Have a river expert come speak at your school.

You can create a Chicago-Calumet River unit for your classroom, curated from our existing lessons and field trip resources. A unit can include a guest speaker to prepare your students for an upcoming trip, or you can select lessons to teach before and after a field trip to the river to reinforce your educational message.

We will Come Present for Your School or Group

A Friends staff person will come to your school to share the history of the Chicago-Calumet River system with your students and answer their questions. Programs are between 30 to 120 minutes long and can be tailored to your class length. We can also assist you as you teach a classroom lesson (perhaps as a precursor to taking a field trip to the river), talk about macroinvertebrate collection, discuss water chemistry, judge a science fair, or participate at a school festival.

To schedule a classroom visit, please contact our education staff. We also do presentations for non-school groups; e.g. universities, churches, scouts, historical societies, museums, and environmental organizations.

History of the Chicago-Calumet River system
Presentation Summaries

K-2nd Grade: Students take an imaginary journey in a time machine, travelling to important places and times during the Chicago River’s history. The animated presentation allows them to “visit” with people who lived long ago as they journey through time.

3rd to 4th Grade: Students create a map of ecological and cultural change along the Chicago River using images depicting life through the past few centuries. By working together, students develop an understanding of how this area developed and changed from the 17th century to today.

5th to 6th Grade: Students track and discuss the many changes in the Chicago River watershed over the past several hundred years. Students follow the population growth of the city of Chicago and its effect on the river. Students gain an understanding of how natural areas were replaced by farms, and how farms disappeared to make way for our modern urban expansion. The quality of the Chicago River also ties into the story.

7th to 8th Grade: Students uncover what natural resources and amenities helped fuel the birth and rapid expansion of the greater Chicago area. By filling in their own timelines, students track this amazing development and its impact on the Chicago-Calumet River system.

9th to 12th Grade: Historic photos, maps and diagrams illustrate the fascinating and disturbing history of the Chicago-Calumet River system. From the post-glacial world, through European exploration and exploitation, to the modern city with a troubled (albeit cleaner) river, we examine the history of the city of Chicago and its ties to the river that bears its name. A discussion of current problems facing the river and how students can become involved is included.

Photo by gopho.

“You taught us tons of things and helped us with our understanding of the Chicago River.  Your presentation actually inspired me to try to be more active with our ecosystem, specifically my neighborhood.”

7th grader, Chicago Jesuit Academy