MISSISSIPPI
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
20th · December 10, 1817
Capital
Jackson
People
2,940,452 (est.)
Land
46,923 mi² (121,531 km²)
Motto
Virtute et armis · “By valor and arms”
High point
Woodall Mountain · 807 ft (246 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
Mockingbird
Demonym
Mississippians
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Mississippi?
Mississippi 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
Ojibwe via French, “great river.”
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Mississippians. The motto means “By valor and arms”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
20th
Mississippi became the 20th state on December 10, 1817.
1817
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
2,940,452 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Jackson, the capital
Jackson is the capital. Jackson is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Jackson 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.
Jackson, a big city
Jackson pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Jackson and Gulfport 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.
Gulfport
Gulfport is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Gulfport 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
Woodall Mountain · 807 ft (246 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 Mississippi remembers
December 10, 1817
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
A river and the blues.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Medgar Evers
1 · The name
Medgar Evers
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Mississippi.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Magnolia State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Ojibwe via French, “great river.”
1817
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
A river and the blues
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
catfish
Dish 2
come-back sauce
Dish 3
hot tamales
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Ole Miss / Bulldogs
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
MEDGAR EVERS
The episode’s first person for Mississippi.
JACKSON
Capital: Jackson.
THE MAGNOLIA STATE
The Magnolia 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
Jackson
Name the team
Ole Miss / Bulldogs
Name the food
catfish
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Mississippi detail
20th
1 · Order
20th state, December 10, 1817.
2 · People
2,940,452
3 · Hook
A river and the blues
Town = pueblo.
Woodall Mountain
peak
1 · Height
Woodall Mountain · 807 ft (246 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 Mississippi?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. The Mississippi River is the __ border for much of the state.
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Missouri
Mississippi, episode 24: A river and the blues.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.