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After the Civil War
(1865-1870)

Exploring the Grand Canyon

Exploring the Grand Canyon
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 5 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.72

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    adventurer, fast-moving, paddlers, unexplored, battlefield, teaching, life-threatening, unknown, portage, waterproof, gain, natural, scientist, record, photographer, region
     content words:    John Wesley Powell, Grand Canyon, Civil War, Illinois Wesleyan University, United States

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Exploring the Grand Canyon
By Sharon Fabian 		  
1     John Wesley Powell was a scientist, not just an adventurer. That's why he went back for a second perilous voyage through the Grand Canyon.
 
2     Powell had always enjoyed taking a scientific look at the world around him. When he was a child he often went on exploring trips, collecting samples of interesting bits of nature that he found along the way.
 
3     Later he became a college professor, and his classes always involved field trips, since Powell believed in learning about nature first hand. He must have been a favorite among the students!
 
4     When Powell was 27 years old, he stopped teaching and studying. The Civil War was beginning, and Powell volunteered to join in the fight. During the war, he lost his right arm during the Battle of Shiloh. As soon as he was able, Powell returned to the battlefield. After the war, his loss did not slow him down either. He became a geology professor and the museum curator at Illinois Wesleyan University.
 
5     The more he learned about the geology of the United States, the more Powell became interested in the Grand Canyon -- the last great unexplored region of the United States. Other people had tried without success to row through the Grand Canyon. With its long stretches of white water, sudden drops, and steep canyon walls, the Grand Canyon had so far outwitted the best paddlers.

Paragraphs 6 to 13:
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