How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis & Clark

Name: How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis & Clark
Brand: National Geographic

by National Geographic

Social_studiesGrades K–5

How We Crossed the West: Primary Source Picture Book for Early Elementary

This is a 41-page illustrated picture book from National Geographic that uses excerpts from the actual journals of Lewis and Clark to tell the story of their expedition. The book adapts primary source material for young children (ages 5-10) with simplified language and detailed illustrations.

Best for

Elementary teachers or homeschooling families seeking high-quality primary source material to introduce young children (K-2) to the Lewis and Clark expedition as part of a broader early American history curriculum

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 3 concerns · 1 neutral · 1 insufficient evidence

Primary SourcesStrength

This is a standout strength, as the entire text draws directly from the actual writings of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with clear attribution.

The author 'draws on the actual writings of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for all of the text' and 'identifies whether Lewis or Clark is the writer for each section with small initials'

Chronological KnowledgeStrength

The book follows the chronological journey of the Lewis and Clark expedition, providing a clear sequence of events during their westward exploration.

The review describes how the book tells the story of the expedition's journey, including seasonal and geographical challenges faced in sequence, and concludes with a summary of the return journey

Teacher TrainingConcern

No teacher training or professional development materials are mentioned, as this appears to be a standalone children's book rather than a comprehensive curriculum.

The review focuses on the book's content and illustrations but makes no reference to teacher guides or instructional support materials

Direct InstructionConcern

As a picture book rather than a curriculum, it does not provide structured instructional guidance or teacher materials for direct instruction.

This is described as a single illustrated book with text and pictures, not as an instructional program with teaching guidance

Retrieval PracticeConcern

Being a single book focused on one historical topic, it does not incorporate systematic retrieval practice or spaced review components.

The review describes a 41-page book telling one historical story without mention of review activities or practice exercises

Geographic KnowledgeNeutral

The book includes geographic content through descriptions of the challenges and terrain encountered during the western expedition.

The review mentions that the selected material 'tells about the geographical and seasonal challenges faced by the explorers' during their cross-country journey

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

The language has been simplified and updated from the original journals to make it accessible to young children, but explicit vocabulary instruction is not evident.

The author has 'excerpted small portions of their writing, simplifying and updating the language so that it is easy for even young children to understand'

Sources: cathyduffyreviews.com