LOUISIANA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
18th · April 30, 1812
Capital
Baton Rouge
People
4,573,749 (est.)
Land
43,204 mi² (111,898 km²)
Motto
Union, justice, confidence · “Union, justice, confidence”
High point
Driskill Mountain · 535 ft (163 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
Brown pelican
Demonym
Louisianians
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Louisiana?
Louisiana is in the US South. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Louis XIV. French first.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Louisianians. The motto means “Union, justice, confidence”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
18th
Louisiana became the 18th state on April 30, 1812.
1812
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
4,573,749 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Baton Rouge, the capital
Baton Rouge is the capital. New Orleans is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Baton Rouge 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.
New Orleans, a big city
New Orleans pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say New Orleans and Baton Rouge 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.
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Baton Rouge 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
Driskill Mountain · 535 ft (163 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
Summer
Long, wet heat. Afternoon storms. Heat index over 100 °F (38 °C) is news only when it breaks records.
Hurricane / tornado
The Gulf and the plains both write disaster names on schools.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Louisiana remembers
April 30, 1812
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Delta jazz and a parish map.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Louis Armstrong
1 · The name
Louis Armstrong
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Louisiana.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Pelican State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Louis XIV. French first.
1812
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Delta jazz and a parish map
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
gumbo
Dish 2
po-boy
Dish 3
beignet
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Saints / LSU Tigers
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
LOUIS ARMSTRONG
The episode’s first person for Louisiana.
BATON ROUGE
Capital: Baton Rouge.
THE PELICAN STATE
The Pelican 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
Baton Rouge
Name the team
Saints / LSU Tigers
Name the food
gumbo
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Louisiana detail
18th
1 · Order
18th state, April 30, 1812.
2 · People
4,573,749
3 · Hook
Delta jazz and a parish map
Town = pueblo.
Driskill Mountain
peak
1 · Height
Driskill Mountain · 535 ft (163 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 Louisiana?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Louisiana uses parishes instead of?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Maine
Louisiana, episode 18: Delta jazz and a parish map.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) a
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.