Did You Know?
These were fossil bones of a dinosaur. It was a type of dinosaur called a plesiosaur, which swam in the ancient oceans. Although Lewis and Clark didn't know just what the fossil was, they packed up some of the bones to send back to President Jefferson. Patrick Gass also found another fossil earlier on the journey, the "petrified jaw bone of a fish".

Did You Know?
The winter of 1804-1805 was particularly cold. The temperature stayed below zero for days and once reached forty-five below. The men cleaned and labeled specimens and packed them to be sent back to St. Louis in the spring. They also made friends with the local Indian tribes and wrote about their customs and festivals.

Classroom Activity #7
The fort they built was called Fort Mandan, named after the Indians in the area. The expedition spent their first winter there. Learn about the Mandan and Hidatsa cultures by visiting Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site on the Internet. Take a virtual tour of the inside of an earthlodge, just like the ones Lewis, Clark, and Gass saw, at www.nps.gov/knri

For Teacher's Use
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