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Panorama de La Cultura

Norteamericana

Culture of the United States

INTRODUCTION

The state capitals for the 50 US states

American History

A Promise of Freedom video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is0nUd8rW3s

VOCABULARY:
citizen
constitution
background
freedom
right
colony
Britain
immigrant
pursuit
slavery
hard-fought
confederation
hold together
elected representatives
vote
issue
restriction

Someone who lives in a particular town, country, or state


A set of basic laws and principles that a country or organization is
governed by.
Someone's family, education, previous work, etc.
The right to do what you want without being controlled or restricted
by anyone
Something that you are morally, legally, or officially allowed to do or
have
A country or area that is under the political control of a more powerful
country
Great Britain or the UK
Someone who enters another country to live there permanently
When someone tries to get, achieve, or find something in a
determined way. For example: the pursuit of happiness
The system of having slaves.
A hard-fought game or competition involves two opposing sides who
are trying very hard to defeat each other.
A group of people, political parties, or organizations that have united
for political purposes or trade.
Stay unified
Someone who has been elected to work in the government.
To show by marking a paper, raising your hand etc which person you
want to elect.
To publish
A rule or law that limits or controls what people can do.

The Thirteen Colonies were a group of British colonies on the east coast of North
America founded in the 17th and 18th centuries that declared independence in 1776
and formed the United States. The thirteen were: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire,
Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

Questions before the video:


1.
2.
3.
4.

What important facts do you know about the constitution of Peru?


Who were Thomas Jefferson and George Washington?
What is a Declaration of Independence?
What is the Bill of Rights?

Questions during the video:


1. Which one is NOT CORRECT regarding the US Constitution, according to the
video?
a) Four-page document
b) Written more then 300 years ago
c) Defines the structure of the US government
2. What are the first 3 words of the US Constitution?
a) Were the World
b) We The People
c) Were The People
3. What people had lived in the US before the European people arrived?
a) Aymaras
b) Aztecas
c) Native Americans
4. How many colonies were formed by the European settlers?
a) 30
b) 13
c) 16

Questions after the video:


1. What happened in 1776?
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
2. Which one was not announced in the Declaration of Independence?
a) The colonies were free and no longer under British rule
b) All men are created equal
c) All men are born with the natural right to travel around the world
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3. Of the 56 men who signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, 8


were foreign-born. They were immigrants like many people in the United States
today. What does foreign-born mean?
a) Nonnative
b) Native
4. The Declaration of Independence announced that the colonies were free and
independent states no longer under British rule. What does independent
mean?
a) Not controlled
b) Not established
5. What was the stronger agreement to tie the 13 states together and to ensure
the survival of this country?
a) The Articles of Confederation
b) The Constitution
6. Over the years the Constitution has changed through what are called
amendments. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of
Rights. Those amendments establish some very basic rights of citizens:
freedom of religin, freedom of speech What does amendment mean?
a) A change or addition
b) A restriction

American Education
U.S. System of Education - English Language Notes 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ciiaPwhF0I

VOCABULARY: Write T or F in the spaces in blank.


a)

Daycare/Nursery: When babies or young children are looked after during the day, especially
while their family members are at work. _____

b) Preschool: Relating to the time in a child's life before they are old enough to go to school.
_____
c) Kindergarten: A school in the US where basic subjects are taught for the first six years of a
child's education. _____
d) Elementary school: A school or class for children aged five in North America. ____
e) Middle school: A school in the US for children between the ages of 11 and 14. _____
f)

High school: Higher education which has four-year programs. _____

g) Freshman year: 9th grade. Secondary education. _____


h) Sophomore year: 11th grade. Secondary education. _____
i)

Junior year: 10th grade. Secondary education. ______

j)

Senior year: 12th grade. Secondary education. ______

k) College /University: Secondary education. A school in the US and Canada for children of 14 or
15 to 18 years old _____
l)

Undergraduate: Someone who has completed a university degree, especially a first degree.
_____

m) Graduate: A student at college or university, who is working for their first degree in higher
education. _____
n) Postgraduate: Someone who is studying at a university to get a master's degree or a PhD. ____

Graphic explained in more detail:

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PUZZLE
Cut the pieces below and then put it together again in the correct order.

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Questions:
Sequence of Schools

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Types of Schools

U.S. System of Education

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American Politics
VOCABULARY:
-

Carry out
Ballot
Vote
Enact
Senate
Supreme court
Law
Appointed
Advisor
Comprised
Removal
Federal court
Approve
Nominate
Support

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How is power divided in the United States government?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuFR5XBYLfU

How the U.S. Government Is Organized


The Constitution of the United States divides the federal government into three
branches to ensure a central government in which no individual or group gains too
much control:
1. Legislative Makes laws (Congress)
2. Executive Carries out laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet)
3. Judicial Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and Other Courts)

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Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:

The president can veto laws passed by Congress.


Congress confirms or rejects the president's appointments and can remove the
president from office in exceptional circumstances.
The justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are
appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

The U.S. federal government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through
this system of checks and balances.

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects presidential appointments,


and has the authority to declare war.
This branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and several
agencies that provide support services to Congress. American citizens have the right to
vote for senators and representatives through free, confidential ballots.

Senate - There are two elected senators per state, totaling 100 senators. A
senate term is six years and there's no limit to the number of terms an
individual can serve.
House of Representatives - There are 435 elected representatives, which are
divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. There are
additional non-voting delegates who represent the District of Columbia and the
territories. A representative serves a two-year term, and there's no limit to the
number of terms an individual can serve.

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Executive Branch

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the president, vice
president, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other
boards, commissions, and committees.
American citizens have the right to vote for the president and vice president through
free, confidential ballots.
Key roles of the executive branch include:

President - The president leads the country. He/she is the head of state, leader
of the federal government, and commander-in-chief of the United States Armed
Forces. The president serves a four-year term and can be elected no more than
two times.
Vice President - The vice president supports the president. If the president is
unable to serve, the vice president becomes president. He/she can serve an
unlimited number of four-year terms.
The Cabinet - Cabinet members serve as advisors to the president. They
include the vice president and the heads of executive departments. Cabinet
members are nominated by the president and must be approved by the Senate
(with at least 51 votes).

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Judicial Branch

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases,
and decides if laws violate the Constitution.
The judicial branch is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

Supreme Court - The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.
The justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the president and must be
approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes). Congress decides the number
of justices. Currently, there are nine. There is no fixed term for justices. They
serve until their death, retirement, or removal in exceptional circumstances.
Other Federal Courts - The Constitution grants Congress the authority to
establish other federal courts.

https://www.usa.gov/branches-of-government

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PUZZLE!
Cut the pieces below and then put it together again in the correct
order.

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How America Elects: U.S. Political Parties


Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMEHDuLrFxA

Political Parties
This may look like a line up for tonight's concert, but guess again! These are but a few
of the many political parties that have played a role in American presidential elections.
With names like Whig, Anti-Mason, and Green, these parties may sound more like
household cleaners or new wave bands than political powers. However, the diverse
conditions of historical eras, and differing ideologies of America's people gave rise to
these political parties, founded to advance specific ideals and the candidates who
represented them.

Today, America is a multi-party system. The Democratic Party and theRepublican Party
are
the
most
powerful.
Yet
other
parties,
such
as
the Reform,Libertarian, Socialist, Natural Law, Constitution and Green Parties can
promote candidates in a presidential election. It is likely that political parties will
continue to play a major role in presidential elections in the new millennium. Do you
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think our party system has strengthened or weakened our election process? Do you
think the American People will seriously look outside the Republican and Democratic
Parties to elect a president some day? What might cause this?

No Parties Here
Our founding fathers had seen vicious fighting among political interests in Europe, and
wanted to avoid this in the new nation. As the framers of the Constitution, they were
very concerned about not creating crippling dissension within our political system.
On Saturday, June 2, 1787, Ben Franklin took the floor at the Constitutional Convention
as a skeptic. Franklin feared that greed-driven competition for the presidency would
divide the new American government into factions. He warned,

There are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These
are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. ...Place before the
eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and
they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such places ...renders
the British government so tempestuous...[and is the true source] of all those factions
which are perpetually dividing the nation [and] distracting its councils...
On Wednesday, June 6, 1787, just a few days later, James Madison weighed in by
saying that if unregulated,
All civilized societies would be divided into different sects, factions, and interests, ...of
rich and poor, debtors and creditors, ... the inhabitants of this district or that district,
the followers of this political leader or that political leader, the disciples of this religious
sect or that religious sect. In all cases where a majority are united by a common
interest or passion, the rights of the minority are in danger.

In order to avoid factions, the Constitution grants political parties no role in selecting a
president. Ironically, political factions sprang up right away to support the Constitution
and to oppose it. By the presidental election of 1796, political parties were firmly in
place in America. The Federalists followed Secretary of the Treasury Alexander
Hamilton. The Democratic-Republicans (also called the Jeffersonians) followed Thomas
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Jefferson and James Madison -- the very James Madison who had earlier warned
against factions.
Today the party system seems firmly entrenched. Some Americans might argue that
there is no real difference between the ideals and political stance of today's parties.
Other Americans routinely vote a "party ticket" in their belief that a particular political
party will best represent their wishes for governing the nation. In light of the role
played by today's political parties, do you think our founding fathers' concerns about
creating factions was warranted? Does our current party system give adequate voting
choice to most Americans? What do you think the future might hold for America's
party system?

For and Against


David Letterman and Jay Leno rely on political parties and political candidates to
provide material for their nightly monologues. Throughout America's history, parties
have been derided because of what they stood "for" and "against". This 1914
vaudeville act takes potshots at the ideologies and behavior of political parties from
our nation's past including the Prohibitionists, the Suffragists and the Bull Moose Party
Comedians had only two parties to pick on until 1827, when the Anti-Masons
organized the first third party in America. As you might suspect, this party's ideology
was to prevent FreeMasons from influencing government offices. While the AntiMasons lasted only eleven years as a separate party (they joined the Whigs in 1838),
they did set a precedent by holding the first party convention that nominated
candidates.

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/pre
sentations/elections/partysys2.html

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American Diversity

What is diversity?
Being Different is Beautiful by LittleSikhs.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ1ygFknjYo

Teens talk about diversity


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFNuRJm4LMs

Changing Face of America: The Diversity Index explained


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGKcVHZKoDk

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VOCABULARY:
-

Diversity
Mix
Census
Ethnicity
Background
Race
Point of view
Stereotype
Alike

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American Diversity
Vocabulary.
-

Tips
Suburb
Boutique

Holidays in the United States


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHIeB9gdC8o

Thanksgiving, a Traditional American Holiday


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXZh-gOljFg

25 Things That Visitors Will Find Most Surprising About The


United States
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT_-viaUegI

American Culture: Traditions and


Customs of the United States

The cowboy is an American icon of style and attitude.


Credit: Sascha Burkard | Shutterstock

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American culture encompasses the customs and traditions of the United States.
"Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language,
marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we
greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things," said Cristina
De Rossi, an anthropologist at Barnet and Southgate College in London.

The United States is the third largest country in the word with a population of
more than 320 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Because of this, the
United States is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Nearly
every region of the world has influenced American culture, as it is a country of
immigrants, most notably the English who colonized the country beginning in
the early 1600s. U.S. culture has also been shaped by the cultures of Native
Americans, Latin Americans, Africans and Asians.
The United States is sometimes described as a "melting pot" in which different
cultures have contributed their own distinct "flavors" to American culture. Just
as cultures from around the world have influenced American culture, today
American culture influences the world. The term Western culture often refers
broadly to the cultures of the United States and Europe.

The way people "melt" in the United States differs. "Different groups of
immigrants integrate in different ways," De Rossi told Live Science. "For
example, in the United States, Catholic Spanish-speaking communities might
keep their language and other cultural family traditions, but are integrated in the
urban community and have embraced the American way of life in many other
ways."
The Northeast, South, Midwest, Southeast and Western regions of the United
States all have distinct traditions and customs. Here is a brief overview of the
culture of the United States.

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Language
There is no official language of the United States, according to the U.S.
government. While almost every language in the world is spoken in the United
States, Spanish, Chinese, French and German are among the most frequently
spoken non-English languages. Ninety percent of the U.S. population speaks
and understands at least some English, and most official business is conducted
in English.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that more than 300 languages are spoken
in the United States. The bureau divides those languages into four categories:
Spanish; other Indo-European languages, which includes German, Yiddish,
Swedish, French, Italian, Russian, Polish, Hindi, Punjabi, Greek and several
others; Asian and Pacific Island languages, including Chinese, Korean,
Japanese, Thai, Tamil and more; and "all other languages," which is a category
for languages that didn't fit into the first three categories, such as Hungarian,
Arabic, Hebrew, languages of Africa and languages of native people of North,
Central and South America.

Religion
Nearly every known religion is practiced in the United States, which was
founded on the basis of religious freedom. About 83 percent of Americans
identify themselves as Christians, according to an ABC poll, while 13 percent
replied that they had no religion at all. Another poll in 2012reported similar
findings. It also found that Judaism is the second most-identified religious
affiliation, at about 1.7 percent of the population. Only 0.6 percent of
respondents identified as Muslim.

American style
Clothing styles vary by social status, region, occupation and climate. Jeans,
sneakers, baseball caps, cowboy hats and boots are some items of clothing that
are closely associated with Americans. Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Michael
Kors and Victoria Secret are some well-known American brands.
American fashion is widely influenced by celebrities and the media, and fashion
sales equal around $200 billion per year, according to a paper published
by Harvard University.

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American food
American cuisine has been influenced by Europeans and Native Americans in
its early history. Today, there are a number of foods that are commonly
identified as American, such as hamburgers, hot dogs, potato chips, macaroni
and cheese, and meat loaf. "As American as apple pie" has come to mean
something that is authentically American.
There are also styles of cooking and types of foods that are specific to a region.
Southern-style cooking is often called "American comfort food" and includes
dishes such as fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas and corn bread.
Tex-Mex, popular in Texas and the Southwest, is a blend of Spanish and
Mexican cooking styles and includes items such as chili and burritos and relies
heavily on shredded cheese and beans.
Jerky, dried meats that are served as snacks, is also a food that was created in
the United States, according to NPR.

The Arts
The United States is widely known around the world as a leader in mass media
production, including television and movies. According to the U.S. Department of
Commerce, the United States comprises one-third of the worldwide media and
entertainment industry.
The television broadcasting industry took hold in the United States in the early
1950s, and American television programs are now shown around the world. The
United States also has a vibrant movie industry, centered in Hollywood,
California, and American movies are popular worldwide. The U.S. film industry
earned $31 billion in revenues in 2013, according to the U.S. Department of
Commerce.
The United State's arts culture extends beyond movies and television shows,
though. New York is home to Broadway, and Americans have a rich theatrical
history. American folk art is an artistic style and is identified with quilts and other
hand-crafted items. American music is very diverse with many, many styles,
including rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, country and western, bluegrass, rock
'n' roll and hip hop.

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Sports
The United States is a sportsminded country, with millions of fans who
follow football, baseball, basketball and
hockey, among other sports. Baseball, which
was developed in colonial America and
became an organized sport in the mid1800s, is known as Americas favorite
pastime, although its popularity has been
eclipsed by football for the past three
decades, according to the Harris Poll.

American holidays
Many holidays are celebrated only in the United States. Americans celebrate
their independence from Britain on July 4. Memorial Day, celebrated on the last
Monday in May, honors those who have died in military service. Labor Day,
observed on the first Monday in September, celebrates countrys workforce.
Thanksgiving, another distinctive American holiday, falls on the fourth Thursday
in November and dates back to colonial times to celebrate the harvest.
Presidents Day, marking the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln, is a federal holiday that occurs on the third Monday in February. The
contributions of veterans are honored on Veterans Day, observed on Nov. 11.
The contributions of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. are remembered on
the third Monday in January.

http://www.livescience.com/28945-american-culture.html
http://folkartmuseum.org/
https://www.press.umich.edu/pdf/9780472033041-101AmerCult.pdf

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American Religion

http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/

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