R E S O U R C E L I B R A R Y P H O TO G R A P H Lakefront

Photo. Magnificent Lake Michigan and miles of urban markers.

G R A D E S K, 1 - 12+

S U B J E C T S Geography, Human Geography, Physical Geography

C O N T E N T S 1 Image

For the complete photos with media resources, visit: http://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/chicago-lakefront/ Lake Michigan dominates the eastern half of this aerial photograph of downtown Chicago, , taken in 2008. The densely populated cityscape in the photo is home to half-a-dozen of Chicago's 77 official community areas or neighborhoods, including the Loop and the Magnificent Mile.

The Chicago River placidly flows through the lower right of the image. The black skyscraper near the river is , formerly known as Sears Tower. When it was opened in 1974, Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world. Today, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, holds that honor. However, Willis Tower remains the tallest building in the United States, at 572 meters (1,729 feet).

The spit of sand and lush green park in the north of the image mark Chicago's South Lagoon. This area is home to parks and biking trails, as well as the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in the United States. (It was founded in 1868.)

The building with the tall white antennas is the , another of Chicago's multi-use skyscrapers. The John Hancock Center is home to offices, restaurants, and residences.

The jetty jutting into Lake Michigan is Chicago's most popular tourist attraction, the Navy Pier. The Navy Pier, which includes amusement park rides, restaurants, theaters, and museums, is dominated by white-roofed buildings on the south side of the jetty. The rectangular ponds of the Jardine Water Filtration Plant, the largest water-filtration plant in the world, are visible just north of the Navy Pier.

The glistening, silvery skyscraper at the center of the image is the , a busy office building.

Just south of the Aon Center is Millennium Park, a public facility that includes gardens, a music pavilion, and walking trails.

The square white roof of the Art Institute of Chicago is visible just south of Millennium Park. The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the finest collections of art in the United States, from Impressionists such as Claude Monet to Modernists such as Edward Hopper.

The bright red building is the CNA Center. While not nearly as tall as the John Hancock Center or Willis Tower, the CNA Center's bright color makes it instantly recognizable in the Chicago cityscape.

The enormous series of green areas along the lakefront are all part of , nicknamed "Chicago's Front Yard."

Just south of Grant Park is the stately white Field Museum of Natural History. This museum is home to exhibits as diverse as ancient Egypt, Native Americans, and Sue, the world's largest and best-preserved fossil of a T. rex.

East of the Field Museum, on the shore of Lake Michigan, is the John G. Shedd Aquarium, home to more than 25,000 saltwater and freshwater fish.

Finally, our journey ends at Soldier Field, in the southeast corner of this image. Soldier Field is home to the Chicago Bears, the city's professional football team. It has also been the site of music concerts and political rallies, including one led by Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1966. Vocabulary Part of Term Definition Speech aerial noun picture of part of the Earth's surface, usually taken from an airplane. photograph amusement noun recreational facility with games, food, and mechanical rides. park civilization in northeastern Africa, lasting from 3200 BCE to about 400 ancient Egypt noun CE. antenna noun structure through which electromagnetic signals are received. a container or tank where aquatic plants and animals are kept, or an aquarium noun institution that keeps such containers. cityscape noun view or landscape of a city. group of organisms or a social group interacting in a specific region community noun under similar environmental conditions. densely adverb heavily or crowded. dominate verb to overpower or control. dozen noun a group of 12. filtration noun process of separating solid material from liquids or gases. fossil noun remnant, impression, or trace of an ancient organism. glisten verb to sparkle or reflect light. jetty noun structure protecting a harbor or inlet from a larger body of water. jut verb to protrude or stick out. commercial center of downtown Chicago, Illinois. Also called the Loop noun . lush adjectiveabundant and rich. Magnificent noun large downtown shopping district in Chicago, Illinois. Mile space where valuable works of art, history, or science are kept for museum noun public view. person whose ancestors were native inhabitants of North or South Native noun America. Native American usually does not include Eskimo or Hawaiian American people. an area within a larger city or town where people live and interact neighborhoodnoun with one another. pavilion noun a low-lying, open, semi-permanent shelter. placid adjectivecalm. public adjectiveavailable to an entire community, not limited to paying members. Part of Term Definition Speech river noun large stream of flowing fresh water. sand noun small, loose grains of disintegrated rocks. shore noun coast. skyscraper noun very tall building. spit noun narrow point of land extending into water. stately adjectivedignified and imposing. tourist noun person who travels for pleasure. T. rex noun (Tyrannosaurus rex) large carnivorous or scavenger dinosaur. zoo noun place where animals are kept for exhibition. Maps City of Chicago: Interactive Map

Websites Choose Chicago: Discover Chicago Neighborhoods Chicago Park District: Grant Park

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