wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

The Great Lakes

Total questions: 66

Worksheet time: 56mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What percentage of the world's surface fresh water do the Great Lakes hold?

a)

40%

b)

30%

c)

10%

d)

20%

2.

Which is the largest island in any inland body of water on the planet?

a)

Lake Michigan's Beaver Island

b)

Lake Superior's Isle Royale

c)

Lake Huron's Manitoulin Island

d)

Lake Ontario's Wolfe Island

3.

How long would it take to drink all the water in Lake Superior if you drank half a gallon of water a day?

a)

16.4 billion years

b)

16.4 million years

c)

16.4 trillion years

d)

16.4 quadrillion years

4.

How many shipwrecks are estimated to be in the Great Lakes?

a)

6,000

b)

5,000

c)

4,000

d)

3,000

5.

Which lake's shoreline alone would take approximately 14 and a half hours to complete the circle tour?

a)

Lake Superior

b)

Lake Ontario

c)

Lake Huron

d)

Lake Michigan

6.

What is the deepest point in the Great Lakes system?

a)

Lake Superior

b)

Lake Michigan

c)

Lake Huron

d)

Lake Ontario

7.

Approximately how many species of fish are there in the Great Lakes?

a)

150

b)

200

c)

250

d)

300

8.

Which Great Lake is the smallest by surface area?

a)

Lake Superior

b)

Lake Michigan

c)

Lake Erie

d)

Lake Ontario

9.

How were the Great Lakes created?

a)

by the clearing of forests

b)

by the damming of rivers

c)

by the melting of glaciers

d)

by the shrinking of oceans

10.

Which term best defined as a geographic area that includes all of the rivers and streams that flow into a lake or sea?

a)

basin

b)

landmass

c)

plateau

d)

watershed

11.

Insects feed on algae and plants that grow in the Great Lakes. Tiny fish eat insects. Larger fish feed on the small fish. Eagels and others eat the larger fish.

a)

Great Lakes habitat

b)

Great Lakes watershed

c)

Great Lakes food chain

d)

Great Lakes freshwater ecosytem

12.

Which of the following suffered the most from DDT poisoning in the Great Lakes

a)

fish-eating birds

b)

large fish

c)

small fish

d)

tiny organisms

13.

The sea lamprey and zebra mussel are a part of which of these Great Lake ecosystem problems?

a)

wetland loss

b)

invasive species

c)

algae explosions

d)

point-source pollution

14.

Which conclusion about Michigan is best supported by the graph ?

a)

Housing areas are expanding.

b)

Dairy farms are a leading industry

c)

The lumber industry is shrinking.

d)

Wetlands are becoming more polluted.

15.

What is the main difference between point source and non-point source pollution

a)

how toxic the pollution is

b)

where the pollution comes from

c)

what time of the year the pollution occurs

d)

what animals are harmed by the pollution

16.

Which of these is a major reason for a growing water shortage in many countries?

a)

habitat loss

b)

invasive species

c)

shrinking glaciers

d)

population growth

17.

Which of the following is a cause of habitat loss in the Great Lakes

a)

loss of forests and wetlands to industrial activity

b)

introduction of invasive species

c)

the harm DDT inflicts on birds

d)

how smaller watersheds drain into larger watersheds

18.

Which of the following is the best definition of "food chain"?

a)

a community of all the living things and the environment in an area

b)

all of the feeding relationships within and ecosystem

c)

a geographic area that includes all of the land and waterways that drain into a body of water

d)

a series of plants and animals, each of which depends on the one below it for food

19.

Which species in the food chain depends on smelt to survive?

a)

phytoplankton and lake trout

b)

lake trout and herring gulls

c)

only lake trout

d)

only herring gulls

20.

Suppose the water is polluted in such a way that all of the phytoplankton die. How might this affect this food chain?

a)

The smelt would lose their food and die.

b)

The smelt and lake trout would both lose their food sources and die.

c)

The smelt, lake trout, and herring gulls would lose all their food sources.

d)

They would not affect the food chain.

21.

What state is shown in the picture?

a)

Michigan

b)

Ohio

c)

Minnesota

d)

Wisconsin

e)

Indiana

22.

What state is shown in the picture?

a)

Illinois

b)

Ohio

c)

Minnesota

d)

Wisconsin

e)

Indiana

23.

What state is shown in the outline?

a)

Michigan

b)

Illinois

c)

Indiana

d)

Wisconsin

e)

Minnesota

24.

What state is shown in the picture?

a)

Michigan

b)

Indiana

c)

Illinois

d)

Ohio

e)

Wisconsin

25.

What state is shown in the picture?

a)

Michigan

b)

Illinois

c)

Ohio

d)

Indiana

e)

Minnesota

26.

What state is shown in the picture?

a)

Michigan

b)

Wisconsin

c)

Illinois

d)

Indiana

e)

Minnesota

27.

Name the Great Lake outlined in red

a)

Lake Huron

b)

Lake Ontario

c)

Lake Michigan

d)

Lake Erie

e)

Lake Superior

28.

Name the Great Lake outlined in green

a)

Lake Huron

b)

Lake Ontario

c)

Lake Michigan

d)

Lake Erie

e)

Lake Superior

29.

Name the Great Lake outlined in yellow

a)

Lake Huron

b)

Lake Ontario

c)

Lake Michigan

d)

Lake Erie

e)

Lake Superior

30.

Name the Great Lake outlined in white

a)

Lake Huron

b)

Lake Ontario

c)

Lake Michigan

d)

Lake Erie

e)

Lake Superior

31.

Name the Great Lake outlined in blue

a)

Lake Huron

b)

Lake Ontario

c)

Lake Michigan

d)

Lake Erie

e)

Lake Superior

32.

Where can the Great Lakes be found?

a)

A. in the middle of North America

b)

B. in the middle of South America

c)

C. in the middle of Europe

33.

What does Ms. Vasquez list in the second paragraph of the story?

a)

A. the names of the countries in North America

b)

B. the names of the Great Lakes

c)

C. the names of the continents

34.

"'These big bodies of water are called Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie.' As she said each name, Ms. Vasquez touched a different blue place on the map." What can you conclude based on this evidence?

a)

A. On this map, blue places show where water is.

b)

B. These five lakes all have very clean, blue water.

c)

C. These five lakes are all the exact same size.

35.

Based on the story, where are the United States and Canada located?

a)

A. to the left and right of the Great Lakes

b)

B. above and below the Great Lakes

c)

C. on the other side of the world from the Great Lakes

36.

What is the main idea of this story?

a)

A. Ms. Vasquez's class learns about the Great Lakes, five big lakes in North America.

b)

B. Ms. Vasquez's class learns about different saltwater and freshwater lakes.

c)

C. Ms. Vasquez's class learns about the different countries in North America.

37.

Read these sentences from the text. "'And these big lakes are filled with fresh water. The water in them is not salty.'" Based on these sentences, what is "fresh water?"

a)

A. water that is not salty

b)

B. water from any lake

c)

C. water that is salty

38.

Choose the answer that best completes this sentence. The water in the Great Lakes is not salty, _____ they can give fresh water to many people.

a)

A. so

b)

B. because

c)

C. but

39.

How many kinds of fish live in the Great Lakes?

4 lines
40-42.

The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a group of five large freshwater lakes in North America. They are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. The lakes are located in the northeastern part of the continent, on the border between the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by total area and second-largest by total volume.

The Great Lakes were formed by a combination of geological processes, including glacial erosion and melting. During the last Ice Age, glaciers covered much of North America, including the Great Lakes region. As the glaciers melted, they left behind large depressions in the earth, which filled with water to form the lakes. The lakes are connected by a series of channels and rivers, which allow water to flow between them.

Human activity has had a significant impact on the Great Lakes. Pollution from industry, agriculture, and urban areas has led to water quality problems, including toxic algae blooms and fish kills. Invasive species, such as zebra mussels and Asian carp, have also had a negative impact on the ecosystem of the lakes. Efforts are underway to address these issues and protect the Great Lakes for future generations.

The Great Lakes are an important natural resource, providing drinking water, transportation, and recreational opportunities for millions of people. They are also home to a diverse array of plant and animal species, including many that are found nowhere else in the world. The geography, history, and ecology of the Great Lakes make them a unique and fascinating part of North America.

40.

Which of the following is true about the Great Lakes?

a)

They are the largest group of saltwater lakes in the world.

b)

They are the smallest group of freshwater lakes in the world.

c)

They are the second-largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by total area.

d)

They are the second-largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by total volume.

41.

What is one significant impact of human activity on the Great Lakes?

a)

Decreased water levels

b)

Increased biodiversity

c)

Improved water quality

d)

Introduction of invasive species

42.

What is one of the main benefits of the Great Lakes?

a)

A) Source of drinking water

b)

B) Tourist attractions

c)

C) Historical landmarks

d)

D) Agricultural irrigation

43.

How are the Great Lakes helpful to millions of people?

4 lines
44.

Mina says that she can see why these lakes are called the Great Lakes. Why might these lakes be called "great?" Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

4 lines
45.

Which of the following is not one of the Great Lakes?

a)

Lake Superior

b)

Lake Erie

c)

Lake Geneva

d)

Lake Huron

46.

How many Great Lakes are there?

a)

5

b)

3

c)

12

d)

4

47.

Lake (a)   is the only Great Lake not in the midwest.

48.

Which of the following formed the Great Lakes?

a)

a lot of rain

b)

a comet hit the earth

c)

Paul Bunyan

d)

glaciers

49.

What fraction of the world's fresh water do the Great Lakes account for?

a)

one-half

b)

one-fifth

c)

one-third

d)

three-fifths

50.

Fresh water means that the water does not have any (a)   in it.

51.

Can a person see the opposite shore of a Great Lake?

a)

yes

b)

only when it's really sunny

c)

yes, but only during the winter

d)

no

52.

How are the Great Lakes like the ocean?

a)

They are salty

b)

Sometimes they have waves

c)

Dolphins live in them

d)

They are named after famous people

53.

Which ocean do the Great Lakes connect to?

a)

The Pacific Ocean

b)

The Indian Ocean

c)

The Atlantic Ocean

d)

The Mediterranean Sea

54.

Which United States region is Lake Ontario in?

a)

The Southeast

b)

The Midwest

c)

The Northeast

d)

The Southwest

55.

Where does the St. Lawrence River flow?

a)

south, to the Gulf of Mexico

b)

west, to the Pacific Ocean

c)

west, to the Mississippi River

d)

east, to the Atlantic Ocean

56.

Which of the Great Lakes is entirely within the the U.S. and shares no border with Canada?

a)

Lake Michigan

b)

Lake Erie

c)

Lake Huron

d)

Lake Superior

57.

The Great Lakes are all...

a)

the same

b)

inland

c)

in the Midwest

d)

connected to each other

58.

What river flows out of Lake Ontario?

a)

The Missouri River

b)

The St. Lawrence River

c)

The Ohio River

d)

The Mississippi River

59.

What word can help you remember the first letter of each of the Great Lakes?

a)

STOMP

b)

SHAME

c)

HOVER

d)

HOMES

60.

What one IS a Great Lake?

a)

Lake Huron

1.

None of the above

b)

Lake Mississippi

2.

There is no Lake Mississippi

c)

Lake Victoria

3.

Lake Victoria is in Africa

61.

Label the Great Lakes

62.

The Great Lakes have what kind of water in them?​ (a)  

Choose from the below words
Fresh water
Salt water
63.

Label the Great Lakes

64.

Label the St. Lawrence River

65.

Name 2 Great Lakes?

2 lines
66.

The Great Lakes were formed at the end of the _________________________ ice age.

a)

Pennsylvania

b)

Wisconsin

c)

Michigan

d)

Minnesota

67.

How many people depend on the Great Lakes for drinking water?

a)

1.5 million

b)

10 million

c)

25 million

d)

50 million

68.

Today, tourism is important to the Great Lakes.

a)

TRUE

b)

FALSE