MICHIGAN
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
26th · January 26, 1837
Capital
Lansing
People
10,037,261 (est.)
Land
56,539 mi² (146,435 km²) land
Motto
Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice · “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you”
High point
Mount Arvon · 1,979 ft (603 m)
Time zone
Eastern Time
State bird
American robin
Demonym
Michiganders
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Michigan?
Michigan 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
Ojibwe mishigami, “great water.”
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Michiganders. The motto means “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
26th
Michigan became the 26th state on January 26, 1837.
1837
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
10,037,261 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Lansing, the capital
Lansing is the capital. Detroit is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Lansing 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.
Detroit, a big city
Detroit pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Detroit and Grand 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.
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Grand 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
Mount Arvon · 1,979 ft (603 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 Michigan remembers
January 26, 1837
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Two peninsulas and cars.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Rosa Parks (Detroit years)
1 · The name
Rosa Parks (Detroit years)
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Michigan.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Great Lakes State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Ojibwe mishigami, “great water.”
1837
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Two peninsulas and cars
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
Coney dog
Dish 2
pasty
Dish 3
fudge
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Pistons / Lions / Red Wings
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
ROSA PARKS (DETROIT YEARS)
The episode’s first person for Michigan.
LANSING
Capital: Lansing.
THE GREAT LAKES ST
The Great Lakes 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
Lansing
Name the team
Pistons / Lions / Red Wings
Name the food
Coney dog
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Michigan detail
26th
1 · Order
26th state, January 26, 1837.
2 · People
10,037,261
3 · Hook
Two peninsulas and cars
Town = pueblo.
Mount Arvon
peak
1 · Height
Mount Arvon · 1,979 ft (603 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 Michigan?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Michigan touches how many Great Lakes?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Minnesota
Michigan, episode 22: Two peninsulas and cars.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.