 |
   |
|
|
For students the concept of exploration is not difficult to grasp. The desire to visit unknown places and discover new things is inherent and apparent as children get into items and go places that are forbidden to them. It is much more difficult to communicate to students the magnitude of Lewis & Clark's journey and the preparations required for this group of explorers. What were they there to discover? How did they share those discoveries and document them? How did they use the tools of the 19th century to accurately describe what they experienced? The activities that follow are designed to help students understand that the Corps of Discovery not only shared the difficult task of staying alive as they trekked across thousands of miles of uncharted wilderness, but they had to create records that could be used my those who would come after them to navigate, understand, and survive the west. These lessons were designed to help students develop an understanding of mathematical concepts related to the overland expedition of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery. LESSON 1: THE WEATHER TODAY WAS... This lesson leads students through an analysis of the weather data documented in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Students will use tables and graphs to explain their data and make predictions and inferences, just as the Corps would have done. LESSON 2: FORT CLATSOP -- HOME AWAY FROM HOME Lesson 2 encourages students to use their knowledge of area, perimeter, and directional vocabulary to help them understand the design and living arrangements at Fort Clatsop, where the Corps wintered in 1805. LESSON 3: IT'S A MINERAL, IT'S AN ANIMAL, NO IT'S A PLANT Lesson 3 turns students toward the plant life Lewis and Clark documented on their journey. New species were described and specimens collected as they ventured west. How do you describe something to a person when they have not experienced it before? Just as Lewis and Clark would have approached this task, students will use measurements, written descriptions, and illustrations to describe leaves. LESSON 4: LAKES DON'T COME IN NEAT PACKAGES This lesson recreates another of the daunting tasks faced by Lewis and Clark. How does one measure and map lakes and other irregular shapes? Students will utilize their mathematical abilities and find the perimeter and area of irregular shapes. LESSON 5: HOW TALL IS IT? Lesson 5 introduces another difficult measurement issue. How did the Corps measure things like trees and landmarks that are not easily measured? In this activity, students brainstorm various ways to take these measurements, determine when accuracy is most important or estimation is acceptable, and use their knowledge of triangles to measure height. After completing each of the activities, as well as using the Web and video resources available, students will better understand the mathematics, record keeping, and scientific inquiry essential to the success of Lewis and Clark and the Corp of Discovery. |
|
|
||
|
||||||
|