Go west to see how people in the towns lived, selling goods to the settlers, miners, and prospectors. Some became hugely successful, such as Levi Strauss, who began selling overalls and tents to prospectors in the California gold rush. Others scraped out a living by selling essential goods in the local general store, or by running stables, saloons, hotels, or newspapers. Some merchants made their money by shipping goods west or east across the continent. In some places, groups of settlers from different countries formed townships, such as the Chinese in San Francisco and the Mormons in Salt Lake City.
Go west seeking your fortune with those who came because of the land's rich natural resources. "News stories" reveal the hard lives of miners in the Rockies and the desperation of prospectors searching for riches in the gold rushes in California, Alaska, and on the Klondike River in the Yukon. Find out which was the wealthiest occupation - trapping for furs, logging in the forests of the northwest, or mining borax in Death Valley.
Heed the government's urging and "Go West" with the many people who accepted the challenge. Motivated by the ideal of Manifest Destiny - the right of the United States to expand across the continent - the U.S. government created laws that encouraged settlers to move west by offering free land. "News stories" describe significant events, including the independence of Texas and the Mexican–American War. Travel with settlers on the great migration routes, such as the Oregon Trail, and find out how the farmers who made up the bulk of the settlers lived in their new communities.
As settlers came west, they discovered there were already people living on this "new" land. Discover how this mass invasion of settlers impacted the indigenous peoples of the West: their first contacts with explorers such as Lewis and Clark; the gradual encroachment of white settlers on their traditional lands; the enforced removal of native peoples to the West; the clashes with native peoples after the Civil War; resistance by native leaders such as Sitting Bull; and the end of Native American resistance in the 1890s.
When the cattle trade moved west, herds took over vast expanses of land. Go west with the cowboys that rode the range and herded cattle along the trails from the southwest to the railheads. Discover how many of the cowboys were African Americans or Latin American vaqueros. Find out what life was like for the ranchers who owned the herds and how ranching practices sometimes led to armed conflict with neighboring farmers, such as in the Johnson County War.
Wild animals are facing huge challenges in the natural world today. Many are endangered - some critically. This eye-opening book shows how animals are being threatened by habitat loss, climate change, non-native species taking over their habitats, pollution, over-fishing, poaching, collisions with cars and boats, and human diseases. Many recovery efforts are in progress to bring back the populations of some nearly extinct animals and to reintroduce some captive ones to their natural habitats. Readers will learn how scientists are working to save blue iguanas in the Cayman Islands, black-footed ferrets in the Canadian prairies, penguins and albatross in Patagonia, and great apes in Africa. This engaging book also encourages students to compare their life challenges to those of animals in the wild.
Foxes, rabbits, mongooses, rats, starlings, turtles, Burmese pythons, and Asian carp are just a few of the invasive animals introduced by people into countries and ecosystems to which they do not belong. This important book describes how these animals are destroying habitats and endangering the lives of native animals, some of which have been brought close to extinction. Students will learn how some arrived accidentally on boats, while others were brought in by people, to be used either as a form of pest control on farms, for hunting or hobbies, or as pets that sometimes get abandoned in the wild by owners. Many native animals, such as raccoons, squirrels, and coyotes have also become invaders in cities, back yards, and homes. Students can research invasive species in their areas and help find ways to stop these wild invaders from taking over the natural habitat.
This exciting book follows the travels of British explorer Sir John Franklin on his doomed expedition to the Arctic. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include the search for a Northwest Passage through the Arctic, life stuck in the ice, contact with the native Inuit, Franklin's disappearance, and the long quest to discover the expedition's fate.
This fascinating book follows the travels of Italian navigator John Cabot along the northeast coast of North America. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include what led Cabot to sail west, life on board ship, the cod industry on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, the fate of Cabot's unsuccessful second voyage, and Cabot's legacy.
This adventurous book follows the travels of British navigator Captain James Cook and his voyages in the Pacific. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style that guides readers through major journeys, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include why the British sent Cook to the Pacific, technological innovations in navigation, claiming Australia for the British, contact with the Maori, and Cook's violent death in Hawaii.
This informative book follows the travels of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in Peru. Historical information and high-interest fact boxes are presented in an entertaining tabloid style that guides readers through major voyages, explorations, and discoveries. Topics include what led Pizarro to head into the Andes, first encounters with the Inca, the Inca capital at Cusco, Pizarro's desire for gold, and the overthrow of the Inca Empire.
Earth's surface is constantly being changed by heat, water, ice, salt, plants, and animals. Sometimes the changes are destructive to human activities such as farming and the building of structures. This interesting title shows the different ways people try to stop or reduce this change in the land. Examples feature such structures as dikes to hold back water and windbreaks, and adding shrubs, grass, and trees to an area of land to prevent erosion. Teacher’s guide available.
Animals are endangered in many kinds of habitats and for different reasons. This intriguing book looks at why some animals have become endangered due to changes in their habitat. Examples include animals in the Arctic that rely on ice for hunting face the challenge of melting ice due to climate change, the populations of animals born only on particular islands and nowhere else are shrinking, and many kinds of ocean animals are being poisoned by water pollution. Ideas are included to encourage readers to help protect these endangered animals and their habitats.
Everybody has the right to keep somethings private! This carefully crafted book helps children understand what things should be kept private and what shouldn’t to help keep them safe.
Rules are a fact of life. Knowing why they are useful can help children make the right choices. With a focus on safety, this title discusses freedom and the consequences of breaking rules, norms, and laws.
This intriguing title will help children learn the importance of earning, saving, raising, and spending money. They will gain an understanding of how money can make a difference in peoples’ lives.
Tia’s mom is always telling her not to waste water. But why is this so important? Follow her story and find out why water is precious and what small steps we can all take to help save it.
Molly’s bedroom is a mess and her toys are everywhere. She trips over one of them and hurts her knee, so she decides to sort through her toys to see which ones are worth keeping. Follow her story and find out why Molly's mom won’t let her just throw her toys away, and how we should reuse, repair, and share our things.
Tom and his mom usually drive to school, but they always get stuck in traffic. Follow his story and find out what happens when Tom walks to school, and why walking is so much better for our planet—and ourselves!
Nasir and Nadir are making a robot for their school’s junk model competition. They must use garbage that can be recycled. So just what can they use, and what will happen to the garbage they throw away? Follow their story to find out why we should use less plastic, what happens at landfill sites, and how we can reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Amara’s dad says they shouldn’t waste food. But why is this such a big problem? Follow their story and find out what happens to food waste, what can be composted, and how to reduce the amount of food we throw away.
There are all kinds of families. Families can be big or small and they can change over time. Some families live together and others live apart. In every family there are people who love each other. Who's in your family?
People hold all kinds of beliefs. We may be Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, or Sikhs, or belong to other religions. Some people have non-religious beliefs. We can show what we believe by how we dress, what we eat, how we behave, and how we treat other people. What are your beliefs?
Gratitude is an attitude that helps change negative feelings to positive ones. It helps us appreciate everything in life, even the simple things. Through many fun activities, such as practicing mindfulness, starting a gratitude journal, volunteering in a school or community, young readers will experience the power of gratitude. They will also learn to express their gratitude to friends, parents, teachers, and community workers verbally and in writing.
This fascinating book introduces children to the “butterfly effect,” a theory that states that a small change in the present, such as the simple flapping of a butterfly’s wings, can cause big changes to happen in the future. Children will learn how even their small acts of gentleness, kindness, and compassion to family, friends, classmates, and community can have huge positive impacts where they live, around the world, and most importantly on themselves.
