Barter and Beyond

This engaging worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they build reading comprehension, historical understanding, economic reasoning, cause-and-effect thinking, and analysis of cultural exchange. Through a short informational passage and a matching activity, students explore how the Lewis and Clark Expedition relied on barter, communication, and respectful interactions with Native tribes to survive and succeed.

Academic Focus

• Economics of Exploration (Grades 4-6) – Understand how barter systems functioned in early American exploration without the use of money.
• Cultural Exchange & History – Analyze interactions between the Corps of Discovery and Native tribes through trade and diplomacy.
• Reading for Detail – Match trade items to their uses or meanings by closely reading and interpreting informational text.
• Cause and Effect Reasoning – Explain how appropriate trade choices supported survival, cooperation, and peaceful relations.

Learning Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Interactive Matching Format – Reinforces comprehension through hands-on, low-pressure practice.
• Cross-Curricular Integration – Combines economics, history, and reading skills in one focused activity.
• Flexible Use – Ideal for independent work, small groups, centers, or social studies extensions.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen reading comprehension, historical reasoning, economic understanding, and critical thinking while learning about trade and diplomacy on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. By examining barter systems and cultural meaning, students gain insight into how communication and respect shaped early exploration. It’s a simple, no-prep resource well suited for both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Lewis and Clark Expedition collection.