MONTANA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
41st · November 8, 1889
Capital
Helena
People
1,132,812 (est.)
Land
145,546 mi² (376,962 km²)
Motto
Oro y plata · “Gold and silver”
High point
Granite Peak · 12,807 ft (3,904 m)
Time zone
Mountain Time
State bird
Western meadowlark
Demonym
Montanans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Montana?
Montana is in the US West. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Spanish montaña, mountain.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Montanans. The motto means “Gold and silver”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
41st
Montana became the 41st state on November 8, 1889.
1889
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
1,132,812 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Helena, the capital
Helena is the capital. Billings is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Helena 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.
Billings, a big city
Billings pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Billings and Missoula 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.
Missoula
Missoula is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Missoula 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
Granite Peak · 12,807 ft (3,904 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
Dry side / wet side
Mountains wring the clouds. One town is desert, the next is moss.
Fire and snow
August smoke, January powder. Both close roads.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Montana remembers
November 8, 1889
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Big sky and copper.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Jeannette Rankin
1 · The name
Jeannette Rankin
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Montana.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Treasure State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Spanish montaña, mountain.
1889
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Big sky and copper
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
bison burger
Dish 2
huckleberry
Dish 3
beef
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Griz / Bobcats
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
JEANNETTE RANKIN
The episode’s first person for Montana.
HELENA
Capital: Helena.
THE TREASURE STATE
The Treasure 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
Helena
Name the team
Griz / Bobcats
Name the food
bison burger
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Montana detail
41st
1 · Order
41st state, November 8, 1889.
2 · People
1,132,812
3 · Hook
Big sky and copper
Town = pueblo.
Granite Peak
peak
1 · Height
Granite Peak · 12,807 ft (3,904 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 Montana?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. First woman elected to Congress, from Montana?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Nebraska
Montana, episode 26: Big sky and copper.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) a
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.