OKLAHOMA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
46th · November 16, 1907
Capital
Oklahoma City
People
4,053,824 (est.)
Land
68,595 mi² (177,660 km²)
Motto
Labor omnia vincit · “Labor conquers all things”
High point
Black Mesa · 4,973 ft (1,516 m)
Time zone
Central Time
State bird
Scissor-tailed flycatcher
Demonym
Oklahomans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is Oklahoma?
Oklahoma is in the US Great Plains. The borders below are the ones to memorize.
Border = frontera. River = río.
Where the name comes from
1 · The name
Choctaw okla humma, “red people.”
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are Oklahomans. The motto means “Labor conquers all things”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
46th
Oklahoma became the 46th state on November 16, 1907.
1907
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
4,053,824 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Oklahoma City, the capital
Oklahoma City is the capital. Oklahoma City is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Oklahoma City 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.
Oklahoma City, a big city
Oklahoma City pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Oklahoma City and Tulsa 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.
Tulsa
Tulsa is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Tulsa 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
Black Mesa · 4,973 ft (1,516 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
Wind
Nothing stops it for 400 miles (644 km).
Blizzard and hail
A whiteout, then a green summer hailstorm that flattens wheat.
Storm = tormenta. Snow = nieve.
Three days Oklahoma remembers
November 16, 1907
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Land runs and a red earth.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Wilma Mankiller
1 · The name
Wilma Mankiller
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to Oklahoma.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Sooner State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Choctaw okla humma, “red people.”
1907
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Land runs and a red earth
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
chicken-fried steak
Dish 2
onion burger
Dish 3
frybread
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Sooners / Thunder
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
WILMA MANKILLER
The episode’s first person for Oklahoma.
OKLAHOMA CITY
Capital: Oklahoma City.
THE SOONER STATE
The Sooner 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
Oklahoma City
Name the team
Sooners / Thunder
Name the food
chicken-fried steak
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A Oklahoma detail
46th
1 · Order
46th state, November 16, 1907.
2 · People
4,053,824
3 · Hook
Land runs and a red earth
Town = pueblo.
Black Mesa
peak
1 · Height
Black Mesa · 4,973 ft (1,516 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 Oklahoma?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Oklahoma comes from which language?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Oregon
Oklahoma, episode 36: Land runs and a red earth.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.