Portland Jewish Academy is a beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and is proud of our partnership with them in strengthening our local Jewish community as well as the global community.
 Portland Jewish Academy and Schnitzer Family Campus partner Mittleman Jewish Community Center are proud partners with the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland to bring the Harold Grinspoon Foundation's PJ Library program to Jewish children in Portland.
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A Lewis and Clark Experience
PJA's fourth graders are busy throughout the year and one of their larger experiential projects is about Lewis and Clark.
Overall, the project encompasses a great depth of learning in three major categories:
Knowledge
Skills
Attitude
What did the students learn while on this expedition?
Knowledge
- The purpose of the expedition,
- Geographical knowledge of North America from 1803 - 1806,
- Lewis and Clark's route to the Pacific Ocean,
- The obstacles that Lewis and Clark faced on their journey,
- The locations and names of many rivers, mountain ranges, valleys, and other important landmarks,
- The locations and names of present-day states through which the expedition passed,
- Sacagawea's contributions to the journey,
- The historical significance and contribution of Clark's journals to American history and biology,
- Biographical information about Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and several other members of the crew,
- Facts about Thomas Jefferson, his life, and political career,
- Crew discoveries of different plants, animals, geographical landmarks, rivers, and streams
Skills
- Identifying and defining new vocabulary words using expository text,
- Reading directions and writing questions based upon the information presented,
- Plotting the longitude and latitude of any given location,
- Writing creatively, describing real or imaginary incidences that are historically accurate,
- Listening and responding to daily dilemmas,
- Journal writing,
- Recording data in a log,
- Using the internet to acquire useful information,
- Presenting projects to the rest of the class,
- Time management
Attitude
- Understanding the importance of Lewis and Clark's journey,
- Appreciating the luck involved and the chances they took,
- Valuing teamwork,
- Appreciating how a positive attitude helps one attain goals,
- Respecting a leader and the choices he/she makes,
- Understanding the benefits of research and the exploration of the unknown,
- Valuing the importance of communication and record-keeping,
- Appreciating the impact of the human spirit
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