Illinois

Summary
A lesson on the state of Illinois. The reading is accompanied by true/false questions.

Objectives
• To introduce students to salient features about the state of Illinois and its history.

Suggested Grades
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade

Excerpt
Illinois is strategically located for commerce in the upper Midwest of the United States. Illinois borders on Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes, giving it port access for shipping to the north and east. Illinois also borders on the Mississippi River which provides water access to southern markets. When water was the main route for shipping in the 1800s, Illinois was able to grow and prosper.

Early History
The lands in Illinois have a significant Native American history. At around 500 CE, the original natives of the area, called the Hopewell, disappeared. They were replaced a couple of hundred years later by the Mississippian culture, the greatest Native American culture in North America. The Mississippians in Illinois are also called Mound Builders because they constructed large hills from nearby soil on the relatively flat terrain.

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