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The Westward Journey Nickel Series^™ lesson plans are free.  These lesson plans and other education materials are provided solely for teaching purposes.  They may not be commercially distributed or distributed at a premium.

Click on the plus sign button next to the lesson plan of your choice to view or hide its description.  RTF versions are text only.  They are not offered where the PDF (Acrobat^®) versions have been made accessible per Section 508.

Grade 5

2004 Peace Medal Reverse

Be the Historian
[pdf]   [rtf]

Description:  Using the Internet, students will research information relating to gifts given by Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery and will create a presentation to share with the class.  Students will ultimately learn the significance of the Jefferson Peace Medal image and the reason for its appearance on the new Peace Medal nickel.

2004 Keelboat Nickel

K Is for Keelboat
[pdf]   [rtf]

Description:  Students will explore the significance of the Keelboat and the Lewis and Clark's journey as a result of the Louisiana Purchase.  They will organize information about the Expedition into an alphabet chart.  Students will identify key themes relating to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and will create a letter page representing one of these themes.  Students will then write a composition containing information about all of the key themes.

2005 American Bison Nickel

Where Indians and Bison Meet
[pdf]   [rtf]

Description:  Students will research some of the American Indian tribes that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark met along their expedition route and will explain the importance of the bison to these tribes. Students will present information on their American Indian tribes.

2005 Nickel Reverses

People and Places
[pdf]

Description:  Students will understand the influence of geography on human experience, specifically the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Additionally, they will describe a place using its physical and human characteristics.  By applying the basic tools of historical research, including chronology and how to collect, interpret, and use information from primary and secondary sources, students will create a map.

2006 Return to Monticello Nickel

Where Are We?
[pdf]

Description:  Students will be able to place key events in chronological order.  Students will gain a working knowledge of geographical concepts: absolute location, relative location, longitude, and latitude.  Students will be able to plot a map with the coordinates of the places visited by Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery.