Sixth Grade
Worksheets
The Mississippi River
It has been known by many names. People have called it the Father of Waters, Big River, Old Blue, and Moon River. Big River, a Broadway musical, was written about it. Many songs, including "Moon River," "Ol' Man River," and "When the Levee Breaks," were written about it. Mark Twain's most famous book, Huckleberry Finn, is a story set on the Mississippi River and its banks. What is so special about the Mississippi River?
The river got its name from the old Ojibwa word, "misi-ziibi." Misi-ziibi means "great river." It is not the longest river in the United States. The longest is the Missouri River. The Missouri River flows into the Mississippi River. Together they make up the longest river system in North America.
The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca in Clearwater County, Minnesota. Along its way, it runs through two states - Minnesota and Louisiana. It forms part of the borders of eight states - Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. It ends in the Gulf of Mexico.
