John Wesley Powell Lesson Plans
There are so many wonderful ways you can study John Wesley Powell’s life! Our top recommendation is learn all about him and about the Grand Canyon! Here are a few ideas to help get you started.
For the free downloads to go with our John Wesley Powell letter go here!
Don't have the letter yet? You can grab the snail mail letter here or the instant digital download version here.
For All Ages
Video
Watch The Legacy of John Wesley Powell: Adventurer, Leader, Scientist, Explorer
Podcast
National Park Podcast
The Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell and the Grand Canyon
Visit
Books
- The Grand Canyon Expedition (Canyons of the Colorado) by John Wesley Powell
-Amazon link
-Project Gutenberg Ebook link
-
Grand Canyon by Jason Chin—a Caldecott Honor Book
-
Where Is the Grand Canyon? By Jim O’Connor
-
Scout Moore: Junior Ranger, Grand Canyon by Theresa Howell
- Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer by Deborah Kogan Ray
One Week with John Wesley Powell
Day 1: Hello Powell!
- Read the Heritage Letter from John Wesley Powell
- Watch The Legacy of John Wesley Powell: Adventurer, Leader, Scientist, Explorer
Day 2: Powell’s Greatest Adventure
- Read a book about John Wesley Powell and or the Grand Canyon such as:
- Down the Colorado: John Wesley Powell, the One-Armed Explorer by Deborah Kogan Ray, or
- Grand Canyon by Jason Chin
- If you have additional or longer books about the Grand Canyon, continue reading them throughout the week.
Day 3: Trace His Path
- Locate the Green River in Wisconsin on a map then follow its course as it joins up with the Colorado River then follow the Colorado through the Grand Canyon until it meets up with the Virgin River (or Rio Virgin as it was called in Powell’s day).
- Have you ever visited the Grand Canyon? Talk about those memories and reminisce with your pictures today!
Day 4: Celebrate!
The day Powell’s team came out of the Grand Canyon was a big day! Create a poster, newspaper headline, or article celebrating Powell’s accomplishment.
Day 5: Field Trip
Powell fell in love with nature study as a young child. You may not live close enough to travel to the Grand Canyon, but you can go out in nature wherever you live. Explore, study, observe, and enjoy the nature around you today!
Bonus Videos:
Watch John Wesley Powell: From the Depths of the Grand Canyon: Nat Geo Live
This half-hour video shows a historical reenactor giving a speech as John Wesley Powell, telling about his life and adventures in the Grand Canyon.
View the Grand Canyon in 4K with this relaxing video
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