Growing up in America

Opening Discussion

• What do you know about life in other countries?

• Do you think Americans are happier than Chinese people? Are they sadder? The same?

• Do you think going to school in another country would change how you think?

SuburbiaA common place for American people to raise children is the suburbs. A suburb is a separate residential community within commuting distance of a large city. Suburbs first emerged on a large scale in the 1900s as a result of improved forms of transportation.

Suburban development in Colorado Springs, Colorado

KindergartenMost American children have their first school experience in either preschool or kindergarten. It is common for a student to have one year of kindergarten when they are between 4-6 years old before they start elementary school. Kindergarten is different from later school environments because the focus is more on socialization rather than math or reading.

Elementary SchoolFrom ages 6 to 11, American children go to elementary school. This type of school is also known as a primary school or grade school (because each year is know as a “grade”: first grade, second grade, etc.) Elementary schools provide their students with an education in reading, writing and arithmetic (the three Rs).

Report Card

A report card tells about a student's performance in school. A typical report card uses a grading scale to determine the quality of a student's school work. The possible grades, from highest to lowest, are as follows: A, B, C, D, F. Sometimes the teachers will also assign grades with a plus (+) or minus (-) sign so that the highest possible grade is an A+ and the lowest possible is an F-.

Jr. HighAfter elementary school, American students usually go to a Jr. High School. Junior High is a place for young students to start preparing for their higher education, so it is sort of a mix between elementary school and high school. Unlike elementary school, for example, where the students spend their whole day in one classroom with one teacher, junior. high students usually have 5-6 different classes, in different subjects, with different teachers. Junior high school students also usually start receiving grades based on a point system, with 4.0 being the highest possible grade, and 0 being the lowest.

High SchoolThe last four years of school before a student goes off to college are called high school. High School students study a number of different subjects, and they have the ability to choose some of the classes that they take. After high school, Americans can either choose to go to college, or finish their education and enter the workforce.

CollegeHigher education (university) is often called college in the United States. Students at American colleges can study any number of subjects in one of the best university systems in the world.

Unlike in high school, college students are generally regarded as adults, and free to determine their own future. There is generally no limit on which major a college student has to take, as long as they are admitted to the college they wish to attend.

What do you think?

• What kind of education did you have in your home?

• What would the world be like if everyone had access to a good education?

• How important do you think education is?• What do you think Mark Twain meant when

he said, “never let school interfere with your education”?

Part-time JobA part-time job is a job where people work fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they work less than 30 hours a week. Part time jobs are an essential part of many Americans’ educations because without a part-time job, many college students can not make ends meet. In fact, it is not uncommon for many Americans to get their first part-time job when they are still in high school.

Fast Food

Driver’s LicenseIn the United States, the minimum age to obtain a driver's license varies from 14 years, three months in South Dakota to as high as 17 in New Jersey.

In America, getting your driver’s license is an important step in becoming an adult.

ShootingMany Americans, particularly in small towns, learn to shoot and use firearms at an early age. It is also not uncommon for kids to go hunting with their parents (usually their father).

This issue is somewhat controversial in some places, particularly in the larger cities, but guns remain a normal part of life in many places.

One reason the people teach their children about firearms, is that they believe that it is better for them to know how guns work so that they can avoid dangerous accidents.

What do you think?

• When did you get your first job?• Do you think it is more important for students

to learn how to do things in the workplace, or should they concentrate on their studies?

• When do people usually get driver’s licenses in your country? How do you feel about driving on the roads with teenagers?

• Is it a good idea for kids to learn how to shoot?