Changing a Waterway - Chicago

Changing a Waterway

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Draw

Circle the city of Chicago on the map.

In the 1800s, Chicago grew quickly. Many people and businesses produced a lot of waste. This waste polluted the Chicago River and flowed to Lake Michigan.

The lake supplied the city's drinking water. It also supplied fish. Many people started to get sick from the lake water. 

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Multiple Choice

In the 1800s, Chicago grew slowly.

• True.

• False.

Multiple Choice

What did people and businesses produce?

• A lot of great cars.

• A lot of food.

• A lot of waste.

• A lot of fun.

Multiple Select

What did this waste pollute?

• The streets.

• The shops.

• the Chicago River

• Lake Michigan

Multiple Choice

Which water is polluted?

Fill in the Blanks

What was the effect of the pollution? Find the answer in the text.

People in Chicago wanted to stop pollution from reaching the lake. They decided to reverse or change the direction of, the Chicago River's flow. To do this, pumps pushed water from the river to a canal. The job was too big for those pumps, though. So workers built a new canal called the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The Chicago River flowed through this second canal to the Des Plaines River.   

 

 

The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal helped solve one problem but caused others. Fewer people in Chicago got sick, but wastewater flowed to other communities. Reversing the river also meant that water flowed from the Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. As a result the habitat, or home, of plants and animals changed. It also caused new sources of flooding.     

 

 

Match

Match the following words and pictures.

a pump

a river

a canal

• a pump

• a river

• a canal

Fill in the Blanks

How many canals did the worker build?

Multiple Choice

Did the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal helped solve the problem?

• Yes, it was perfect.

• No. it didn't work.

• Yes, but it caused other problems.

Multiple Choice

What was the good thing about the canals?

• Fewer people in Chicago got sick.

• Wastewater flowed to other communities.

• Plants and animals changed.

• It caused new sources of flooding.   

Poll

Do you think it was a good idea to build the canals?

• Yes.

• No.

• I cannot decide.