What Happens to the Chicago River in the Winter?
Provided by: Chicago Academy of Sciences|Published on: May 6, 2025
Grades: 6, 7, 8
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences, Geography
Authors: Chicago Academy of Sciences
Region: Chicagoland IL
Languages: English
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This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This website gives an overview of why the Chicago River is vital part of the ecosystem and supports the local aquatic habitats and the animals that call them home.
- The website allows students to understand what happens to local waterways during the winter season and how climate change may affect aquatic and plant life.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The website is easy to navigate, with subtopics easily accessible for students to click on to learn more about the Chicago River.
- The webpage allows students to understand how climate change has affected the Chicago River and its inhabitants.
Prerequisites
- It may be helpful if students understand where exactly the Chicago River runs and locate it on a map.
- Students should have a basic understanding of the aquatic and plant life located in and around the Chicago River.
- Students will need access to the internet and their own devices to access the webpage on their own.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can research how many times the Chicago River has flooded due to climate change and discuss the consequences of the flooding to both humans and the environment.
- Teachers can use Extreme Weather Lesson: Are Winters Getting Worse? to decide if Chicago's winters are falling into some of the extreme weather categories discussed in the lesson.
- Students can research and graph average winter temperatures over the last 20 years in Chicago and analyze what the data is saying in terms of where winters are headed.
The resource explores the contribution of Friends of the Chicago River in preserving the Chicago River system, including making the entire ecosystem of the River habitable and functional. This resource is inspiring and recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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