When Lewis and Clark set out on their expedition they used a keelboat and pirogues. Later they rode in canoes. Kids can craft the water vessels out of a variety of mediums such as Styrofoam, cardboard, wood and clay. Instruct the kids to make their boats as realistic as possible by paying attention to the details. For example, sailors used poles to push the keelboat through the water. A keelboat model should have poles on its deck.
Lewis studied plants while exploring the Louisiana Purchase. Kids can mimic his life's work by collecting leaves and flowers and pressing them in a journal. This can be done over a long period of time or as a weekend project. Pressing leaves and flowers is simple. Dry and flatten the plant specimens. Place them between two sheets of wax paper. Seal the wax paper by ironing it for about 10 seconds. Tape the specimens inside a journal making sure to write information pertaining to the plant on the opposite page of the pressed leaf or flower.
The Shoshone Indians are only one of many tribes that Lewis and Clark met on their expedition. The Shoshone wore beaded choker necklaces with latch tie closures. They were often decorated with "wampum, copper, or glass beads" according to the Native American Jewelry website. Look up traditional Shoshone necklaces and try to make your own. Dollar and department stores both sell twine and beads which will allow you to experiment without expending much money.
Make a folding panorama of key events from Lewis and Clark's journey. A panorama is a picture of a scene. It can be drawn, painted or photographed. Decide how many panels and how large you want your panorama to be. Draw or glue photos to the panels that match your theme. You could have pictures of the different Indian tribes Lewis and Clark met or of the new animals they discovered along the way. Punch three evenly spaced holes on both sides of each panel. Loop a piece of yarn through the adjacent holes and tie a knot in the yarn to secure it closed.