SOUTH CAROLINA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
8th · May 23, 1788
Capital
Columbia
People
5,373,555 (est.)
Land
30,061 mi² (77,857 km²)
Motto
Dum spiro spero · “While I breathe, I hope”
High point
Sassafras Mountain · 3,560 ft (1,085 m)
Time zone
Eastern Time
State bird
Carolina wren
Demonym
South Carolinians
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is South Carolina?
South Carolina 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
King Charles I, like its northern twin.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are South Carolinians. The motto means “While I breathe, I hope”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
8th
South Carolina became the 8th state on May 23, 1788.
1788
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
5,373,555 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Columbia, the capital
Columbia is the capital. Charleston is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Columbia 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.
Charleston, a big city
Charleston pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Charleston and Columbia 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.
Columbia
Columbia is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Columbia 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
Sassafras Mountain · 3,560 ft (1,085 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 South Carolina remembers
May 23, 1788
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
A palmetto and a first shot.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Robert Smalls
1 · The name
Robert Smalls
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to South Carolina.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Palmetto State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
King Charles I, like its northern twin.
1788
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
A palmetto and a first shot
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
shrimp and grits
Dish 2
she-crab soup
Dish 3
boiled peanuts
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Gamecocks / Tigers
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
ROBERT SMALLS
The episode’s first person for South Carolina.
COLUMBIA
Capital: Columbia.
THE PALMETTO STATE
The Palmetto 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
Columbia
Name the team
Gamecocks / Tigers
Name the food
shrimp and grits
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A South Carolina detail
8th
1 · Order
8th state, May 23, 1788.
2 · People
5,373,555
3 · Hook
A palmetto and a first shot
Town = pueblo.
Sassafras Mountain
peak
1 · Height
Sassafras Mountain · 3,560 ft (1,085 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 South Carolina?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Fort Sumter is in which harbor?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: South Dakota
South Carolina, episode 40: A palmetto and a first shot.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) a
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.