Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Skills learned early can open doors of opportunity. Join Chairman Michael Farris as he shares inspiration from the life of Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Farris:


Meriwether Lewis spent many of his early years just seven miles from Jefferson's Monticello, in between the two worlds of the frontier and the educated east. The two men spent many hours sharing their mutual fascination with the natural world and the western expanse.


Lewis's preparation for the trip west, overseen by Jefferson, was thorough. His medical knowledge, excellent skills in land surveying and mapping, and familiarity with botany, geography, and natural history, served both the country and the scientific community. His keen powers of observation and vivid writing helped communicate the new discoveries to an eager President back in Washington.


Some of the stories of discovery may seem a little shocking to some. In Nebraska the expedition discovered the prairie dog, which Lewis called the barking squirl. After an unsuccessful attempt to dig the prairie dog out of its den, they used water to flush it out, then they killed it in order to describe it thoroughly. PETA was not along for the journey west!


During the Lewis and Clark bicentennial, study their scientific discoveries, and get your kids excited about making their own scientific journals. Spend an afternoon taking note of plants and animals around your home, drawing and describing the details for President Jefferson back in Washington. Getting students to observe and communicate clearly establishes a good foundation for further scientific study. I'm Mike Farris.