Lewis and Clark Expedition: Create Your Own Adventure Crack the Code The Red Album Activity Index

<< "The party are in excellent spirits. Attached to the enterprise and anxious to proceed." Photograph courtesy of National Geographic Television and Film; Lisa Truitt © NGT&F

Relive the spirit of Lewis and Clark by planning your own expedition or "extreme adventure."

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis to lead an important expedition. His mission, Jefferson said, was to explore and map uncharted western areas of North America as far as the Pacific Ocean, and to make "great discoveries" for the United States. Lewis was to follow the Missouri River as far as possible and try to find an all-water route to the Pacific. Lewis, and his co-captain, William Clark, spent many months planning for the expedition, but because they had no idea what to expect on the journey, it was hard to decide what to take.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 200 years ago embodied a spirit of adventure, curiosity, and exploration that is as exciting today as it was in the early 1800s. To capture that spirit, imagine your own journey through an unknown place. Choose a place that you have never visited, but would love to explore.

Younger Xpeditioners: Print the world map from the Xpeditions Atlas. On the map, mark the location of your home and of your destination. Make a list of what you know about that area, and what you would like to know.

What would you need to bring on your trip? To answer this question, you will need to answer other questions first. What will you need to know about your destination before you decide what to bring? Make a list of questions you will have to answer and then answer as many as possible by using an atlas, encyclopedia, or other sources of information.

Now make a list of things you would need to do to prepare for your trip. How would you get there? Whom would you go with? What else could you do to help you prepare for the "unknown"?

Make a travel brochure about the place you would visit. Draw pictures and write about things you might see on your trip. You could describe the people you might meet, the climate you expect or the animals, landscapes, and plants you might find. You could also make a map of the place and include features that you might see.

Try to find an actual travel brochure of the area and compare your brochure to the real one. What is different? What is the same? Why do you think there are differences?

Older Xpeditioners: The journey that Lewis and Clark made in the early 1800s would be similar to an "extreme adventure" by today's standards. It was challenging, dangerous, and most importantly, it had never been done before. This same spirit of adventure is alive and well today in people who take on "extreme" challenges for a variety of reasons.

What kind of "extreme adventure" would you like to do? For an idea of the kinds of things adventurous people do these days, check out the National Geographic Adventure magazine Web site. After exploring this site, try to think of an "extreme adventure" that is challenging, dangerous, and something that no one has ever done before in a place where no one has ever done it.

Find a map of your destination from the Xpeditions atlas and print out the map that shows the area where you want to go. Make a list of what you know about that area, and what you would need to know to prepare for your adventure. How will you get there? What will you take? Whom will you go with? What arrangements will you make to ensure your safety? Write a proposal to explain your proposed adventure, pretending you were going to submit it to National Geographic Adventure magazine.

Parents: You can find a wealth of information and resources about the Lewis and Clark Expedition on National Geographic's Lewis and Clark Web site. In particular, your kids may enjoy Go West Across America with Lewis and Clark.

Once your kids have finished planning their imaginary adventures, you might encourage them to plan an upcoming family vacation, or even a day trip. Have them learn as much as they can about the place(s) you will go so they know how best to prepare and pack. Using a road map or atlas, have your kids figure out the number of miles or kilometers to your destination. Then, double the number of miles or kilometers to figure out how far it is from your house to the locale, then back to your house.

By foot, horseback, and boat, Lewis and Clark traveled over 8,000 miles (12,874 kilometers) on their journey! How many times would you have to travel back and forth to your destination before you would travel as many miles (kilometers) as Lewis and Clark did on their journey? How long do you think this many trips would take you in a car, on foot, or by boat?

What problems might you encounter during all these trips? The Lewis and Clark Expedition had to overcome many obstacles. They braved steep, snow-covered mountains and suffered hunger, illness, and mosquitoes. Are you in danger of facing any of these obstacles on your journey? Why or why not?