Lewis & Clark Site Map

CONNECTION TO LEWIS AND CLARK
Before he sailed down the Ohio River to meet William Clark in the summer of 1803, Captain Lewis bought a dog that he named Seaman. Because the camera had not been yet invented, there are no photographs of Seaman. Moreover, no drawings or paintings of him have been discovered. However, Lewis states in his journal that Seaman was a Newfoundland dog, a breed that is very old and still exists today. Through paintings of Newfoundlands from a long time ago and photographs of them today, a pretty good idea of Seaman's appearance emerges.

OVERVIEW OF THIS ACTIVITY
After hearing the story about Seaman (JOURNAL ENTRIES), students bring photographs of their own pets to class for a display. They discuss why there are no photographs of Seaman. (Cameras had not yet been invented.) Differences between drawings and photography are discussed. Students draw pictures of their own pets and construct a paper frame and display stand for them.

PURPOSE(S)
To draw comparisons between past and present; to emphasize that much of today's communication technology has not always existed; to encourage creativity in writing and drawing; to develop students' ability to follow directions.

MATERIALS NEEDED

• PET PICTURE patterns downloaded from website.
• Card stock or heavy construction paper for picture stand cut into 5 x 3 inch pieces (1 piece per student)
• Glue sticks

TOOLS

• Copier
• Scissors
• Pencils, crayons or markers
• Ruler

ADVANCE PREPARATION

1. A few days before doing this activity, ask students who have pets to bring a photograph of it to school. For those who do not own a pet, have them bring a photograph (not a drawing) from a magazine of a pet they would like to have.
2. Download SEAMAN PORTRAIT from the website. Display it on a bulletin board under a banner reading, SEAMAN: CAPTAIN LEWIS' PET DOG. Underneath, place another banner reading OUR PETS and display the photographs of the students' pets.
3. Download PET PICTURE patterns from the website. (1 copy per student)

IMPLEMENTATION
Class Discussion
We have been talking about Captain Lewis' pet dog, so I put a drawing of him on the bulletin board along with photographs of your pets. (Discuss the difference between a photograph and a drawing.) Why do you suppose Captain Lewis never took a picture of Seaman so we can see what he really looked like? (Let children speculate leading to the fact that cameras had not been invented. Ask children what people did long ago to remember an event, a person, a pet, etc. Conclude that they drew or painted pictures of whatever they wanted to remember--or had an artist do it for them. Show old paintings of people, pets, scenes, historical events, etc). For sources click on TEACHING AIDS "D" and scroll to "Books for Comparing Photography with Drawing and Painting."

Because they had no cameras, Lewis and Clark sometimes drew pictures in their journals of things they saw along the trail. (For sources, click on TEACHING AIDS "D" and scroll to "Books with Expedition Pictures and Photographs.")

Craft project
(Pass out required materials, tools, and Pet Picture craft pages. Ask students to listen carefully to directions before beginning.) Pretend you are living a long time ago before cameras were invented. Draw a picture of your pet. If you do not have a pet, draw a picture of Seaman or a pet you would like to have.

DIRECTIONS

1. Draw a picture of your pet on the white piece of paper, leaving 1/2 inch margins.
2. Cut out picture frame from Pet Picture craft page.
3. Glue pet picture inside the dotted lines. (Figure 1)
4. Fold over the long flaps on the sides of the picture frame and crease on the dotted lines. Put a dab of glue on the upper corners of the remaining two flaps (Figure 2)
5. Fold over glued flaps and crease on the dotted lines. Make sure the corners stick down to form the frame. Write the name of your pet under the picture. (Figure 3)
6. Cut out the pattern for the display stand. Fold the piece of card stock or construction paper in half, lengthwise. Lay the straight edge of the pattern on the fold line and trace around the other edges. Cut out the stand, open it up, and place picture on it. (Figure 4)

FOLLOW-UP SUGGESTIONS

• Have students show their pictures to the class and tell something about their pet or why they would like to have a pet like the one thay have drawn.
• Display the pet pictures with the pet photographs.
• When the photo display is dismantled, send students pet pictures home with the photos for the family to enjoy.