United states
/juˈnaɪtɪd steɪts/
nounA2
Definition
The United States is a country in North America made of 50 states. These states are joined (united) to form one country with a common government and laws. People often call it "the U.S." or "America."
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See It in Action
The country in North America made of 50 states
- •The United States is known for its large size and diverse population.
- •Many people visit the United States to see famous cities like New York and Los Angeles.
- •The United States has a flag with 50 stars, each star representing a state.
Sometimes refers to the federal government or national level of the country
- •The United States passed new laws about education.
- •The United States government works in Washington, D.C.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "United States" like "country," but this country is made by joining many smaller parts (states) together
- ✓Picture a big puzzle made of 50 pieces (states) that fit together to make one whole picture (the country)
- ✓It's the feeling of many friends holding hands to be strong and work as one team
- ✓Sounds like "YOU-night-ed states" → imagine people saying "You night-ed" like "you joined" to be one group
- ✓Think of the flag with stars, each star is a state, all shining together in one sky
- ✓NOT like "state" alone (a smaller area), "United States" means all those states joined as one country
- ✓NOT like "country" that is one land only, here many lands (states) come together but share one government
Try Other Words
- •America: informal name for the United States (Use when speaking casually or in everyday conversation)
- •USA: abbreviation for United States of America (Use in writing or speech for short form)
- •The States: informal, casual way to say United States (Use in conversation)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "united" (joined together) + "states" (smaller political areas)
- •Etymology: From English words; "united" means joined, "states" means parts of a country
- •Historical development: Name used since the country formed in 1776 when states joined to become one nation
- •Modern usage: Refers to the country of the United States of America; also used to mean its government or people
Reflect & Connect
•How does the idea of being "united" affect how the states work together in the country?
•Can you think of other places in the world where smaller parts join to make one country like the United States?
Fill in the blanks
1.The United States is called "united" because many ___ work together as one country.
2.When people say "the United States," they usually mean the ___ made of 50 states.
3.The government of the United States is located in ___, the capital city.
4.The United States flag has 50 stars, each star stands for one ___.
5.People often say "USA" instead of "United States" to ___ the name.
6.The United States is different from a single ___ because it has many smaller parts.
7.When states are united, they share laws and ___ to help the country work well.