Preparation

Download and copy the student worksheets, handouts, and images for this lesson from the Teacher Resources Page.

Day 1

Write on the board: Louisiana Purchase - 1803. Next use an overhead to show two maps of the Louisiana Purchase. The first map, A map of North America (1803), is a primary source illustrating the Louisiana Purchase the year that the sale was made. The Map of the Louisiana Purchase (1912) is a secondary source that was drawn up over a century later, and clearly shows the area of the Louisiana Purchase has doubled the size of the United States. Emphasize this to your students. Have the students compare the two maps. Questions you could ask include:

• What are some differences between the maps? (In the 1803 map: There is less detail. The Louisiana section looks smaller; California appears larger; unknown territory is noted; etc.)


• Why do you think these differences exist? (The knowledge of the land being mapped is better in 1912 than in 1803.)


• What would be some ways to gain knowledge of unknown land? (To walk through it, study it, talk to people who live there…)

Tell students: "Even before the purchase of the Louisiana Territory, President Jefferson had plans to explore America's West." Distribute Worksheet 2: Jefferson's Letter to Congress (Jan. 1803) . Point out the date of the letter- January of 1803. Explain at the time the letter was written, Jefferson did not have any idea that the Louisiana Purchase would take place several months later. Mention that this is a shortened version of the longer original letter. Next instruct students to read the Focus Questions, then the letter. While discussing the questions/answers, ask students why they think the letter was secret (Answer to Question # 1). Answers will vary. A correct response would be that the United States does not own the territory they are planning to explore, and public knowledge of the expedition could lead to problems with foreign countries. After an answer to Question #2 is given, explain that Jefferson's letter said that he only wanted to explore the area for the economic reasons of trade with the Native Americans.

Write on the board: Louisiana Territory - Unknown Land under Louisiana Purchase. Explain: The purchase of Louisiana several months later gave Jefferson good justification (reason) to want all kinds of information about the unknown territory that was just purchased. It was true that he wanted (1) to explore the possibilities of trade with the Native Americans as he had written in his letter to Congress. He also wanted (2) to know if there was a water route across the continent to the Pacific Ocean - the Western Ocean referred to in his letter. (3) The new territory would also have to be mapped while it was explored. Remind students that Jefferson was also a scientist, and wanted the members of the exploration team (4) to study the climate, soil, minerals, plants, animals, and look for fossils and evidence of mastodons. Jefferson wanted accurate records/reports of all findings, samples collected, and he even wanted specimens of the collections sent home to him.

List the mission's goals on the board under Louisiana Territory while discussing.

Tell students that Jefferson chose his trusted personal secretary Captain Meriwether Lewis to lead the expedition. Lewis was a former army officer who had the frontier experience needed to lead the expedition, but Jefferson understood that Lewis needed scientific learning in order to fulfill all the mission's goals. Ask students: "If you were President Jefferson in 1803, where would you send Lewis to receive the education he needed?" (Answers will vary.) Then explain that Philadelphia was the center of education, culture, and trade in the early 1800s. Jefferson knew that the Philadelphia area provided the nation's greatest scientific minds and the best location for Lewis to purchase the supplies he needed to prepare for the trip.

Inform your students that Jefferson sent Lewis to the Philadelphia area in the Spring of 1803 to be instructed by scientific experts chosen by Jefferson. Then distribute Student Handout 1: Vocabulary Sheet and Student Handout 2: Reading: The Philadelphia Experts. Instruct students to first review the vocabulary that will be used in the reading. Then ask for volunteers to read aloud each section of information about the scientists. Encourage comments and questions about the readings.

Homework assignment: Distribute Worksheet 1: Graphic Organizer - Philadelphia Scientific Experts. Instruct students to use the reading you have just worked on in class (Student Handout 2: Reading: The Philadelphia Experts) to identify the correct scientist with his area of expertise. Optional: Have students write what the expert taught Lewis under each bubble on the organizer.

Day 2

Collect the homework assignment and go over any questions students may have about it. Then declare it is time to go on a Philadelphia shopping spree to purchase items for the expedition much like Lewis did! Remind students that Philadelphia was the leading center of trade in 1803 and was the best source in the nation for buying supplies. Instruct students to think back to the letter Jefferson wrote to Congress [Worksheet 2: Jefferson's Letter to Congress (Jan. 1803)]. Ask "How much money did Jefferson request for the expedition?". ($2,500.00 was exactly the amount Congress appropriated.) What cost $2500 in 1803 would cost about $30,589 today (2004).

Tell students that they have $30,589 dollars to purchase supplies for an expedition of their own with Jefferson's goals in mind. (Remind them of Jefferson's goals outlined on Day 1.) Explain that shopping for supplies was difficult because Lewis faced many unknowns. He did not yet know how long the trip would take or how many men would go with him. The survival of the men on the expedition depended on the proper selection and adequate amount of supplies. What would your students bring? First have them brainstorm and write down any item that comes to mind. After students brainstorm, have them read some of their items out loud. As they name items, write them on the board separating them into different categories. Have the students determine the larger categories of the items. For instance, there might be a list for medical supplies, clothing, survival gear, scientific equipment, etc.

After a substantial group list is drawn on the board, ask each student to take a moment and think about how much money they would designate to each category. Have them write down their estimate next to the category along with a sentence explaining their reasoning for allotting the amount they did. What items become a priority for the trip? Allow students to share some of their answers. Then distribute Student Handout 3: Equipment Purchased for the Expedition. Use the overhead projector to display the supplies list transparency and point out each group of supplies. Compare these to the categories generated by the students.

Students should work together in small groups for the following activity. Inform students that there will be a small contest to see how well they can predict Lewis's purchases. Students need a paper, pen and one student to act as the scribe.

Ask the following questions and give time for students to discuss and write answers.

1. If you were Lewis, on what would you spend the most money? (Food) Now try to find one item on the list that represents the highest sum total of money spent. ("portable soup")


2. Which group of supplies connects to the objective stated in Jefferson's letter to Congress? (Presents for the Native Americans)


3. Which two groups of supplies are a direct connection to Lewis's studies in Philadelphia? (Mathematical instruments and Medical supplies)


4. Which single item listed do you think was the most expensive? (Chronometer)

When reviewing the answers include the following information for students:

Visual aid: Use computer screen to show a picture of William Clark's compass, an instrument vital on the expedition.

• Lewis spent $289.50 on the soup - the highest sum for any area of provisions.


• Good Native American relations were considered so important to the mission that Lewis spent $669.50 on those items!


• Review the mathematical instruments purchased and make connections to the lessons Lewis received from the scientific experts. The chronometer was so important to the goals of the mission that Lewis spent $250.00 on the chronometer alone!


• Inform students that Lewis spent a total of $2,324.00 on supplies in Philadelphia. It took a team of five horses to pull the carriage of 3,500 pounds of supplies out of the city! Encourage visualization of the scene.

End the lesson by stating: "As you have learned, Philadelphia was the key city for the preparation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was in Philadelphia that Lewis received his scientific training, and where he was able to purchase the materials needed to ensure the success of the mission." To enforce the concepts of Philadelphia's contributions to the expedition and further creative writing skills, have students create an enthusiastic editorial from the perspective of a Philadelphian in 1803 that incorporates Philadelphia's contributions to the upcoming Lewis and Clark Expedition. Distribute Worksheet 3: Homework Assignment - Newspaper Editorial.