DELAWARE
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
1st · December 7, 1787
Capital
Dover
People
1,031,890 (est.)
Land
1,949 mi² (5,047 km²)
Motto
Liberty and Independence · “Liberty and Independence”
High point
Ebright Azimuth · 448 ft (137 m)
Time zone
Eastern Time
State bird
Blue hen chicken
Demonym
Delawareans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Delaware?
Delaware is in the US Northeast. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Baron De La Warr. The river was named first.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Delawareans. The motto means “Liberty and Independence”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
1st
Delaware became the 1st state on December 7, 1787.
1787
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
1,031,890 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Dover, the capital
Dover is the capital. Wilmington is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Dover 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.
Wilmington, a big city
Wilmington pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Wilmington and Dover 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.
Dover
Dover is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Dover 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
Ebright Azimuth · 448 ft (137 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
Winter
Nor’easters wrap the coast. Inland hills ice the roads.
Fall
Maple color is a two-week industry on two-lane roads.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Delaware remembers
December 7, 1787
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
First to ratify.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Caesar Rodney
1 · The name
Caesar Rodney
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Delaware.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The First State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Baron De La Warr. The river was named first.
1787
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
First to ratify
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
scrapple
Dish 2
crabs
Dish 3
boardwalk fries
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Blue Hens / Dover NASCAR
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
CAESAR RODNEY
The episode’s first person for Delaware.
DOVER
Capital: Dover.
THE FIRST STATE
The First 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
Dover
Name the team
Blue Hens / Dover NASCAR
Name the food
scrapple
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Delaware detail
1st
1 · Order
1st state, December 7, 1787.
2 · People
1,031,890
3 · Hook
First to ratify
Town = pueblo.
Ebright Azimuth
peak
1 · Height
Ebright Azimuth · 448 ft (137 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 Delaware?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Why First State?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Florida
Delaware, episode 08: First to ratify.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.