IOWA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
29th · December 28, 1846
Capital
Des Moines
People
3,207,004 (est.)
Land
55,857 mi² (144,669 km²)
Motto
Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain · “Our liberties we prize”
High point
Hawkeye Point · 1,670 ft (509 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
American goldfinch
Demonym
Iowans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Iowa?
Iowa is in the US Midwest. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
From the Iowa (Baxoje) people.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Iowans. The motto means “Our liberties we prize”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
29th
Iowa became the 29th state on December 28, 1846.
1846
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
3,207,004 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Des Moines, the capital
Des Moines is the capital. Des Moines is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Des Moines 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.
Des Moines, a big city
Des Moines pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Des Moines and Cedar Rapids 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.
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Cedar Rapids 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
Hawkeye Point · 1,670 ft (509 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
Arctic air can drop −20 °F (−29 °C). Wind on the lakes is a second climate.
Summer
Humid, green, thunderstorms. Tornado watches in spring.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Iowa remembers
December 28, 1846
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Corn and first caucuses.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Norman Borlaug
1 · The name
Norman Borlaug
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Iowa.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Hawkeye State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
From the Iowa (Baxoje) people.
1846
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Corn and first caucuses
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
loose meat sandwich
Dish 2
corn
Dish 3
pork chop
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Hawkeyes
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
NORMAN BORLAUG
The episode’s first person for Iowa.
DES MOINES
Capital: Des Moines.
THE HAWKEYE STATE
The Hawkeye 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
Des Moines
Name the team
Hawkeyes
Name the food
loose meat sandwich
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Iowa detail
29th
1 · Order
29th state, December 28, 1846.
2 · People
3,207,004
3 · Hook
Corn and first caucuses
Town = pueblo.
Hawkeye Point
peak
1 · Height
Hawkeye Point · 1,670 ft (509 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 Iowa?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Iowa is a top US producer of?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Kansas
Iowa, episode 15: Corn and first caucuses.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.