Although John Wesley Powell's minister father always wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, young Wes had different plans for his future. Enraptured by the wonders of the natural world, he was determined to take the path of science. Even after losing his right arm below the elbow in battle during the Civil War, Wes would not be deterred from his dream of leading the first scientific expedition down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon....

"John Wesley Powell worked as a geologist and an adventurer. Find out how Powell became the first person to chart the course of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Question prompts included to assist reader comprehension."--

Recounts the adventures of seventeen-year-old Fred Dellenbaugh, the youngest member of the second Powell expedition, which explored the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon in 1871-2.

Discusses the life and work of John Wesley Powell, an American geologist and anthropologist who explored the Colorado and Green Rivers.