MINNESOTA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
32nd · May 11, 1858
Capital
Saint Paul
People
5,737,915 (est.)
Land
79,627 mi² (206,232 km²)
Motto
L’Étoile du Nord · “The star of the north”
High point
Eagle Mountain · 2,301 ft (701 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
Common loon
Demonym
Minnesotans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Minnesota?
Minnesota 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
Dakota “sky-tinted water.”
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Minnesotans. The motto means “The star of the north”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
32nd
Minnesota became the 32nd state on May 11, 1858.
1858
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
5,737,915 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Saint Paul, the capital
Saint Paul is the capital. Minneapolis is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Saint Paul 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.
Minneapolis, a big city
Minneapolis pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Minneapolis and Saint Paul 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.
Saint Paul
Saint Paul is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Saint Paul 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
Eagle Mountain · 2,301 ft (701 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 Minnesota remembers
May 11, 1858
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Lakes and a twin city.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Hubert Humphrey
1 · The name
Hubert Humphrey
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Minnesota.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The North Star State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Dakota “sky-tinted water.”
1858
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Lakes and a twin city
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
hotdish
Dish 2
juicy lucy
Dish 3
wild rice
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Vikings / Twins / Wild
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
HUBERT HUMPHREY
The episode’s first person for Minnesota.
SAINT PAUL
Capital: Saint Paul.
THE NORTH STAR STA
The North Star 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
Saint Paul
Name the team
Vikings / Twins / Wild
Name the food
hotdish
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Minnesota detail
32nd
1 · Order
32nd state, May 11, 1858.
2 · People
5,737,915
3 · Hook
Lakes and a twin city
Town = pueblo.
Eagle Mountain
peak
1 · Height
Eagle Mountain · 2,301 ft (701 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 Minnesota?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Minnesota’s motto is in which language?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Mississippi
Minnesota, episode 23: Lakes and a twin city.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.