The Lewis and Clark Expedition
1804 - 1806

A Pathfinder for Grades 4 - 6

2004 marks the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The resources below will help you locate information on this historic journey.

NONFICTION BOOKS

DeKeyser, Stacy. Sacagawea. New York: Franklin Watts, 2004.

A biography of the Shoshone woman who served on the Lewis and Clark Expedition as a guide and interpreter.

Edwards, Judith. The Great Expedition of Lewis and Clark : by Private Reubin Field, Member of the Corps of Discovery. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2003.

An account, told in the words of one participant, of the difficulties and wonders that were part of the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the land obtained as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

Herbert, Janis. Lewis and Clark for Kids: Their Journey of Discovery With 21 Activities. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2000.

An account of the Lewis and Clark expedition sent by President Jefferson to explore the land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Includes related activities.

Isaacs, Sally Senzell. The Lewis and Clark Expedition. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2004.

A volume in the AMERICAN ADVENTURE series.

Kimmel, Elizabeth Cody. As Far as the Eye Can Reach: Lewis and Clark’s Westward Quest. New York: Random House, 2003.

An account of the journey across the unexplored territory west of the Mississippi River undertaken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in the early 1800s by order of President Jefferson.

Molzahn, Arlene Bourgeois. Lewis and Clark: American Explorers. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2003.

Discusses Lewis and Clark's journey of discovery to the Pacific Ocean.

Schanzer, Rosalyn. How We Crossed the West: the Adventures of Lewis & Clark. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1997.

A colorful pictorial rendering of Lewis & Clark's route westward from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean from May 1804 to November 1805.

Staeger, Rob. The Journey of Lewis and Clark: How the Corps of Discovery Explored the Louisiana Purchase, Reached the Pacific Ocean, and Returned Safely.

Discusses the 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark expedition, or Corps of Discovery, which explored the vast region acquired by the United States in the Louisiana Purchase and sought the Northwest Passage to the Pacific.

Webster, Christine. The Lewis and Clark Expedition. New York: Children's Press, 2003.

Discusses the early nineteenth-century journey of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark through the Louisiana Purchase and beyond, for the purpose of exploring the land and establishing friendly relations with native peoples.

FICTION BOOKS

Ambrose, Stephen E. This Vast Land: A Young Man's Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003.

A fictional journal recounting the travels--from 1803 to 1806--of eighteen-year-old George Shannon, a member of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery, as they explored the West and sought a water route to the Pacific Ocean.

Bruchac, Joseph. Sacajawea: the Story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. San Diego, CA: Silver Whistle, 2000.

Sacajawea, a Shoshone Indian interpreter, peacemaker, and guide, alternates her experiences with Captain William Clark’s during their expedition to the Northwest.

Karwoski, Gail. Seaman: the Dog Who Explored the West with Lewis and Clark. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree, 1999.

Seaman, a Newfoundland dog, proves his value as a hunter, navigator, and protector while serving with the Corps of Discovery when it explores the West under the leadership of Lewis and Clark.

Lasky, Kathryn. The Journal of Augustus Pelletier: the Lewis and Clark Expedition. New York: Scholastic, 2000.

A volume in the Dear America series, this is a fictional journal kept by twelve-year-old Augustus Pelletier, the youngest member of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery.

Myers, Laurie. Lewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 2002.

Seaman, Meriwether Lewis's Newfoundland dog, describes Lewis and Clark's expedition, which he accompanied from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.

Roop, Peter and Connie. Girl of the Shining Mountains: Sacagawea’s Story. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 1999.

Sacagawea describes how, at the age of sixteen, she becomes part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and serves as their interpreter and guide, surviving many dangerous adventures on their trek through the wilderness.

Smith, Roland. The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1999.

Captain Meriwether Lewis's dog Seaman describes his experiences as he accompanies his master on the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore the uncharted western wilderness.

MEDIA

"Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West" (DVD). National Geographic Video, 2002.

Go back in time with Lewis, Clark, their guide Sacagawea, and the brave Corps of Discovery as they discover the adventure, danger, and beauty of the unmapped West. 40 minutes.

"Lewis and Clark: the Journey of the Corps of Discovery" (DVD). Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video, 2001.

In this four-hour documentary, PBS and filmmaker Ken Burns collaborate to tell the story of the most important expedition in American history.

"Sacagawea" (VHS). Wynnewood, PA: Schlessinger Media, 2003.

This 23-minute videocassette profiles Sacagawea, who served as a translator and a guide to Lewis and Clark. The tremendous courage and bravery which she demonstrated was second to none, and, without her help, one of the greatest adventures in American history might have ended in failure.

"The Song of Sacajawea" (VHS). Rowayton, CT: Rabbit Ears Productions, 1993.

Actress Laura Dern narrates this 30-minute story of the young American Indian woman who courageously guided the Lewis and Clark expedition across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean.

WEB SITES

Discovering Lewis and Clark

Features journal excerpts, natural history lessons, discussions of important issues in the history of the American West, and information about modern-day Native American tribes.

The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

The full online text of the celebrated Nebraska edition of the Lewis and Clark journals, with special multimedia features such as poet William Kloefkorn’s readings of selected journal entries.

Lewis & Clark

A virtual exhibit from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.