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Additional Lessons |
 About These
Lessons
The following classroom lessons are great for students
who want additional listening and reading practice. |
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Travel America -
Beginner
Level. Do you love America and American
English? Learn before you travel. Facts and other
cool stuff about your favorite U.S. state. Great
English reading practice.
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 Travel
America - Mississippi
(Beginner -
Reading)
Learn some interesting facts and read interesting
stories about Mississippi. |
 Mississippi
Spelling the name of this state out loud is a catchy
way to remember it, and a way to make sure you spell
it correctly. The name "Mississippi" comes from an
Indian word meaning "great waters" or "father of
waters." Mississippi entered the Union as the 20th
state in 1817. Considered part of the Deep South,
Mississippi, with its rich soil and many rivers, is
an agricultural state. The state flower is the
fragrant magnolia blossom, and the capital is
Jackson. |
Mississippi
State Flag
The state flag of Mississipi has a square Union
canton in the upper left and three horizontal bars of blue,
white, and red (the same shades as the national colors of
the United States). The stars represent the original 13
colonies. |
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Source:
State Symbols USA |
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 Mississippi
State Facts
Picture: state seal of Mississippi |
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State Capital |
Jackson |
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Nickname |
Magnolia State |
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Motto |
Virtute et Armis (By valor and arms) |
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Statehood |
December 10, 1817 (20th) |
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Origin of Name |
Possible based on Chippewa Indian words "mici zibi,"
loosely meaning "great river" or "gathering in of
all water" |
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Largest Cities |
Jackson, Biloxi, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Gulfport |
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Border States |
Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee |
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Area |
46,914 sq. mi.; 31st largest |
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State Bird |
Mockingbird |
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State Flower |
Magnolia (magnolia grandiflora) |
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State Tree |
Magnolia ( magnolia grandiflora) |
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State Song |
Go Mis-sis-sip-pi |
 Travel and
tourism site for Mississippi - This state travel and
territorial tourism site provides ideas for your vacations,
meetings, and more. |
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Mississippi Stories |
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Biloxi, Mississippi's Blessing of the Fleet
If you saw the movie "The Perfect Storm," then you know how
dangerous it can be to fish for a living. That's why every year at
the beginning of the shrimp fishing season in Biloxi, Mississippi, a
priest from St. Michael's Catholic Church blesses the shrimp boats.
The ceremony begins with the dropping of an evergreen wreath into
the water in remembrance of fishermen who have been lost at sea.
Then a colorful procession of more than 30 shrimp boats files past
the anchored "Blessing Boat," where the priest stands, sprinkling
holy water on each of the boats and blessing each one, asking for a
safe and successful fishing season.
Blessing of ships is an old custom that started in Europe and was
brought to America. Every time a boat is taken out into the water
there are potential dangers -- turning over (capsizing), springing a
leak, getting lost, or sailors falling overboard. There is also the
uncertainty of whether or not enough seafood will be caught to make
the trip profitable. The custom of blessing the shrimp boats started
in Biloxi in 1929 and will probably continue for a long time. |
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Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival
Think about all the emotions expressed in the music you listen to:
joy, happiness, loneliness, nervousness, and, of course, sadness.
Music with sad themes is often called the "blues."
Blues music developed in the United States among Southern blacks
after the Civil War. When slaves were brought to America from
Africa, they brought their musical traditions with them. Blended
with folk and popular music of whites, these African musical
traditions developed into the blues.
The blues is believed to have originated in the Mississippi Delta, a
wedge-shaped region in northern Mississippi between the Mississippi
and Yazoo rivers. This is a rural area where the poorest and most
disadvantaged black people lived -- this lifestyle created a need
for the expression of sadness that is so often sung in the blues.
The conditions in this area -- poverty, racism, and inhumane working
situations -- led many blacks to go north, to cities such as
Memphis, Chicago, St. Louis and Detroit.
The blues did not vanish from the Mississippi countryside, however,
and in 1978, the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival was
founded to celebrate and promote the blues and the culture of the
Mississippi Delta people. What started out on the back of a flatbed
truck is now the oldest and largest blues festival in the South,
with 20,000 visitors and performances on three festival stages. |
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Mississippi's Rock of Gibraltar
Do you know about the Rock of Gibraltar at the southern tip of
Spain? The Greeks believed that Gibraltar was one of the Pillars of
Hercules and no one dared sail beyond it. Later, when it came under
British control, it became known as a symbol of British naval
strength and was known as "the Rock." During the Civil War, a city
in Mississippi was called "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy;" do you
know which one it was?
The mighty Mississippi River flows past the historic city of
Vicksburg. Built on a strategic location halfway between Memphis and
New Orleans, Vicksburg became an important stronghold during the
Civil War. It was known as "The Gibraltar of the Confederacy"
because the Battle of Vicksburg was one of the Civil War's longest
and most important campaigns. The city's eventual surrender in 1863
gave Union forces control of the Mississippi River and divided the
South.
The Mississippi River has played a large part in the development of
Vicksburg. In an 1873 flood, the river changed course and destroyed
what was left of the city after the Civil War. The Great Mississippi
River Flood of 1927 also had devastating effects on the city. After
both of these natural disasters, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
provided assistance to Vicksburg by building canals, levees and
other structures to protect this river city. |
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Source:
Library of Congress |
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 National
Forests of Mississippi
The following is a description of national
forests in the state
of Mississippi. There are no national parks
or monuments in this state. If you plan to visit or live
in Mississippi for awhile then you should
definitely plan to visit some of these
fantastic places. |
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National Forests |
 Bienville
Located in central Mississippi, this forest
includes several lakes and reservoirs and
Harrell Prairie, the largest and least
disturbed prairie in the state. Bienville
Pines Scenic Area includes 189 acres (76 ha)
of old-growth forest. It is managed
collectively with Mississippi's five other
National Forests. |
 Delta
Delta National Forest contains the only
bottomland hardwood forest in the National
Forest System, located in the floodplain of
the Mississippi River.[18] The forest
includes the Green Ash-Overcup Oak-Sweetgum
Research Natural Areas, which is a National
Natural Landmark because it contains remnant
bottomland old-growth forest. |
 De
Soto
De Soto National Forest contains
Mississippi's only wilderness areas: Black
Creek and Leaf River. The Black Creek and
Tuxachanie National Recreation Trails
provide 60 mi (97 km) of hiking
opportunities. Black Creek has been
designated a National Wild and Scenic River
for 21 mi (34 km). |
 Holly
Springs
In north-central Mississippi, Holly Springs
National Forest has small lakes in upland
forests and unique bottomlands. Chewalla and
Puskus recreation areas surround the
namesake lakes and have boat launches. |
 Homochitto
Located in southern Mississippi, this forest
is named for the Homochitto River, meaning
"Big Red River." Most of the forest is
densely forested hills, but there are
recreation facilities at Pipes Lake, Clear
Springs, and Mount Nebo. |
 Tombigbee
Located in northeastern Mississippi,
Tombigbee National Forest covers rolling
hills that were abandoned farmland before
the forest was established. It is managed
together with Mississippi's other National
Forests. |
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Travel
America
Do you love America and American English? Learn before
you travel. Facts and other cool stuff about your
favorite U.S. state. Visit the Fun Easy English Travel
America pages. Read about the beautiful National
Forests, Parks, and Monuments. Great English reading practice. |
 Drive America
Planning to drive in America? Learn the rules and
regulations. Great English reading practice. |
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