SOUTH DAKOTA
26 slides for an ESL class. Short lines, one idea each, miles and km.
At a glance
Statehood
40th · November 2, 1889
Capital
Pierre
People
919,318 (est.)
Land
75,811 mi² (196,350 km²)
Motto
Under God the people rule · “Under God the people rule”
High point
Black Elk Peak · 7,242 ft (2,207 m)
Time zone
Central (west Mountain pockets) Time
State bird
Ring-necked pheasant
Demonym
South Dakotans
Glance = vistazo. Motto = lema.
Where is South Dakota?
South Dakota 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
Dakota, friend/ally.
2 · How it stuck
English spelling froze later. Say the demonym out loud twice.
3 · Demonym
People here are South Dakotans. The motto means “Under God the people rule”.
Name = nombre. People = gente.
Statehood day
40th
South Dakota became the 40th state on November 2, 1889.
1889
Statehood year. A smaller population, a different economy.
1900s
Rail, farms, and factories pulled people in.
Today
919,318 (est.)
Statehood = estado. To join = unirse.
Pierre, the capital
Pierre is the capital. Sioux Falls is the big-city name on most maps.
1 · The capital
Pierre 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.
Sioux Falls, a big city
Sioux Falls pulls jobs and airports.
1 · Size
Say Sioux Falls and Rapid City 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.
Rapid City
Rapid City is the other city the weather report names.
1 · Role
Rapid City 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 Elk Peak · 7,242 ft (2,207 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 South Dakota remembers
November 2, 1889
Statehood day.
1900s
Machines, roads, and new jobs remade daily life.
today
Rushmore and badlands.
History = historia. Flood = inundación.
Person 1 · Sitting Bull
1 · The name
Sitting Bull
2 · The deed
This is the person the class should be able to spell.
3 · Place
Tie the name back to South Dakota.
Person = persona. Story = historia.
The flag
Look
Find the unique emblem, not only the blue field.
Say it
The nickname is The Mount Rushmore State.
Color
Ask one student to describe the flag without pointing.
Flag = bandera. Star = estrella.
Four-moment timeline
Name
Dakota, friend/ally.
1889
Statehood.
1900s
Industry and cities.
now
Rushmore and badlands
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
chislic
Dish 2
frybread
Dish 3
pheasant
Food = comida. Dish = plato.
Game day
Team
Jackrabbits / Coyotes
Friday
High school lights still matter.
Rival
Ask who the rival is. There is always one.
Game = partido. Team = equipo.
Three people
SITTING BULL
The episode’s first person for South Dakota.
PIERRE
Capital: Pierre.
THE MOUNT RUSHMORE
The Mount Rushmore 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
Pierre
Name the team
Jackrabbits / Coyotes
Name the food
chislic
Slang = jerga. To say = decir.
A South Dakota detail
40th
1 · Order
40th state, November 2, 1889.
2 · People
919,318
3 · Hook
Rushmore and badlands
Town = pueblo.
Black Elk Peak
peak
1 · Height
Black Elk Peak · 7,242 ft (2,207 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 Dakota?
2. What is the nickname?
3. Which number state?
4. Motto in English?
5. Mount Rushmore is in which state?
Question = pregunta. Answer = respuesta.
Thanks · Next stop: Tennessee
South Dakota, episode 41: Rushmore and badlands.
Answer key
1) a 2) a 3) a 4) a 5) b
Thanks = gracias. Next = siguiente.