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Lewis and Clark (April 2, 2004, Two)

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Program Summary

In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed St. Louis with a mandate from President Jefferson to search for the fabled Northwest Passage, a water route that would lead directly from sea to sea. Lewis and Clark were far more than explorers during their difficult, two-year journey: They were cartographers, botanists, zoologists, and diplomats. While they never found the Northwest Passage (because it didn’t exist), the specimens and knowledge they brought back were just as significant—hundreds of samples of plants, animals, birds, and fish unknown to science at the time, as well as valuable studies of the Native Americans who inhabited the mysterious region.

A large part of the Lewis and Clark collection has disappeared over time, but what does remain still holds lessons to be learned even 200 years later. One scientist burned tiny samples of the botanical specimens in order to study the carbon dioxide levels of the era. Researchers are also interested in comparing DNA from the specimens to modern day examples to see if any are descendants of the original plants found by the expedition.

Guests

Richard McCourt, associate curator of botany at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia

James Reveal, honorary curator at the New York Botanical Garden in New York City; professor emeritus at the University of Maryland in College Park; research associate at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Montrose, Colorado

Carolyn Gilman, curator of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Exhibition at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis

Related Links and Resources

National Geographic: Lewis and Clark
PBS.org: Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
TIME Magazine: Lewis and Clark Bicentennial
University of Maryland: Lewis and Clark Herbarium

For Discussion:

• Why did President Jefferson want the expedition to collect plant specimens?

• What are some of the plants discovered by Lewis and Clark?

• How did Native Americans receive the expedition? How were the tribes critical to the explorers’ understanding of native plants?

• How did Lewis and Clark preserve the specimens? What are methods for preserving plants today?

• What happened to the collection after the expedition returned?

Activities

Exchanging pleasant-trees. Thematic lesson plans prepared by the Missouri Historical Society. In Lesson Plan 2 of the Plants unit, students learn how Lewis and Clark preserved specimens and how to dry and press plants themselves. Note that picking plants in most national, regional, and state parks is not allowed. A botanical specimen from the expedition, which can be viewed at the Lewis and Clark Herbarium [Link updated August 7, 2007]

Naturally. Don’t miss The Legacy Grows: Lewis and Clark's Expedition, a wonderful series from “The Oregonian” about the pair’s significant botanical discoveries and how these species are faring today. You’ll find student projects at the Curriculum Ideas and Education Resources page. A complete list of plant species and a slide show are also featured.

Westward ho. The Corps of Discovery, as Thomas Jefferson referred to the Lewis and Clarke team, didn’t have plains, trains, and automobiles to aid them; they just had feet, horses, and boats. Follow the expedition through an interactive journal, games, and activities at National Geographic’s Lewis and Clark. Students and parents can create their own expedition together at Lewis and Clark Expedition: Create Your Own Adventure, and teachers will find links to lesson plans for all grade levels. Another good interactive site is Lewis and Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (PBS). [Link updated August 7, 2007]

Use the search box below to perform a Google search within any of the specifc sites or general domains mentioned in this Activities section.

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