Explore the Wild West!, by Anita Yasuda

The school year doth approach. For some of us, it's already here. For other of us, we still have another week or so to go and therefore time to procrastinate in getting our act together. You can guess at which camp I fall into it.

Several weeks back I received a copy of Explore the Wild West!: With 25 Great Projects which is part of the Explore Your World series offered by Nomad Press. Once upon a time we did a unit study on the wild west and I think the time has come to do it again. Mostly because I don't think either of the boys remember doing it! Furthermore, it's easy to talk about the west out here in Oregon. (Heh.)

I've been browsing through Explore the Wild West! and coming up with our lesson "plan" (I'm going to hold all plans loosely) for how we shall go about using it.

This book covers seven different main topics, offering some information as well as a craft idea for each one. They are?

• Where Was the Wild West?
• Gold Rush Miners
• Moving West
• Pioneer Life
• Frontier Towns and Lawmen
• Native People in the West
• Cowboys

Taking a look at the first chapter - Where Was the Wild West? - you'll find "Words to Know" (i.e., vocabulary words), craft ideas, basic maps, and notes of comparison between what things were like then as opposed to now. We learn about how America grew (Louisiana Purchase and Lewis & Clark, etc.), and paragraphs highlighting key individuals who were instrumental in blazing western trails. This particular book is designed for use with ages 6-9 (translation: grades 1-3) and is perfect for our use right now.

As it states in the introduction:

"Explore the Wild West! will answer many of your questions. It will introduce you to some amazing people along the way, like James Beckwourth, William Frederick Cody, and Sitting Bull. There will be lots of silly jokes, and fun facts, too. Don't be surprised if by the end of this book you start singing saddle songs, cooking trail food, and making your own covered wagon.

What are you waiting for partner? Put on your boots and lower your hat. Let's explore the Wild West!"

As with just about any book which provides or aids one's personal choice for a curriculum, there are things I like and things which I do not quite agree with in this book. (It's a bit more politically correct in spots.) However, given the fact that this book is designed for use with small children, my differences with it are so subtle that I have no hesitations in gleaning all the good which this book has to offer! I plan to have some fun with it this school year.

Better news? Nomad Press has offered up one copy of Explore the Wild West! to one of my readers here at Reading to Know! Would you like to win? Simply leave a comment below. This contest will be open through Tuesday, August 28th and is open to U.S. Residents only.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, as selected by Random.org, IS #1 - Allison! Congrats!

Thanks, Nomad Press for sending a copy of this book my way in exchange for my honest opinion and for also offering a copy to one of my readers.