Lewis & Clark Expedition

Inside the case file

Head into the unknown to crack the case. This printable Lewis & Clark Expedition Reading Mystery turns a nonfiction passage about the famous journey west into a reading-detective investigation for Grades 3–6 classroom teachers, homeschoolers, and tutors. It drops straight into a westward expansion or US history unit and turns comprehension practice into a case they want to crack.

Students read for clues, use text evidence to eliminate suspects, and close the case one answer at a time. No apps, no fuss, no prep.

Quick Details

Grade Levels: Grades 3–6
Format: Printable PDF
Resource Type: Reading Mystery worksheets
Reading Skills: Nonfiction comprehension, text evidence, main idea, sequencing, and inference
Tech Needed: None — no apps, locks, passwords, or student logins required

The Case

Something has gone missing along the expedition trail, and a line-up of suspects is waiting. The only way to crack the case is to read closely about the Lewis and Clark Expedition — the journey west, the help of Sacagawea, and what the explorers discovered — using every comprehension answer as a clue to rule a suspect out, until just one remains.

How the Reading Mystery Works

Students step into the role of Reading Detectives, reading about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and knocking a suspect off the list with every text-based answer until the case is solved.

What's Included

• A "You are a detective" case-file page that sets the scene and the mission
• An engaging nonfiction passage on the Lewis and Clark Expedition (the journey west, Sacagawea, and key discoveries)
• Multiple-choice comprehension questions (all answers found in the text)
• Open-ended comprehension questions
• A suspect line-up page for eliminating suspects one clue at a time
• Vocabulary support and extension activities for early finishers
• A full answer key
• Color and black-and-white versions
• Print-and-go PDF format

Skills Covered

• Reading and understanding nonfiction informational text
• Finding and using text evidence
• Identifying main idea and supporting details
• Sequencing key events and drawing inferences
• Vocabulary in context
• Logic, reasoning, and critical thinking

Best Used For

• Westward expansion and US history units
• Nonfiction reading comprehension practice
• Reading centers, early finishers, sub plans, and small groups
• Social studies and history lessons
• Homeschool reading and history