ALABAMA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
22nd · December 14, 1819
Capital
Montgomery
People
5,108,468 (est.)
Land
50,645 mi² (131,171 km²)
Motto
Audemus jura nostra defendere · “We dare defend our rights”
High point
Cheaha Mountain · 2,413 ft (735 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
Yellowhammer
Demonym
Alabamians
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Alabama?
Alabama is in the US South. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Muskogean people name, often “thicket-clearers.”
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Alabamians. The motto means “We dare defend our rights”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
22nd
Alabama became the 22nd state on December 14, 1819.
1819
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
5,108,468 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Montgomery, the capital
Montgomery is the capital. Huntsville is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Montgomery is the seat of government.
2 · Why here
Lawmakers picked a city they could reach.
3 · A civic fact
The capitol is the postcard of state power.
Capital = capital. City = ciudad.
Huntsville, a big city
Huntsville pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Huntsville and Birmingham in one breath.
2 · Work
Work follows the river, the rail, or the interstate.
3 · Character
Students should say this name out loud twice.
City = ciudad. Port = puerto.
Birmingham
Birmingham is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Birmingham is not the capital, but it matters.
2 · A hook
A campus, a mill, or a river made it.
3 · Remember
Ask the class which city they would visit first.
Second = segundo. Nickname = apodo.
A very small place
small tiny incorporated places
Incorporation can outlive the boom. A sign, a hall, a few houses.
Count them
Census numbers bounce. Seasonal work changes a town.
Why stay
A post office, a church, a family name.
The lesson
Not every American lives in a skyline.
Town = pueblo. Tiny = minúsculo.
Land
High point
Cheaha Mountain · 2,413 ft (735 m)
The working land
Farms, forests, mines, or a coast, depending on the county.
Water
A river, a lake, or an ocean wrote the old trade.
Mountain = montaña. River = río.
Weather
Summer
Long, wet heat. Afternoon storms. Heat index over 100 °F (38 °C) is news only when it breaks records.
Hurricane / tornado
The Gulf and the plains both write disaster names on schools.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Alabama remembers
December 14, 1819
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Rockets and civil rights.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Rosa Parks
1 · The name
Rosa Parks
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Alabama.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Yellowhammer State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Muskogean people name, often “thicket-clearers.”
1819
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Rockets and civil rights
Timeline = línea de tiempo.
Industry
Jobs
Government, services, and the old specialty trade.
Make
Factories, mills, or code, depending on the metro.
Move
A port, a rail yard, or an interstate hub.
Factory = fábrica. Job = trabajo.
Farm
Field
The postcard crop is in the foods list.
Animal
Cattle, hogs, or dairy show up in most interiors.
Market
A co-op, a grain elevator, or a dock.
Farm = granja. Crop = cultivo.
Food: three dishes
Dish 1
white BBQ
Dish 2
fried green tomatoes
Dish 3
Conecuh sausage
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Crimson Tide
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
ROSA PARKS
The episode’s first person for Alabama.
MONTGOMERY
Capital: Montgomery.
THE YELLOWHAMMER S
The Yellowhammer State
Famous = famoso. Born = nacido.
Real rules, and one fake one
1 · Real · Seat belts
Wear them.
2 · Real · School zones
Lights flash. Speed drops.
3 · Real · Local alcohol rules
Counties can be dry or damp.
4 · Myth · A viral weird law
If it sounds like a joke, check the code.
Law = ley. Myth = mito.
Slang you will hear
Name the capital
Montgomery
Name the team
Crimson Tide
Name the food
white BBQ
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Alabama detail
22nd
1 · Order
22nd state, December 14, 1819.
2 · People
5,108,468
3 · Hook
Rockets and civil rights
Town = pueblo.
Cheaha Mountain
peak
1 · Height
Cheaha Mountain · 2,413 ft (735 m)
2 · Metric
Feet and meters both appear. Use both.
3 · Climb?
Ask the class: walk, drive, or skip?
Story = historia.
Five questions
1. What is the capital of Alabama?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. What city hosted the 1955 bus boycott?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Alaska
Alabama, episode 01: Rockets and civil rights.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) a
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.