Lesson Plans: The Journals of Lewis and Clark

My first lesson plans are to read the Journals of Lewis and Clark.  My plan is to begin reading the journals as if it were January 1804, and read them in the same time frame they were written.  I found a wonderful site for reading the journals online http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/index.html.

I also have this for the Kindle, and this in book form

I wish I had the complete journals in book form.

 
I see lots of opportunities for teaching using the journal entries.  

• Understanding diary/journal entries
• Summarizing daily activities
• Factual recounts
• Spelling and grammar
• Expanding writing
• Creative writing

 
Today's journal entry

Monday 30th Jany 1804    a Cloudy morning, Some Snow    send out 10 hunters to day in three parties, at 9 oClock The Thermotr. Stood at 22d abov 0, a little wind from N.    at 10 oClock 24° abov 0, cleared up & Sun Shown    Stoped Snowing, but little Ice running this morng—    at 11 oClock 25° abov 0, at 12 oClock 25° abov 0, Took M alt. of Suns L. L. 67° 22' 52"— Er[ror] of Entrement [instrument] 6'—, at 1 oClock 25° abov 0, at 2 oClock 26° abov 0, Reed Killed a Deer & wild Cat,[1] Cloudy. 3 men Cross the river to day, at 3 oClock 28° abov 0, at 4 oClock 27° abov 0, at 8 oClock 16° abv 0, about Sun Set Capt: Lewis arrived accompanied by Mr. J. Hay[2] & Mr. Jo Hays[3] of Kohokia—    The hunter killed 5 Deer to day—

Journal Reference:
Lewis, M., Clark, W., and Members of the Corps of Discovery. (2002). September 4, 1806. In G. Moulton (Ed.), The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved Oct. 1, 2005, from the University of Nebraska Press / University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries-Electronic Text Center, The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition web site: http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/journals.php?id=1806-09-04