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1.
Upon nearing the end of the class's study of Lewis and Clark and
the Expedition of the Corps of Discovery, ask students to review their
unit notes, recall class discussions, and look at their journals and
maps. Have students
formulate theories about the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Some thought questions you might pose are:
What was the purpose of the expedition?
Was it successful? What
was the greatest accomplishment of Lewis and Clark?
How did the expedition change America?
2.
Discuss with students that a position paper is an essay in
which the writer takes and supports one side of an issue.
Have students choose (or assign) a position related to the
Lewis and Clark expedition, and write a position paper.
Remind students that their positions cannot be based solely on
opinion. They will need
to include facts they have discovered in their research, and they can
include quotes, excerpts from journals, portions of maps, etc. to
enhance their writing.
Some possible topics
are:
-
Discovery of
natural resources
-
Impact on Native
American tribes
-
Relationships
between the Corps (and later settlers) and Native Americans
-
Acquisition and
settling of the Louisiana Territory
-
Map
creation/discovery of unknown regions
3.
Have students work independently on their papers.
When complete, share them as a class and use their positions as
a starting point to discuss the impact of the Lewis and Clark
expedition on our modern nation. |
