NEW MEXICO
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
47th · January 6, 1912
Capital
Santa Fe
People
2,114,768 (est.)
Land
121,298 mi² (314,161 km²)
Motto
Crescit eundo · “It grows as it goes”
High point
Wheeler Peak · 13,161 ft (4,011 m)
Time zone
Mountain Time
State bird
Roadrunner
Demonym
New Mexicans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is New Mexico?
New Mexico 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
Named for Mexico; older than the country Mexico’s modern state.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are New Mexicans. The motto means “It grows as it goes”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
47th
New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912.
1912
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
2,114,768 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Santa Fe, the capital
Santa Fe is the capital. Albuquerque is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Santa Fe 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.
Albuquerque, a big city
Albuquerque pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Albuquerque and Las Cruces 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.
Las Cruces
Las Cruces is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Las Cruces 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
Wheeler Peak · 13,161 ft (4,011 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 New Mexico remembers
January 6, 1912
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
High desert and chile.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Popé
1 · The name
Popé
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to New Mexico.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Land of Enchantment.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Named for Mexico; older than the country Mexico’s modern state.
1912
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
High desert and chile
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
green chile stew
Dish 2
breakfast burrito
Dish 3
sopaipilla
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Lobos / United
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
POPÉ
The episode’s first person for New Mexico.
SANTA FE
Capital: Santa Fe.
THE LAND OF ENCHAN
The Land of Enchantment
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
Santa Fe
Name the team
Lobos / United
Name the food
green chile stew
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A New Mexico detail
47th
1 · Order
47th state, January 6, 1912.
2 · People
2,114,768
3 · Hook
High desert and chile
Town = pueblo.
Wheeler Peak
peak
1 · Height
Wheeler Peak · 13,161 ft (4,011 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 New Mexico?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Capital of New Mexico?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: New York
New Mexico, episode 31: High desert and chile.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.