3/5-Advanced-Chicago River&The Miracle Worker

“For instance, since the Mississippi River is

an important source of commerce for the

people of St. Louis, when they heard

about the plan and were worried because

they knew the pollution would come their

way.”

In this sentence, the word “commerce”

most likely means -

• business

• entertainment

• transportation

• nutrition

"They quickly discovered the task was too

daunting with shovels and decided to use

dynamite.”

Using context clues, what is a synonym for

the word “daunting” in the sentence above?

• easy

• boring

• overwhelming

• meaningless

”Upon completion, the people of Chicago marveled what they had accomplished.”

Which word can replaced “marveled” to give it a positive connotation?

• hated

• regretted

• awed

• questioned

The Miracle Worker

1 In Science and Geography class, we learn about the earth. From higher ground, water flows downhill toward lower ground. The river usually ends by flowing into the mouth of a larger river or into a lake or ocean.

2 I live in Chicago, and get to see our river flow into an enormous lake. Every summer you could find my grandfather and me fishing on the river. My father could not go with us because he was busy working for the city in the Sanitary and Ship Canal department. I was

unaware of what his job entailed. All I knew is that he worked hard, leaving early each morning, and coming home at night, clothes stained with dirt.

3 My grandfather continued to take me to the river. I would sit all day on the banks, catching fish and listening to stories of my grandfather’s first arrival to Chicago. I learned that he built our home with his bare hands. He always commented about the river saying, “In the old days, this was a clean stream. Now look at it. It’s filthy.”

4 Then in September of 1899, we were fishing and saw boxes floating by. Sometimes we even saw dead fish floating by. We stopped bringing home our catch because my mother would throw them out.

5 “We can’t eat this. These fish will make our family sick,” I remember him saying angrily.

6 That day was the end of our fun. Sometimes we would go to fish and throw them back. The fun of catching fish faded, and we mostly just stayed home, irritated and upset.

7 I remember one year, my father seemed busier than normal. He was so preoccupied with work that he even went to work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. My mother worried about him because winter’s harsh breath could cause him to get sick.

8 Two days later, my grandfather and I were reading the newspaper. The front page’s headline said, “It is a miracle!” As we read the article, we learned how the workers on the Sanitary and Ship Canal had conquered the impossible. They had somehow reversed the

Chicago River by digging a great hole that caused the river to rush away from the lake. The pollution that had been hurting our fish now went west to the Mississippi River.

9 My grandfather and I were elated. My grandfather said, “Now we can go fishing this summer.” We both laughed. So did my mother. As for my father, he smiled a lot…all day long.

**Question: Based on the information from the story “The Miracle Worker,” which passage best helps the reader conclude that the father was the “Miracle Worker?"

• “My father could not go with us because he was busy working for the city in the Sanitary and Ship Canal department.”

• “All I knew is that he worked hard, leaving early each morning, and coming home at night, clothes stained and dirty.”

• He was so preoccupied with work that he even went to work on Christmas day and New Year’s Day.

• “As we read the article we learned how the workers on the Sanitary and Ship Canal had conquered the impossible.”

Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes

1 Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest cities in the United States. This city did not begin as a wealth-spring of people and industry; instead, it started as a small town. Because of its location near Lake Michigan (one of the Great Lakes), the town soon began to burst into an industrialized city. In 1890, there were 1 million people living here, and by 1900, over 1,600,000 people considered Chicago home.

2 Unfortunately, increased population and industry led to problems. The river that flowed through Chicago became polluted because Factories dumped trash into it, and sewage drained into it. Since the river flowed into Lake Michigan, people were getting sick because that is where people got their drinking water.

3 Understanding the growing problem of its polluted water system, Chicago’s government did something very bold in 1900; they changed the direction of the Chicago River. Before 1900, the river’s waters flowed into Lake Michigan; now the great leaders of Chicago wanted to turn the river back so it would flow the other way. This would cause the pollution feeding into the lake to be turned the other way.

4 Their plan was to excavate a canal1 to turn the water the opposite direction, and then build a wall across the river where it met the lake. This would send the pollution towards the Mississippi River, and eventually, out to the ocean.

5 Chicago realized that changing the direction would cause other dilemmas. For instance, since the Mississippi River is an important source of commerce for the people of St., when they heard about the plan and were worried because they knew the pollution would come their way. The mayor of St. Louis was angry and fought the plan.

6 Even with backlash about the project, the mayor decided to go ahead and on January 2, 1900, began digging the canal. Armed with shovels, Chicago leaders began to dig where the river would join the new canal. They quickly discovered the task was too daunting with

shovels and decided to use dynamite. Dismayed, they soon realized that dynamite would not work. Desperate, they used a big machine called a dredge. The machine successfully pulled out the remaining pieces of earth. The water rushed in, and the city of Chicago had successfully reversed the river.

**Question: Based on the text, “Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes,” which argument would the St. Louis most likely agree with?

• We should not worry about the pollution because it will eventually get better.

• If it helps out the people of Chicago, switching the river is not that big of a deal.

• We need to care about ourselves and not the needs of the people in Chicago.

• If the pollution heads our way, then it could affect our businesses and community.

Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes

1 Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest cities in the United States. This city did not begin as a wealth-spring of people and industry; instead, it started as a small town. Because of its location near Lake Michigan (one of the Great Lakes), the town soon began to burst into an industrialized city. In 1890, there were 1 million people living here, and by 1900, over 1,600,000 people considered Chicago home.

2 Unfortunately, increased population and industry led to problems. The river that flowed through Chicago became polluted because Factories dumped trash into it, and sewage drained into it. Since the river flowed into Lake Michigan, people were getting sick because that is where people got their drinking water.

3 Understanding the growing problem of its polluted water system, Chicago’s government did something very bold in 1900; they changed the direction of the Chicago River. Before 1900, the river’s waters flowed into Lake Michigan; now the great leaders of Chicago wanted to turn the river back so it would flow the other way. This would cause the pollution feeding into the lake to be turned the other way.

4 Their plan was to excavate a canal1 to turn the water the opposite direction, and then build a wall across the river where it met the lake. This would send the pollution towards the Mississippi River, and eventually, out to the ocean.

5 Chicago realized that changing the direction would cause other dilemmas. For instance, since the Mississippi River is an important source of commerce for the people of St., when they heard about the plan and were worried because they knew the pollution would come their way. The mayor of St. Louis was angry and fought the plan.

6 Even with backlash about the project, the mayor decided to go ahead and on January 2, 1900, began digging the canal. Armed with shovels, Chicago leaders began to dig where the river would join the new canal. They quickly discovered the task was too daunting with

shovels and decided to use dynamite. Dismayed, they soon realized that dynamite would not work. Desperate, they used a big machine called a dredge. The machine successfully pulled out the remaining pieces of earth. The water rushed in, and the city of Chicago had successfully reversed the river.

7 Upon completion, the people of Chicago marveled what they had accomplished. The people of St. Louis complained and Chicago would work to find ways to filter its waste to not affect the cities downstream. Today, Chicago filters its waste, leaving little to no pollution in its water.

**Question: What significant meaning does the title “Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes” mostly likely mean to the text?

• The fish in the Chicago river were dying from pollution, but now the fish were healthy.

• By changing the Chicago river’s direction, the city got rid of the pollution in the water.

• Changing the Chicago river helped the people of Chicago, but harmed the people of St. Louis.

• The pollution in the river deceased, but Chicago had to spend money to filter the pollution.

Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes

1 Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest cities in the United States. This city did not begin as a wealth-spring of people and industry; instead, it started as a small town. Because of its location near Lake Michigan (one of the Great Lakes), the town soon began to burst into an industrialized city. In 1890, there were 1 million people living here, and by 1900, over 1,600,000 people considered Chicago home.

2 Unfortunately, increased population and industry led to problems. The river that flowed through Chicago became polluted because Factories dumped trash into it, and sewage drained into it. Since the river flowed into Lake Michigan, people were getting sick because that is where people got their drinking water.

3 Understanding the growing problem of its polluted water system, Chicago’s government did something very bold in 1900; they changed the direction of the Chicago River. Before 1900, the river’s waters flowed into Lake Michigan; now the great leaders of Chicago wanted to turn the river back so it would flow the other way. This would cause the pollution feeding into the lake to be turned the other way.

4 Their plan was to excavate a canal1 to turn the water the opposite direction, and then build a wall across the river where it met the lake. This would send the pollution towards the Mississippi River, and eventually, out to the ocean.

5 Chicago realized that changing the direction would cause other dilemmas. For instance, since the Mississippi River is an important source of commerce for the people of St., when they heard about the plan and were worried because they knew the pollution would come their way. The mayor of St. Louis was angry and fought the plan.

6 Even with backlash about the project, the mayor decided to go ahead and on January 2, 1900, began digging the canal. Armed with shovels, Chicago leaders began to dig where the river would join the new canal. They quickly discovered the task was too daunting with

shovels and decided to use dynamite. Dismayed, they soon realized that dynamite would not work. Desperate, they used a big machine called a dredge. The machine successfully pulled out the remaining pieces of earth. The water rushed in, and the city of Chicago had successfully reversed the river.

7 Upon completion, the people of Chicago marveled what they had accomplished. The people of St. Louis complained and Chicago would work to find ways to filter its waste to not affect the cities downstream. Today, Chicago filters its waste, leaving little to no pollution in its water.

**Question:

“They had somehow reversed the Chicago River by digging a great hole that caused the river to rush away from the lake.”

Using the sentence above, pick the sentence from “Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes” that most likely describes what is happening.

• “Their plan was to excavate a canal to turn the water the opposite direction…

• “The machine successfully pulled out the remaining pieces of earth.”

• “Upon completion, the people of Chicago marveled what they had accomplished.”

• “Chicago’s government did something very bold in 1900; they changed the direction...”

The Miracle Worker

1 In Science and Geography class, we learn about the earth. From higher ground, water flows downhill toward lower ground. The river usually ends by flowing into the mouth of a larger river or into a lake or ocean.

2 I live in Chicago, and get to see our river flow into an enormous lake. Every summer you could find my grandfather and me fishing on the river. My father could not go with us because he was busy working for the city in the Sanitary and Ship Canal department. I was

unaware of what his job entailed. All I knew is that he worked hard, leaving early each morning, and coming home at night, clothes stained with dirt.

3 My grandfather continued to take me to the river. I would sit all day on the banks, catching fish and listening to stories of my grandfather’s first arrival to Chicago. I learned that he built our home with his bare hands. He always commented about the river saying, “In the old days, this was a clean stream. Now look at it. It’s filthy.”

4 Then in September of 1899, we were fishing and saw boxes floating by. Sometimes we even saw dead fish floating by. We stopped bringing home our catch because my mother would throw them out.

5 “We can’t eat this. These fish will make our family sick,” I remember him saying angrily.

6 That day was the end of our fun. Sometimes we would go to fish and throw them back. The fun of catching fish faded, and we mostly just stayed home, irritated and upset.

7 I remember one year, my father seemed busier than normal. He was so preoccupied with work that he even went to work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. My mother worried about him because winter’s harsh breath could cause him to get sick.

8 Two days later, my grandfather and I were reading the newspaper. The front page’s headline said, “It is a miracle!” As we read the article, we learned how the workers on the Sanitary and Ship Canal had conquered the impossible. They had somehow reversed the

Chicago River by digging a great hole that caused the river to rush away from the lake. The pollution that had been hurting our fish now went west to the Mississippi River.

9 My grandfather and I were elated. My grandfather said, “Now we can go fishing this summer.” We both laughed. So did my mother. As for my father, he smiled a lot…all day long.

• It helps the reader to understand the importance of science and geography to the story.

• It helps show the age of the character by providing information about the boy being in school.

• It helps establish the fact that water can be found in higher and lower ground.

• It helps create an understanding of an important concept discussed in the story.

Reread the sentences below from the story “The Miracle Worker.”

“I was unaware of what his job entailed. All I knew is that he worked hard, leaving early each morning, and coming home at night, clothes stained with dirt.”

**Question: How do these sentences foreshadow what happens in the story?

• The boy and his grandfather become closer.

• The boy hates fishing because his father cannot be there.

• The boy feels Christmas is ruined since his father will have to work.

• The boy discovers his father’s work assignment.

Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes

1 Chicago, Illinois is one of the largest cities in the United States. This city did not begin as a wealth-spring of people and industry; instead, it started as a small town. Because of its location near Lake Michigan (one of the Great Lakes), the town soon began to burst into an industrialized city. In 1890, there were 1 million people living here, and by 1900, over 1,600,000 people considered Chicago home.

2 Unfortunately, increased population and industry led to problems. The river that flowed through Chicago became polluted because Factories dumped trash into it, and sewage drained into it. Since the river flowed into Lake Michigan, people were getting sick because that is where people got their drinking water.

3 Understanding the growing problem of its polluted water system, Chicago’s government did something very bold in 1900; they changed the direction of the Chicago River. Before 1900, the river’s waters flowed into Lake Michigan; now the great leaders of Chicago wanted to turn the river back so it would flow the other way. This would cause the pollution feeding into the lake to be turned the other way.

4 Their plan was to excavate a canal1 to turn the water the opposite direction, and then build a wall across the river where it met the lake. This would send the pollution towards the Mississippi River, and eventually, out to the ocean.

5 Chicago realized that changing the direction would cause other dilemmas. For instance, since the Mississippi River is an important source of commerce for the people of St., when they heard about the plan and were worried because they knew the pollution would come their way. The mayor of St. Louis was angry and fought the plan.

6 Even with backlash about the project, the mayor decided to go ahead and on January 2, 1900, began digging the canal. Armed with shovels, Chicago leaders began to dig where the river would join the new canal. They quickly discovered the task was too daunting with

shovels and decided to use dynamite. Dismayed, they soon realized that dynamite would not work. Desperate, they used a big machine called a dredge. The machine successfully pulled out the remaining pieces of earth. The water rushed in, and the city of Chicago had successfully reversed the river.

7 Upon completion, the people of Chicago marveled what they had accomplished. The people of St. Louis complained and Chicago would work to find ways to filter its waste to not affect the cities downstream. Today, Chicago filters its waste, leaving little to no pollution in its water.

The Miracle Worker

1 In Science and Geography class, we learn about the earth. From higher ground, water flows downhill toward lower ground. The river usually ends by flowing into the mouth of a larger river or into a lake or ocean.

2 I live in Chicago, and get to see our river flow into an enormous lake. Every summer you could find my grandfather and me fishing on the river. My father could not go with us because he was busy working for the city in the Sanitary and Ship Canal department. I was

unaware of what his job entailed. All I knew is that he worked hard, leaving early each morning, and coming home at night, clothes stained with dirt.

3 My grandfather continued to take me to the river. I would sit all day on the banks, catching fish and listening to stories of my grandfather’s first arrival to Chicago. I learned that he built our home with his bare hands. He always commented about the river saying, “In the old days, this was a clean stream. Now look at it. It’s filthy.”

4 Then in September of 1899, we were fishing and saw boxes floating by. Sometimes we even saw dead fish floating by. We stopped bringing home our catch because my mother would throw them out.

5 “We can’t eat this. These fish will make our family sick,” I remember him saying angrily.

6 That day was the end of our fun. Sometimes we would go to fish and throw them back. The fun of catching fish faded, and we mostly just stayed home, irritated and upset.

7 I remember one year, my father seemed busier than normal. He was so preoccupied with work that he even went to work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. My mother worried about him because winter’s harsh breath could cause him to get sick.

8 Two days later, my grandfather and I were reading the newspaper. The front page’s headline said, “It is a miracle!” As we read the article, we learned how the workers on the Sanitary and Ship Canal had conquered the impossible. They had somehow reversed the

Chicago River by digging a great hole that caused the river to rush away from the lake. The pollution that had been hurting our fish now went west to the Mississippi River.

9 My grandfather and I were elated. My grandfather said, “Now we can go fishing this summer.” We both laughed. So did my mother. As for my father, he smiled a lot…all day long.

**Question: Based on the information from the story “The Miracle Worker,” which passage best helps the

reader conclude that the father was the “Miracle Worker?”

**Question: What text structure(s) are used in “Chicago River: A Reversal of Fortunes,” and “The Miracle Worker”?

• “Chicago River” uses cause and effect, while “Miracle Worker” uses problem/solution.

• Both texts use a chronological order text structure.

• “Chicago River” uses compare and contrast, while “Miracle Worker” uses description.

• Both texts use a compare and contrast text structure.