IDAHO
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
43rd · July 3, 1890
Capital
Boise
People
1,964,726 (est.)
Land
82,643 mi² (214,045 km²)
Motto
Esto perpetua · “Let it be perpetual”
High point
Borah Peak · 12,662 ft (3,859 m)
Time zone
Mountain Time
State bird
Mountain bluebird
Demonym
Idahoans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Idaho?
Idaho 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
A made-up name Congress kept.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Idahoans. The motto means “Let it be perpetual”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
43rd
Idaho became the 43rd state on July 3, 1890.
1890
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
1,964,726 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Boise, the capital
Boise is the capital. Boise is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Boise 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.
Boise, a big city
Boise pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Boise and Meridian 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.
Meridian
Meridian is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Meridian 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
Borah Peak · 12,662 ft (3,859 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 Idaho remembers
July 3, 1890
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Potatoes and a panhandle.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Sacagawea
1 · The name
Sacagawea
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Idaho.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Gem State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
A made-up name Congress kept.
1890
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Potatoes and a panhandle
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
Idaho potato
Dish 2
finger steaks
Dish 3
huckleberry
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Boise State Broncos
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
SACAGAWEA
The episode’s first person for Idaho.
BOISE
Capital: Boise.
THE GEM STATE
The Gem 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
Boise
Name the team
Boise State Broncos
Name the food
Idaho potato
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Idaho detail
43rd
1 · Order
43rd state, July 3, 1890.
2 · People
1,964,726
3 · Hook
Potatoes and a panhandle
Town = pueblo.
Borah Peak
peak
1 · Height
Borah Peak · 12,662 ft (3,859 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 Idaho?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Idaho’s famous crop?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Illinois
Idaho, episode 12: Potatoes and a panhandle.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.