not know and whose language they did

not speak. They needed to pass over treacherous mountains and rivers that were unfamiliar to them. To

complete the job, Lewis and Clark relied on the language and negotiation skills of a Native American

woman.

The woman, Sacagawea, was a member of the Shoshone tribe. As a young girl, she was taken by another

tribe, the Hidatsa, who then sold her to the Mandan tribe. When Lewis and Clark met Sacagawea in the

early months of 1805, she was married to a Canadian fur trapper named Toussaint Charbonneau. She

was pregnant, and by the time the expedition team left the Mandans, she had given birth to a son, Jean

Baptiste. With the baby strapped to her back, Sacagawea joined her husband and Lewis and Clark as an

interpreter and a guide.

Like many Native American tribes, the Shoshone were nomadic, meaning they traveled from place to

place with the seasons. In doing so, they learned how to travel the mountains and the forests, the rivers

and the plains. They learned which plants were safe to eat, and which were poisonous. They knew how

to hunt for rabbits, foxes, elks and deer, and even how to trap longhorn sheep. As a girl, Sacagawea

learned all these skills that helped her and the Lewis and Clark expedition survive.

Some historians say Sacagawea was critical in helping Lewis and Clark make their way through the

“Sacagawea”

wilderness and up the Missouri River, and it is generally agreed that just having a Native American

woman and baby with them helped put other tribes at ease. By August 1805, the expedition team arrived

at the hunting grounds of the Shoshone, Sacagawea's native tribe.

The American explorers needed to trade for horses to cross the Rocky Mountains. As Sacagawea

interpreted between Lewis and the chief of the Shoshones, she was shocked. She realized that the chief

was her very own brother, Cameahwait. The chief and the entire tribe were thrilled to be reunited with

Sacagawea. They held a peace party in honor of her, Lewis and Clark, and the entire expedition team.

Lewis and Clark gave their new Shoshone friends gifts from President Jefferson, including clothing,

eyeglasses, beads, and tobacco.

Chief Cameahwait agreed to help Lewis and Clark, and bartered with them for horses and guides. When

the time came for the expedition team to leave, Sacagawea had a difficult choice. Should she stay with

her tribe, or continue on the journey with Lewis and Clark, her husband and her baby? She decided to

stay with the explorers, and bid her family and tribe a tearful goodbye.

The trip over the Rocky Mountains was arduous. The mountains were cold and had no vegetation. The

explorers ended up eating candles to survive until they got to the warmer side of the mountain path.

Finally, they reached the western coast and the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. By now it was

December and the corps built a winter fort. It was cold and rainy. Lewis and Clark called their new

home Fort Clatsop, after a nearby Native American tribe.

The explorers set off on their return trip in March, and they had to make their way back the way they had

come. Eventually, through snow, battles with mistrustful Native American tribes, and steep mountain

passes, the explorers returned to the village where they first met Sacagawea. Lewis and Clark had

journals filled with notes and maps, and precious samples of the plants and animals they had

encountered in the new western territory of the United States. It was time to deliver them to President

Jefferson, who deemed the expedition a success even though an all-water route was not found. And they

might not have been able to do it without the guidance of Sacagawea.

Sacagawea

Name: __________________________________________ Date: _________________________

1. What did President Thomas Jefferson ask Lewis and Clark to do?

A) negotiate a deal with the French emperor Napoleon

B) get to know the Native American tribes

C) find a route through the new territory to the Pacific Ocean

D) discover new plant and animal species

2. How does the author describe the terrain that Lewis and Clark explored?

A) enormous, unfamiliar, mountainous

B) unpopulated, open, grassy

C) small, hilly, temperate

D) dry, settled, dotted with lakes

3. Lewis and Clark needed help to explore the new, uncharted territory. What evidence from the passage supports

this statement?

A) “But to do so, the explores needed to deal with Native American tribes they did not know and whose

language they did not speak.”

B) “To complete the job, Lewis and Clark relied on the language and negotiation skills of a Native American

woman.”

C) “Lewis and Clark and their Crops of Discover were charged with finding a route from the east through this

enormous and uncharted new terrain all the way west to the Pacific Ocean.”

D) “They needed to pass over treacherous mountains and rivers that were unfamiliar them.”

4. Why did Sacagawea’s presence in the expedition team put other tribes at ease?

A) because she had a Canadian husband

B) because she was a skilled hunter

C) because she was also Native American

D) because she did not look dangerous

5. What is the passage mostly about?

A) the advantages of Native American nomadic culture

B) the politics and history of the Louisiana Purchase

C) how Sacagawea was taken from and eventually reunited with her tribe

D) how Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark during their expedition

Sacagawea

6. Read the following sentences: “Lewis and Clark had journals filled with notes and maps. And precious samples of

the plants and animals they had encountered in the new western territory of the United States.”

As used in the passage, what does “encountered” most nearly mean?

A) came across

B) avoided

C) attacked

D) brought along

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

Before the expedition left her tribe, Sacagawea had to decide between staying with her people and finishing the

expedition; ___________, she chose to continue traveling with Lewis and Clark.

A) instead

B) ultimately

C) therefore

D) above all

8. Name one of Sacagawea’s roles, or jobs, during the Lewis and Clark expedition.

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9. Why was it important that Sacagawea came from a nomadic tribe?

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10. Would Lewis and Clark’s expedition have likely been successful without the help of Sacagawea? Why or why not?

Support your argument with evidence form the passage.

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Mandan Traders

Connections With Economics

Mandan Traders

Directions: Read the passage and study the illustration. Then answer the questions that follow on the back of this worksheet.

Lewis and Clark were lucky to meet up with the Mandans during the winter of 1804. The Mandans were a prosperous people, with a rich and ancient culture. Living in neatly laid out villages high above the Knife River, they grew corn and other crops. They also hunted game that roamed the surrounding hills. Most important, however, they engaged in trade.

Since prehistoric times, the Mandans had been at the center of a vast trading network. They controlled the trade in Knife River flint, a hard, glassy stone prized for making strong tools and weapons. Native Americans from far and wide gave the Mandans exotic items such as shells and copper in return for the precious flint. As their farming prospered, the Mandans also traded surplus crops to wandering peoples for buffalo skins, dried meat, and other items.

In the 1600s, European goods entered the trading network. The Mandans proved themselves shrewd traders in these products as well. They acted as agents for exchanges between Europeans and other Native Americans. By the mid-1700s, Crows, Assiniboines, Cheyennes, Arapahoes, and Kiowas all traveled to the Mandans’ Knife River villages to exchange horses for European guns, metal pots, hatchets, and knives.

Complete on back.

1. What was the most important part of the Mandan economy?

2. What role did the Mandans play in the lives of other Native American groups?

3. Draw Inferences How do you think most Native Americans traveled to Mandan villages? Explain your thinking.

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