KANSAS
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
34th · January 29, 1861
Capital
Topeka
People
2,940,546 (est.)
Land
81,759 mi² (211,754 km²)
Motto
Ad astra per aspera · “To the stars through difficulties”
High point
Mount Sunflower · 4,039 ft (1,231 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
Western meadowlark
Demonym
Kansans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Kansas?
Kansas is in the US Great Plains. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Sioux people via the Kansas River.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Kansans. The motto means “To the stars through difficulties”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
34th
Kansas became the 34th state on January 29, 1861.
1861
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
2,940,546 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Topeka, the capital
Topeka is the capital. Wichita is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Topeka 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.
Wichita, a big city
Wichita pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Wichita and Overland Park 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.
Overland Park
Overland Park is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Overland Park 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
Mount Sunflower · 4,039 ft (1,231 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
Wind
Nothing stops it for 400 miles (644 km).
Blizzard and hail
A whiteout, then a green summer hailstorm that flattens wheat.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Kansas remembers
January 29, 1861
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Wheat wind and abolition.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · John Brown
1 · The name
John Brown
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Kansas.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Sunflower State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Sioux people via the Kansas River.
1861
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Wheat wind and abolition
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
barbecue (KC)
Dish 2
wheat bread
Dish 3
bierock
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Jayhawks / Sporting KC
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
JOHN BROWN
The episode’s first person for Kansas.
TOPEKA
Capital: Topeka.
THE SUNFLOWER STAT
The Sunflower 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
Topeka
Name the team
Jayhawks / Sporting KC
Name the food
barbecue (KC)
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Kansas detail
34th
1 · Order
34th state, January 29, 1861.
2 · People
2,940,546
3 · Hook
Wheat wind and abolition
Town = pueblo.
Mount Sunflower
peak
1 · Height
Mount Sunflower · 4,039 ft (1,231 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 Kansas?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Kansas motto meaning?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Kentucky
Kansas, episode 16: Wheat wind and abolition.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.