Grade 5
Grade 5
Unit 4: Investigate!
Return to Book List
Catching Up with Lewis and Clark
 
Find Out More  
Lewis and Clark  
Find Out More
From the Student Web Page
Go West Across America With Lewis and Clark
Connect to this link:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/index.html


  1. Click Onward to enter the site.
  2. Type your first name and click Onward.
  3. On each page answer the question and click Onward.
  4. On each page, click Did You Know? to read interesting facts and Journal to read William Clark's own account. Follow your progress on the map as you travel.
About the Site

This National Geographic for Kids Web site is both educational and fun. Students join the expedition team of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark as privates. On their journey, students are faced with several decisions. To proceed west, students must make the correct decision or face the consequences. They cannot proceed until they make the right decision. When students complete the journey, have them click See Where You've Been and read about the Journey Home. The site provides biographical information about team members, maps, fun facts, and excerpts from the journals of William Clark.

What to Do

  1. After they have clicked Onward on the opening page, you may want to have students click the faces of Lewis and Clark to read their biographies and those of other expedition members.

  2. After their journey, discuss with students some of the hardships the expedition team faced.

  3. Have students write a travel journal entry about part of their trip West.
From the Student Web Page
Lewis and Clark
Connect to this link:
http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/


  1. Click and read Inside the Corps.
  2. Next click and read To Equip an Expedition.
  3. Click the Back arrow and Circa 1803.
About the Site

This PBS site corresponds with the documentary Lewis and Clark. The site includes maps, photos, primary sources, a time line, biographies, and more. Inside the Corps discusses the purpose of the expedition, supplies needed, and puts the journey into historical context. Native Americans discusses their role in the expedition's journey and provides background and historical information about groups the team met along the journey. Find a time line and expedition journals in the Archive. Living History offers historians accounts of the expedition. Into the Unknown is an interactive story where visitors become expedition leaders. To read about the filming and creation of the documentary, click Forum with Ken Burns, the film's director. For lesson plans and teaching tips, click Classroom Resources.

What to Do

  1. Help students navigate the site, if necessary.

  2. Review the equipment list and discuss why each item was brought on the expedition.

  3. Have students make an expedition list as if they were going on Lewis and Clark's journey today.

  4. If time permits, have students click and play Into the Unknown.
Leveled Books  
Scientific Investigations  
Leveled Books
From the Student Web Page
Mysteries of Çatalhöyük
Connect to this link:
http://www.smm.org/catal


  1. Read the questions on the opening page.
  2. Click and read Is This the First City?
  3. Click More About Cities.
  4. Click small and watch the slideshow.
  5. Click home and explore What Were They Eating 10,000 Years Ago?
About the Site

This site, from the Science Museum of Minnesota, explores the ancient mysteries of Çatalhöyük, an archaeological site in Turkey. Students can explore several mysteries archaeologists are trying to unravel by clicking the questions on the home page. To read about specific artifacts found at the site, click Artifacts and Findings. People and Processes focuses on archaeologists and their techniques. Mysteries and Activities includes several games, experiments, and activities. Click Frequent Questions for the answers to commonly asked questions about the ancient site.

What to Do

  1. Have students locate Turkey on a map.

  2. Discuss with students some of the ways archeologists are trying to unravel the mysteries of ?atalh÷y?k.

  3. If time permits, have students explore the other questions the site poses.
From the Student Web Page
Sue: The Tyrannosaurus Rex
Connect to this link:
http://www.fmnh.org/sue/default.htm


  1. Click Who Is Sue? Click Continue at the bottom of each screen to learn even more about her.
  2. When you have finished reading facts about Sue, click on Image Gallery to see how scientists have restored the fossils, and how Sue came to be at this museum.
  3. Answer some questions about Sue:
    -When was she found?
    -How big is she?
    -How did scientists reconstruct Sue’s skull?
About the Site

The Field Museum, located in Chicago, specializes in collections of biological and anthropological artifacts. As an institution, it is also dedicated to public education and research, and the site used in this lesson contains a good deal of information about the recent Sue exhibit.

Lesson Objectives

  • Students will use the internet to learn about Sue, the largest and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex in any museum.

  • Students will see the step-by-step process of setting up the exhibit, from the fossil dig to the finished model.

  • Students will review what they know about dinosaurs in general.

Suggested Additional Activities

  • Assign small groups of students a few species of dinosaur each, and have them prepare flashcards with information about the species. This should include the dinosaur’s name, size, eating habits, and era of existence.

  • Have a dinosaur election: have the students narrow a list of dinosaurs down to two species and take a vote to determine the class favorite. Students may campaign on behalf of their dinosaur, make posters, or even have a debate.

  • Have students click on Just for Kids to play a game.