Coronado's Quest

The second program in the Sunflower Showcase Kansas Educational Video Series (see review of Symbols of Kansas on VL Online), Coronado's Quest covers the history of Kansas from the time of Coronado's exploration up to the mid-19th century, stopping short of the civil war that broke out within the state among pro and anti-slavery partisans just prior to the actual American Civil War, giving the state the grim name "Bloody Kansas." While many people and events are familiar to students of American history (Coronado, Marquette, the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails), the focus is strictly limited to Kansas and therefore will not have wide appeal elsewhere. However, because of the good production values, this should be a first purchase for local collections. The teacher's guide features several maps, games, worksheets and a list of on-line resources. While the guide is somewhat high-priced, many teachers (and students) will enjoy the suggested activities, especially the math challenge of calculating a typical family's costs outfitting a trip on the Oregon Trail. Recommended for local history collections. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (R. Reagan)