Lewis and Clark: "The Object of This Mission"
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/13/g68/object.html
A lesson plan for grade 5 Social Studies
In this lesson, students will compete against each other for the best “land” and “resources” in the classroom as a way to introduce issues involved in vying for land. They will learn about the mission of the Lewis and Clark expedition and why the expedition was so important to Thomas Jefferson. Then students will write a mission statement for the expedition. Teachers should conduct this lesson before students see the large-format film Lewis and Clark: Great Journey. This lesson is found on the Xpeditions website.
Students will:
- simulate how groups compete for resources
- identify the mission of the Lewis and Clark expedition and its importance to the country’s future
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 5
- Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United States and other countries of North America.
- Objective 1.07: Analyze the past movement of people, goods, and ideas within and among the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America and compare it to movement today.
- Goal 3: The learner will examine the roles various ethnic groups have played in the development of the United States and its neighboring countries.
- Objective 3.02: Examine how changes in the movement of people, goods, and ideas have affected ways of living in the United States.
