The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory (Kaleidoscope Kids Book) [Paperback]

Carol A. Johmann (Author), Michael P. Kline (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Kaleidoscope Kids

This book focuses on the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and also provides some crafts, activities, and open-ended questions for discussion. The text describes the main players in the adventure as well as several of the other members of the company and then follows their journey from St Louis to the Pacific and back. Excerpts from the explorers' journals bring their voices into the story. Printed in two colours, with many cartoons as well as maps, drawings, photographs, and reproductions of period illustrations, the broad pages have an accessible look. Activities include making a model of a keelboat from balsa wood, measuring a zigzag course by dead reckoning, and building a miniature Mandan earth lodge from sticks, clay, and grass. Ages 4 to 6 years.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-The Lewis and Clark expedition receives an informal, somewhat interactive and child-friendly treatment here. Short sections, often with humorous headings, cover the background, people, main events, and aftermath of the famous expedition. Interspersed among the informational sections are crafts and activities, most of which require adult supervision, and "Think About It" and "Try It" sections, all of which serve to increase reader involvement. There are many silly cartoons and occasional jokes as well as some archival art and artifacts, maps, and more serious line drawings. Breaking the information into short segments helps give the book a casual and easily approachable feel, but it also tends to lend all events and sections equal importance since the text cannot build and does not expand on more important and climactic happenings. Furthermore, children trying to follow the events of the trip may find the many activities and questions distracting. The questions vary in value. While "Judged by Your Peers" raises interesting topics for discussion, "Ask the Indians" requires readers to speculate on Dr. Rush's motives for wanting to know about Native traditions, something they would not have any basis for judging. Most suitable for school libraries and homeschooling families, this book won't supplant such standards as Rhoda Blumberg's The Incredible Journey of Lewis and Clark (Morrow, 1995) or Peter and Connie Roop's Off the Map (Walker, 1993), but it will be welcomed by teachers and others looking for materials and activities to help commemorate the expedition's upcoming bicentennial.
Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Some volumes in the Kaleidoscope Kids series present thematically based crafts and activities studded with historical facts. This book focuses on the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and also provides some crafts, activities, and open-ended questions for discussion. The text describes the main players in the adventure as well as several of the other members of the company and then follows their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific and back. Excerpts from the explorers' journals bring their voices into the story. Printed in two colors, with many cartoons as well as maps, drawings, photographs, and reproductions of period illustrations, the broad pages have an accessible look. Activities include making a model of a keelboat from balsa wood, measuring a zigzag course by dead reckoning, and building a miniature Mandan earth lodge from sticks, clay, and grass. Lists of recommended books, videos, and Web sites round out the presentation. Teachers will appreciate the many ideas for discussion and hands-on activities, while students will find the book a very approachable introduction to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Williamson Pub (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885593732
• ISBN-13: 978-1885593733
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #367,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #93 in Books > Children's Books > History > Exploration & Discovery

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Join The Lewis & Clark Expedition, March 4, 2004

By 

Rebecca Sprague (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory (Kaleidoscope Kids Book) (Paperback)

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, by Carol Johmann, is a fantastic book filled with first-hand information about two of our U.S. history's famous explorers. Johmann includes excerpts from Lewis & Clark's own journals, as well as from some of their fellow soldiers. This lends a great deal of authenticity to Johmann's book, as well as gives the reader a feel of being right alongside these men as they progress on their journey west.
As a home-schooling mom, I especially find Johmann's kid-friendly style of writing refreshing as well as informative. The inclusion of various age-appropriate crafts throughout the book is a great way to stimulate further interest in the reader, and gives the child an even greater understanding of what these two men and their crew dealt with during their journey.
I highly recommend this book. For the home-schooler, this is an excellent social studies curriculum combining intellect with creativity. For public schools, it's a fantastic way to draw the students in and give them a more thorough understanding of the trials and accomplishments Lewis & Clark underwent. For parents who want to give their child(ren) (or themselves) a more informative and well-rounded experience of Lewis & Clark's exploration for westward expansion as well as to determine if a single water route existed across the continent to better accommodate for trade, this is the book for you!
Ms. Johmann, two thumbs up!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children - Go West With Lewis & Clark!,, March 19, 2004

By 

Audrey Christman (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory (Kaleidoscope Kids Book) (Paperback)

What a lot is packed into this brief (112 pages) activity book for children! It's a vivid account of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, rich in adventure, yet also presenting the journey from many political and cultural angles. Activities and lively descriptions bring out not just the physical conditions of the trip, but leadership dilemmas, and moral issues faced along the way.

The book is filled with apt and frequently witty illustrations. Also, numerous intriguing asides about the trip mesh nicely with the main narrative.

Facts are presented; questions are posed. Children are asked to think - and after the mental activity - they'll come away from the book feeling they were there

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Thrill of Adventure, February 21, 2004

By 

Nancy Johmann (Stratford, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Join the Corps of Discovery to Explore Uncharted Territory (Kaleidoscope Kids Book) (Paperback)

Build a keelboat, learn how to use a compass, carve a canoe - all of these adventures await you in The Lewis & Clark Expedition! Terrific book which makes the Expedition come alive. The activities and illustrations are excellent and have proven to be winners with children of all ages.