Exploring the Great Basin is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English/Language Arts, addressing Literacy.RI.3.5 and Literacy.L.3.6. Readers explore the Great Basin and learn about the plants and animals it is home to through full-page color photographs accompanied by narrative nonfiction text. A graphic organizer is included. This book should be paired with "Wildlife of the Great Basin" (9781477724767) from the Rosen Common Core Readers Program to provide the alternative point of view on the same topic.