William Clark Lesson Plans
There are so many wonderful directions you can go with a study on William! Our top recommendation is to study the Lewis and Clark Expedition. We know so much about what we do today about their Expedition due to the journals that Clark and others kept along the journey so it’s another great opportunity to start a nature journal if you don’t already have one. Here are a few ideas to get you started in those areas!
Don't have the letter yet? You can grab the snail mail version here or the digital version here!
To get your free downloads go here!
For All Ages
Movie/Video
Voice of America’s “Lewis and Clark: An American Adventure Story”
Visit
- National Park Service Lewis and Clark Expedition Trail
- View the State by State Guide to the Trail to find Lewis & Clark Expedition Sites in Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, and Washington
Resources
- Traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail (Falcon Guide) by Julie Fanselow
- National Geographic Guide to the Lewis & Clark Trail by Thomas Schmidt
- National Geographic Video: Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West
- Lewis and Clark Track Across North America – 20x12 Art Print
- Chasing Lewis & Clark Across America: A 21st Century Aviation Adventure by Ron Lowery (stunning photographs from the trail)
- Sacagawea – Amazon Prime Video
- Mudpuppy Map of the United States of America, 70 pieces
- Children’s USA Map Floor Puzzle 36x24
- Crocodile Creek Discover America, 100 piece puzzle with 21 Figures
- Crocodile Creek USA Map Puzzle, 200 Piece
- Ticket to Ride Game – explore America with this fun railway inspired game
- Lewis & Clark Playing Cards
Books
Preschool
- A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark by David A. Adler
- I am Sacagawea by Brad Meltzer
Elementary
- How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis & Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
- Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery with 21 Activities by Janis Herbert
- What Was the Lewis and Clark Expedition? by Judith St. George
- You Wouldn’t Want to Explore with Lewis and Clark! by Jacqueline Morley
- Lewis and Clark: Explorers of the American West by Steven Kroll
- The Journey of York by Hasan Davis (Read about the expedition from the perspective of Clark’s slave, York)
- The Captain’s Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe by Roland Smith (Read about the expedition from the perspective of Clark’s dog, Seaman)
- Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale by Laurie Myers (Read about the expedition from the perspective of Clark’s dog, Seaman)
- Who Was Sacagawea? by Judith Bloom Fradin
- The 50 States: Explore the USA with 50 Fact-filled Maps by Gabrielle Balkan
Middle School/High School & Beyond
- The Essential Lewis & Clark edited by Anthony Brandt
- Bird Woman (Sacajawea) the Guide of Lewis and Clark: Her Own Story Now First Given to the World by James Willard Schultz
- The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals—and Other Forgotten Skills by Tristan Gooley
One Week with William Clark
Day 1: Learn about William Clark
- Read the Heritage Letter from William Clark
- Read books about the Lewis and Clark Expedition (depending on how many books you have available or the length of the books you could space them out over the week)
- Watch the Voice of America’s “Lewis and Clark: An American Adventure Story” (linked above under Videos)
Day 2: Trail Map
- Visit the NPS Lewis and Clark Trail Map from Space to follow the journey.
- See if you can find some of the locations mentioned in the letter from William Clark.
- Which location is closest to you? Are there any you have visited or plan to visit soon?
Day 3: Scientific Discovery
Over 170 plants and 120 animals that were new to the members of the expedition were discovered along the trail, learn about some of them using the following interactive maps:
Plants
Day 4: Mapping in the 1800s
- Watch Hart Square Village’s video “Surveying Land in the 1800’s to learn how land was surveyed in the 1800’s.
- Visit a local park or go in your own yard to practice surveying…use modern tools like yardsticks and measuring tapes or come up with your own measuring devices to use to map out an area.
Day 5: Nature Journaling
The artifact accompanying the William Clark letter is a copy of his journal page with a drawing and description of the White Salmon Trout. Find an animal or insect in your yard or at a local park to draw and write a description of, or draw and write about one of your state symbols…your state bird, reptile, mammal, flower, tree, etc. using your nature journal or the template included in our free downloads for the William Clark letter. Here’s a website with all the state symbols listed: statesymbolsusa.org
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
