ALASKA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
49th · January 3, 1959
Capital
Juneau
People
733,536 (est.)
Land
570,641 mi² (1,477,953 km²)
Motto
North to the Future · “North to the Future”
High point
Denali · 20,310 ft (6,190 m)
Time zone
Alaska Time
State bird
Willow ptarmigan
Demonym
Alaskans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Alaska?
Alaska is in the US West. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Aleut Alyeska, “great land.”
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Alaskans. The motto means “North to the Future”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
49th
Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959.
1959
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
733,536 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Juneau, the capital
Juneau is the capital. Anchorage is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Juneau 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.
Anchorage, a big city
Anchorage pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Anchorage and Fairbanks 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.
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Fairbanks 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
Denali · 20,310 ft (6,190 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
Dry side / wet side
Mountains wring the clouds. One town is desert, the next is moss.
Fire and snow
August smoke, January powder. Both close roads.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Alaska remembers
January 3, 1959
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Ice oil and Denali.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Elizabeth Peratrovich
1 · The name
Elizabeth Peratrovich
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Alaska.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Last Frontier.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Aleut Alyeska, “great land.”
1959
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Ice oil and Denali
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
salmon
Dish 2
reindeer sausage
Dish 3
muktuk
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Iditarod
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
ELIZABETH PERATROVICH
The episode’s first person for Alaska.
JUNEAU
Capital: Juneau.
THE LAST FRONTIER
The Last Frontier
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
Juneau
Name the team
Iditarod
Name the food
salmon
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Alaska detail
49th
1 · Order
49th state, January 3, 1959.
2 · People
733,536
3 · Hook
Ice oil and Denali
Town = pueblo.
Denali
peak
1 · Height
Denali · 20,310 ft (6,190 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 Alaska?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. What is North America’s highest peak?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Arizona
Alaska, episode 02: Ice oil and Denali.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.