Adventure Essentials

This creative reasoning worksheet supports students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 as they practice historical thinking, problem solving, prioritization, and explanatory writing. By selecting six essential items for the Lewis and Clark Expedition from a mixed list of practical and humorous options, students analyze real exploration challenges such as navigation, trade, survival, and planning while clearly explaining their choices using logical and historical reasoning.

Learning Goals

• Exploration & Survival Skills (Grades 4-6) – Identify items that would realistically support navigation, safety, trade, and daily survival on an expedition.
• Resource Prioritization – Distinguish between needs and wants when planning for limited space and supplies.
• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving – Justify decisions by connecting chosen items to specific expedition challenges.
• Explanatory Writing – Write clear explanations that support choices with reasons and evidence.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary social studies and ELA standards.
• Engaging Choice-Based Format – Combines thoughtful decision-making with light creativity to boost engagement.
• Encourages Discussion – Ideal for comparing answers, defending choices, and collaborative reasoning.
• Flexible Use – Works well for independent writing, small groups, enrichment activities, or social studies extensions.

This printable worksheet helps students strengthen critical thinking, historical reasoning, and explanatory writing by placing them in the role of expedition planners. By weighing usefulness, survival needs, and logistics, learners gain a deeper understanding of what it took to prepare for westward exploration. It’s a fun, no-prep resource that fits easily into both classroom instruction and homeschool learning while reinforcing meaningful decision-making skills.

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