THE AMERICAN WEST TODAY
THEME
About two centuries ago (May 14, 1804 at 4 P. M. to be exact) Captain
William Clark and forty three men left Camp Wood (across the Mississippi
River from St. Louis) and proceeded to St. Charles, Missouri by
keelboat and canoe. Captain Lewis, who had stayed in St. Louis to
complete some business, arrived in St. Charles by horseback a few
days later. On May 23, the Corps of Discovery departed from St.
Charles and the most famous expedition in American history had begun.
The West that was observed by the intrepid Corps of Discovery has
changed considerably in two hundred years. Whether these changes
are beneficial or harmful is a matter of debate today. Changes that
some people perceive as positive may be viewed by others as ill-advised
or even destructive. The Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
promises to provide a platform for thoughtful discussion of these
matters.
OVERVIEW
Students first examine the concept of change in general terms--all
living things move through life cycles, the physical environment
changes through natural processes, etc. From generalities such as
these, students examine and evaluate specific changes brought about
during the past two centuries as either a direct or an indirect
result of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
GOALS
- To demonstrate that change is natural and inevitable--living
things have life cycles, natural forces alter the landscape.
- To emphasize that all living things, particularly humans, are
able to affect the environment as well as be affected by it.
- To examine different perspectives toward human-engineered changes
to the environment.
- To examine social perspectives toward change. For instance,
how do American Indians perceive the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
OBJECTIVES
When the lesson is completed, students will be able to
- State two basic reasons why humans are able to make greater
changes to the environment than other living things.
- Give two examples of rapid change to the environment and two
examples of gradual change.Give an example showing that the effects
of change may be viewed as beneficial by some and harmful by others.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
Preview the contents and teachings aids for this unit by clicking
on the following capitalized titles: The INTRODUCTION
provides an overview of the unit's contents and organization. The
Lesson Plan for this unit, THE AMERICAN WEST TODAY, calls upon students
to think about the processes that bring about change in both in
the physical and social environments. In a follow-up research project,
(THE LEWIS AND CLARK TRAIL-TWO
HUNDRED YEARS LATER) students examine both positive and negative
changes that have occurred along the trail over the past two centuries.
Be sure to look over the supplemental materials also. To refresh
your recollections of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, CLICK
HERE for a summary of the entire expedition. For suggestions
about choosing Lewis and Clark resources, click on LEWIS
AND CLARK RESOURCE MATERIALS. For additional information, see
TEACHING AIDS "J." The GLOSSARY
AND PRONUNCIATION GUIDE provides assistance with names and terms
associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Finally, the EDUCATIONAL
STANDARDS AND MULTIPLE-INTELLIGENCES CHARTS H, I, J, K contain
specific educational standards and multiple-intelligences goals
fulfilled by this unit.
IMPLEMENTATION
Class Discussion
(As a lead-in to a discussion about change, show two pictures
of the same person but at different ages---perhaps those of yourself
or a family member.) I want to show you a couple of pictures
today. Take a good look at them. Are these photographs of two different
people, or the same person taken at different ages? (After everyone
has had a good look ask for a show of hands--one person or two?
Ask students why they voted the way they did, then reveal that the
photos are of the same person.)
Biological Changes
Changes occur in all living things. Kittens become cats, puppies
become dogs, acorns become oak trees, tadpoles become frogs, and
children become adults. As living things mature, they often change
so much they are hardly recognizable as their earlier selves. For
instance, would your friends recognize you from one of your baby,
toddler, or kindergarten pictures?
Let's do an experiment to find out. This is voluntary, but if you
would like to participate, bring in a photograph of yourself when
you were several years younger. Put it in an envelope so no one
will see it, then hand it to me. I will put all the photos in a
special display area with a number beside them. You will have time
to look them over carefully. When you are ready to make your choices,
I will give you a tally sheet. Fill it in and drop it into the Guess
Who? Box. Once you have dropped your tally sheet in the box, you
can't change your mind. (Leave the display up for a predetermined
amount of time and then have a class "party" to reveal
the names of the students in the photos. (Give simple prizes for
winners in the categories listed below. For multiple winners, draw
straws or guess numbers.)
The student who has the most correct answers overall.
The student whose picture had the least number of correct
guesses--looked least like his or her picture.
The student whose picture had the greatest number of guesses--looked
most like his or her picture).
Changes to the Physical Environment
It is not only people and other living things that change. Natural
forces such as wind, water, fire, and ice are constantly altering
the Earth itself. These changes may occur rapidly or slowly. Name
some ways in which the physical world changes rapidly. (Earthquakes,
hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves, floods, forest fires, volcanoes,
etc. Click on the following web address for pictures of the devastation
caused by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980. Students will
also enjoy a live videocam picture of Mt. St. Helens today.)
http://www.olywa.net/radu/valerie/StHelens.html.
Name ways in which physical changes occur slowly. (Erosion, dripping
water, freeze and thaw, etc. To illustrate the power of dripping
water, click on the Carlsbad Caverns website below. From there,
click on "Photo Galleries." http://www.nps.gov/cave/home.htm.)
In addition to the effects of natural forces, living things also
change the land. Can you think of an example of how plants do that?
(Roots from trees crack rocks. After natural disasters--volcanic
eruption, hurricanes, forest fires, etc.--various kinds of vegetation
soon appear and begin restoring the environment. Go back to the
Mt. St. Helens website for pictures of how the devastated area is
gradually recovering.)
How about animals? (Many animals burrow, build dens and nests,
beavers build dams, lodges, and canals. Click on the following website
about beavers and scroll to "Lodge, Dam, and Canal" to
learn about the amazing building skills of beavers. http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/3882/beavers.html)
What about humans? How do people change the environment? (Discuss
the edge that humans have for changing the environment--the development
of tools from simple stone axes to complex machines that now probe
the secrets of the universe. Equally as important, humans are able
to speak, write, and read, making it possible to pass down what
they learn to the next generation.)
Changes along the Lewis and Clark Trail
Now that we have examined some ideas and facts about change in general,
let us focus on specific changes that have occurred along the trail
(and all over the West) since the Lewis and Clark Expedition. If
the Corps of Discovery were to come back and make the journey again:
What would they see that wasn't there before? (River dams,
settlements from small towns to super-sized cities, lots of
people, highways, cars, diesel-powered boats, etc. For photographs
of all the dams that have been built on the Columbia and Snake
Rivers, click on the following website. http://www.cqs.washington.edu/crisp/hydro/photos.html)
What might they expect to see that isn't there anymore? (Dense
forests, Indian villages, thousands of buffalo, Tall grass prairies,
etc. Click on the following website to read about the Tall Grass
Prairie National Preserve of the National Park System. http://www.nps.gov/tapr/home.htm)
What parts of the trail do you think would be relatively unchanged?
(Remote parts of the Missouri River such as the Missouri
Breaks and Gates of the Mountains in Montana, Rocky Mountain
range, etc. For a map and scenes of the Missouri Breaks click
on http://www.hedgesoutdoors.com/breaks.html.)
What do you think would be the most welcome changes to Lewis
and Clark? What do you think would be the most troubling changes?
Perspectives on Change
Although change is inevitable in the lives of human beings, attitudes
toward change often vary. This is certainly true as the nation prepares
to commemorate the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
(As an example, pose this question to the class for discussion.
If you were a member of an American Indian tribe today, how would
you feel about celebrating the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition? If you are a member of an American Indian tribe today,
how would you go about expressing your feelings to a non-Indian
friend?)
CONCLUSION
Some wise person once said the only thing constant in this world
is change. Regardless of whether we like the changes or not, the
world has always been and will always be in continuous flux. If
it were possible for the Corps of Discovery to return today, they
would probably be as overwhelmed as any of us would be if we were
to come back two hundred years from now. But would Lewis and Clark
be completely surprised? After all, the major purpose behind the
expedition was to open up the West for expansion. In the follow-up
activity, we will see just how successful they were.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY
Follow up this lesson plan (THE AMERICAN WEST TODAY) with one or
more of the related activities listed both in the INTRODUCTION
and in this lesson plan under ADVANCE
PREPARATION, number 1.
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