Lehigh Canal

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

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/lehigh-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 Lehigh Canal?72 miles (116 km)
2. What is the location?Lehigh Valley and Northeastern regions of Pennsylvania, United States
3. What is the construction timeline?Began in 1818, completed over a span of 20 years
4. What was the Lehigh Canal and why did people build it?The Lehigh Canal was a 72‑mile waterway built to move heavy goods like coal and iron. It used the power of the Lehigh River to help factories and homes get the materials they needed.
5. How did the canal help factories and homes in the past?It carried anthracite coal, a clean and powerful fuel, and pig iron, which is used to make steel. These materials powered factories and helped build railroads, bridges, and machines.

Anthracite Coal: A hard, high-carbon form of coal prized for its clean-burning and high-heat properties.
Pig Iron: An intermediate product of the iron industry, used as a raw material in the production of steel.
Industrial Revolution: A period of profound technological, socioeconomic, and cultural change marked by the shift to industrial production.
Canal Locks: A device used for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways.