Lesson Three: Grasslands, Animals, and Plants
Focus questions:
- What animals did the expedition find in South Dakota? (prairie dogs, pronghorns, jack rabbits, mule deer, coyotes)
- What plants did the expedition find in the state? (prairie turnip, buffaloberry, silver sagebrush)
- How did the American Indians use these plants?
Imbedded Information in the Student Lesson:
Prairie Dogs; Pronghorns; White-tailed Jack Rabbit; Mule Deer; Coyote; Prairie Turnip; Buffaloberry; Silver Sagebrush
Worksheet:
Classroom or After-School Activity:
Break the class into teams of two supplied with pencils and paper and take a walk outside (or have each student take a walk after school). Have the students carefully observe the animals and plants they see. Have the teams describe specific plants and animals without naming them. Lewis and Clark often compared new discoveries to species they were already familiar with. Encourage your students to do the same. Have each team or several students read a description and ask the other students to identify the animal or plant. Or, compare descriptions to see if any others observed the same things. Discuss how difficult it must have been for the corps to describe accurately animals, plants, and landscapes never seen before.
