BACKGROUND AND DIRECTIONS
Thousands of acres of woodlands east of the Mississippi River have disappeared as a result of westward expansion. As more and more people trekked west, the seemingly endless forests began to thin out as land was cleared for farms and millions of trees were cut for homes and firewood.
Below are five research topics pertaining to environmental changes in the Eastern Woodlands. Divide the topics among group members for research. Transfer your information to the worksheet provided by your teacher. Then share the information with class members and other groups.
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Assignment: Disappearance of Old Growth Forests
Although the Eastern Woodlands have been cut, replanted, and cut again many times since the Lewis and Clark Expedition, patches of old growth forest still exist in a few places. What are the characteristics of an old growth forest? Draw a diagram that depicts the interconnections among living things in an old growth forest.
One such place is Beall Woods (pronounced Bell) near Mt. Carmel, Illinois. How was Beall Woods saved from logging? Contact Beall Woods (or another old growth forest in this zone) and request information about their goals and activities.

• Internet Sites: http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/beall.htm http://www.state.in.us/dnr/naturepr/forests.htm
• Internet/Library Catalog Keyword: Old growth forest + Midwest

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Name_____________________

Assignment: Restoration of Elk in the Great Smoky National Park
Although elk were once common in the Eastern Woodlands, today only a few remain in isolated places. What caused the elk to disappear? Programs to reintroduce elk into the Eastern Woodlands are now underway in several eastern states. One of these programs is managed by the National Park Service at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina. Another herd is maintained by the Pennsylvania Game Commission in the Allegheny Mountains of that state. Contact one or both of these organizations and ask for information about their elk reintroduction programs. What kind of an environment is essential for elk survival? On your worksheet draw a diagram of the seasonal cycle of elk

• Internet Sites: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/gsmsite/elkpage.html
  http://www.iup.edu/~ferenc/pa_elk.htmlx
• Internet/Library Catalog Keywords: Elk + name of eastern State, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Name ___________________

Assignment: Loss of Wetlands
Some wetlands in the Midwest are on the list of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States. What is the scientific definition of a wetland? Why is the loss of wetlands considered to be a major environmental problem? Draw a graph comparing the percentages of wetland loss in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and eastern Nebraska since the first European settlement of the United States began. Contact an organization in this zone whose purpose is to protect wetlands and ask for information about their activities and goals.

• Internet Sites: http://dnr.state.il.us/wetlands/ http://www.isbe.state.il.us/planit/Default.htm
• Internet/Library Catalog Keywords: Midwestern wetlands

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Assignment: An American Indian Tribe on the Trail
Frontier warfare, loss of homeland, disease, and starvation wiped out some western Indian tribes altogether. In spite of overwhelming odds, however, most tribes endured. Select one tribe from this zone (listed below) and create a time line on your worksheet showing the major events in the tribe's history from the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the present. Today, many tribes are revitalizing their old lifeways. Contact the tribe you have chosen and request information about its programs or other activities to preserve traditional language, social customs, arts, crafts, etc. Inquire whether this tribe plans to commemorate the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial. If so, in what way(s)? If so, in what way(s)? Tribal groups in this zone are Shawnee, Delaware, Kickapoo, Sac and Fox, Osage. (Circle name of tribe chosen.)

• Internet sources: http://www.nps.gov/jeff/LewisClark2/TheJourney/NativePeoples.htm
  http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/native/index.html
• Internet/Library Catalog Keyword: Name of tribe + Indian

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Name_____________________

Assignment: Cities and States on the Trail
Today scores of cities and towns exist along the trail blazed by the Corps of Discovery. Select a town or city in your zone that was built on or near the trail. When was it established and why was it built at that place? In what state is it? Are there any Lewis and Clark sites in or near the city? Contact the city's Chamber of Commerce or historical society and request information about the city's past. Draw a map on your worksheet of the state where this city is located. Include other features on the map such as the state's capital, other prominent cities, geographical features, historical sites, etc.

• Internet source: For a list of cities and states on the Lewis and Clark Trail, click on http://www.lewisandclarktrail.com/index.html and scroll down the page.
• Name of town/city chosen _________________________
• Internet /Library Catalog Keyword:: Name of city + Lewis and Clark