Students identify U.S. states based on descriptions in a political geography exercise.

Okay, I need to solve this problem. The task is to identify the state described in each of the six statements and label it on the map, then record its number of electoral votes.

First, I'll examine the image closely to understand the layout. It shows a map of the United States with numbered statements below it. Each statement describes a state's characteristics, including its location, political leanings, and electoral vote count. My job is to match each description to the correct state on the map.

I will start by analyzing each statement one by one to identify the state being described.

Statement 1

The first statement says: "I border California on the southwest side. I'm the 6th largest state and hold 11 electoral votes that are known to go red, though I did turn blue for Democratic candidate Bill Clinton in 1996."

This is describing Arizona. It borders California to the southwest, is the 6th largest state by area, and has 11 electoral votes. It has historically been a Republican-leaning ("red") state but voted for Bill Clinton in 1996.

Statement 2

The second statement says: "I'm located just below Georgia. Candidates battle it out for my 29 electoral votes. Whether I tip red or blue has a great effect on the map."

This is describing Florida. It is located directly south of Georgia and has 29 electoral votes, making it a crucial swing state.

Statement 3

The third statement says: "I'm the north of Indiana and Ohio. For six elections straight I turned blue, 2016 was a close call, but Republican candidate Donald Trump won my 18 electoral votes for the first time since 1988."

This is describing Michigan. It is located north of Indiana and Ohio, has 18 electoral votes, and was part of the "Blue Wall" until Donald Trump won it in 2016.

Statement 4

The fourth statement says: "I share my name with another but I'm north-not south! I'm just below Virginia. I'm known to swing right, but my 13 electoral votes went to Democratic candidate Barack Obama in 2008."

This is describing North Carolina. It shares its name with South Carolina, is located just south of Virginia, and has 13 electoral votes. It swung to Barack Obama in 2008.

Statement 5

The fifth statement says: "Rials aren't right. Just north of Illinois, my 15 electoral votes consistently went to the Democratic party until 2016 when Republican candidate Donald Trump won my state by just 0.7%."

This is describing Wisconsin. It is located just north of Illinois, has 15 electoral votes, and was a reliably Democratic state until Trump narrowly won it in 2016.

Statement 6

The sixth statement says: "South of New York, my 20 electoral votes have gone to the Democratic candidates since 2000. But in 2016, Republican candidate Donald Trump won in my state."

This is describing Pennsylvania. It is located south of New York, has 20 electoral votes, and has been a Democratic stronghold since 2000, but Trump won it in 2016.

Now that I have identified all the states, I will label them on the map and record their electoral votes as required.

Here is the solution:

1. Arizona - 11 electoral votes
2. Florida - 29 electoral votes
3. Michigan - 18 electoral votes
4. North Carolina - 13 electoral votes
5. Wisconsin - 15 electoral votes
6. Pennsylvania - 20 electoral votes

To complete the task, you would need to write the corresponding number (1-6) on the map next to each state.