Final Questions

Now that you have reviewed two sources of evidence (Clark’s Memoir and Bowman’s Journal) and compared many of the details mentioned in the accounts, it is up to you to decide how closely the two sources corroborate (verify or support) each other. Here are some questions to help you gather your thinking. Be sure to use the notes you took to help explain your answers.

1. What can you know about Clark’s journey to Fort Sackville after reading these two accounts? Give three examples.

2. How are the documents similar and different in style (word choice, language)?

3. Do these two documents agree? Where do the document agree with each other? Where do they disagree? Give three examples of agreement/disagreement.

4. Given what you have learned, use the scale below to rank the level of corroboration between these two sources. Finally, explain why you picked the ranking you did. 

5. What conclusions can you draw based on the level of corroboration you chose? Do these two documents seem reliable? Why or why not? Is one more reliable than the other?