Illinois and Michigan Canal

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/illinois-and-michigan-canal

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How long is the Illinois and Michigan Canal?96 miles (154 km)
2. What is the location?Illinois, United States
3. What is the opened?1848
4. How did the canal help Chicago grow?The canal made Chicago a busy shipping center, turning it from a small trading post into the nation's biggest transportation hub, and later it helped the city grow even more when railroads came.
5. Why was the canal important for farmers and traders?By cutting the cost and time of moving goods, the canal let farmers bring their crops to eastern markets and let people bring manufactured items to the Midwest, which helped farms and factories grow.

Continental Divide: A high point in the land that separates river systems flowing in opposite directions.
Internal Improvements: Government-funded projects like roads, canals, and railroads to improve transportation.
Urbanization: The process of cities growing larger and more populated as people move from rural areas.