Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Norteamericana
INTRODUCTION
American History
VOCABULARY:
citizen
constitution
background
freedom
right
colony
Britain
immigrant
pursuit
slavery
hard-fought
confederation
hold together
elected representatives
vote
issue
restriction
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.
American Education
U.S. System of Education - English Language Notes 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ciiaPwhF0I
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)
j)
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. ____
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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
12
Types of Schools
13
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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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Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:
The U.S. federal government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through
this system of checks and balances.
Legislative Branch
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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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?
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
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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
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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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