Entertainment and performing arts

Broadway in Chicago, created in July of 2000, brings touring productions and previews of Broadway musicals to Chicago, at venues including: LaSalle Bank Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Oriental Theatre, and the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Examples of shows that have come to the city as part of "Broadway in Chicago" are: Blue Man Group, Wicked, Rent, Stomp, The Color Purple, Hairspray, Chicago, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Cats, The Producers, Jesus Christ Superstar.

The city is home to the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Joffrey Ballet, and several modern and jazz dance troupes. Chicago is known for its Chicago blues, Chicago soul, jazz, and gospel. The city is the birthplace of the house style of music, and is the site of an influential hip-hop scene. In the 1980s, the city was a center for industrial, punk and new wave (spawning the famous Wax Trax! label). Chicago was an epicenter of the development of rave culture in the 1980s which continues today. There is a flourishing independent rock scene, including the recent explosion of Chicago indie acts, with multiple festivals featuring various acts each year (Lollapalooza, the Intonation Music Festival and Pitchfork Music Festival being the most prominent).

Detroit, Michigan

Nickname: Motor City, Motown, The Renaissance City, Rock City, Hockey town

Detroit (French: Détroit, meaning strait) is known as the world's traditional automotive center and an important source of popular music. Founded in 1701 by the Frenchman Antoine de Cadillac, the city was called the Paris of the West in the late nineteenth century for its architecture.

Tourist attractions

Many of the area's prominent museums are located in the historic cultural center neighborhood around Wayne State University. These museums include the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the Detroit Science Center, and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. Other cultural highlights include Motown Historical Museum, Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Fort Wayne, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID), and the Belle Isle Conservatory. Important history of Detroit and the surrounding area is exhibited at The Henry Ford, the nation's largest indoor-outdoor museum complex.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Nickname: Sheltered Bay

Honolulu is the capital of the State of Hawaii. In the Hawaiian language, Honolulu means "sheltered bay" or "place of shelter."

Despite the turbulent history of the late 19th century and early 20th century, which saw the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Hawaii's subsequent annexation by the United States, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Honolulu would remain the capital, largest city, and main airport and seaport of the Hawaiian Islands.

Within Honolulu proper can be found several volcanic cones: Punchbowl, Diamond Head, Koko Head (includes Hanauma Bay), Koko Crater, Salt Lake, and Aliamanu being the most conspicuous.

Waikiki is the world famous tourist district of Honolulu, located between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond Head. Just west of Waikiki is Ala Moana Center, the world's largest open-air shopping center.

Houston, Texas

Nickname: Space City

Houston was founded on August 30, 1836 by brothers Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen on land near the banks of Buffalo Bayou. The city was named after General Sam Houston, commander at the Battle of San Jacinto. In the 20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center, the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions, and NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.

Houston's economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, aeronautics, and technology industries. The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled. Houston is also home to Rice University, one of the United States' leading teaching and research universities, and the University of Houston, Texas's third-largest public research university.

Tourist attractions

The Museum District is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene as one of five U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.

Space Center Houston is the official visitors’ center of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Here one will find many interactive exhibits including moon rocks, a shuttle simulator, and presentations about the history of NASA's manned space flight program.

Other tourist attractions include the Galleria (Texas's largest shopping mall located in the Uptown District), Old Market Square, Tranquility Park, the Downtown Aquarium, and Sam Houston Park (which contains restored and reconstructed homes which were originally built between 1823 and 1905). The San Jacinto Battlefield State Historic Site where the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution was fought is located on the Houston Ship channel east of the city.

 

Las Vegas, Nevada

Nickname: "The Entertainment Capital of the World",
"Sin City"

Las Vegas (often abbreviated as Vegas) is an internationally known vacation, shopping, entertainment, and gambling destination. It was established in 1905.

The name Las Vegas is often applied to the unincorporated areas of Clark County that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. The center of gambling in the United States, Las Vegas is marketed as The Entertainment Capital of the World and is famous for its massive, lavish casino resorts. It is also commonly known as Sin City, due to the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic beverages at any time (as is true throughout Nevada), and various forms and degrees of adult entertainment. The city's glamorous image has made it a popular setting for films and television programs.

Las Vegas is one of the most dynamic cities in the world, "reinventing" itself as a gambling mecca, family destination, capital of hedonism ("What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"), or hotspot for dining and shopping over the years. Several events stand out as turning points:

Las Vegas' climate is an arid desert climate typical of the Mojave Desert, in which it is located, marked with very hot summers, moderate winters, abundant sunshine year-round, and very little rainfall.

Tourist attractions

The major attractions in Vegas are the casinos. The most famous casinos line Las Vegas Boulevard South, also known as the Las Vegas Strip. There are many casinos in the city's downtown area as well, which was the original focal point of the city's gaming industry in its early days.

 

Los Angeles, California

Nickname: City of Angels

Los Angeles (often abbreviated as L.A.) was founded in 1781 by the Spanish Felipe de Neve. It was a part of Spain then Mexico until 1848, when Mexico ceded California to the United States by treaty at the conclusion of the Mexican-American War. The name Los Angeles is shortened from "La Ciudad de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula" (The City of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula).

Los Angeles is one of the world's centers of culture, science, technology, international trade, and higher education. The city and its immediate vicinity lead the world in producing popular entertainment—such as motion picture, television, and recorded music.

Tourist attractions

Important landmarks in Los Angeles include Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Disney Concert Hall, Kodak Theater, Griffith Observatory, Getty Center, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Mann's Chinese Theater, Hollywood sign, Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles City Hall, Hollywood Bowl, Watts Towers, Staples Center and La Placita Olvera, the birthplace of Los Angeles.

Some well-known shopping areas are the Hollywood and Highland complex, the Beverly Center, Melrose Avenue, Robertson Boulevard, The Grove, Westside Pavillion, The Promenade at Howard Hughes Center and Venice Boardwalk.

Los Angeles also boasts a number of sports venues, including the Staples Center, a sports and entertainment complex that also hosts concerts and awards shows such as the Grammys. Los Angeles has twice played host to the summer Olympic Games, in 1932 and in 1984. The 1984 Summer Olympics inspired the creation of the Los Angeles Marathon, which has been held every year in March since 1986. Super Bowls I and VII were also held in the city as well as soccer's international World Cup in 1994.

Miami, Florida

Nickname: The Magic City, M-I-A, The 305

Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28, 1896, although the area was first inhabited for more than a thousand years by the Tequesta Indians and was claimed for Spain in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. In the mid-1800s Fort Dallas was built and subsequently, was a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War. Miami's importance as an international, financial, and cultural center has elevated Miami to the status of world city. Because of Miami's cultural and linguistic ties to North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, Miami is many times referred to as "The Gateway of the Americas." Florida's large Spanish-speaking population and strong economic ties to Latin America also make Miami and the surrounding region an important center of the Hispanic world.

Miami is also home to one of the largest, most influential ports in the United States, the Port of Miami. The port is often times called the "Cruise Capital of the World" and the "Cargo Gateway of the Americas". It has retained its status as the number one cruise/passenger port in the world for well over a decade accommodating the largest cruise ships and the major cruise lines. Miami also boosts many leading universities such as the University of Miami, one of the United States' top teaching and research universities, and Florida International University, Florida's fifth-largest public research university. Miami currently has the five tallest skyscrapers in the state of Florida with the tallest being the Four Seasons Hotel & Tower.

New York City

Nickname: "Big Apple", "Gotham

The City of New York is a global economic center, with its business, finance, trading, law, and media organizations influential worldwide. The city is also an important cultural center, with many museums, galleries, and performance venues. Home of the United Nations, the city is a hub for international diplomacy.

New York City comprises five boroughs, each of which are coterminous with a county: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city has many neighborhoods and landmarks known around the world: The Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, has been a dominant global financial center since World War II and is home to the New York Stock Exchange. The city has been home to several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building and the former twin towers of the World Trade Center. The city is the birthplace of many American cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual art, abstract expressionism in painting, and hip hop along with the Tin Pan Alley in music.

The mainland and many islands of New York are linked by a network of bridges and tunnels, including the Brooklyn Bridge and Holland Tunnel.

The city was founded as the colony of New Amsterdam by Dutch colonists in the early 17th century. The five boroughs were consolidated into one city in 1898. It has been central to the development of the United States, serving as the nation's first capital city in 1789, and has had a large influence in American media, finance, and politics. It is the site of some of the country's largest celebrations in size, including ticker-tape parades for returning astronauts and the celebrations in Times Square of the end of World War II.

Manhattan contains the major business and financial centers of the city and many cultural attractions, including numerous museums, the Broadway theatre district and Madison Square Garden.

Tourist attractions

The city has more than 2,000 arts and cultural organizations and more than 500 art galleries of all sizes. Wealthy industrialists in the 19th century built a network of major cultural institutions, such as the famed Carnegie Hall and Metropolitan Museum of Art. In the 1880s New York City theaters on Broadway began showcasing a new stage form that came to be known as the Broadway musical. The city's 39 largest theatres (with more than 500 seats) are collectively known as "Broadway," after the major thoroughfare that crosses the Times Square theatre district.

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, which includes Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the New York City Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Ballet, the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, The Juilliard School and Alice Tully Hall, is the largest performing arts center in the United States. Major destinations include the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, Broadway theatre productions, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and other tourist attractions including Central Park, Washington Square Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, luxury shopping along Fifth and Madison Avenues, and events such as the Halloween Parade in Greenwich Village, the Tribeca Film Festival, and free performances in Central Park at Summerstage. The Statue of Liberty is a major tourist attraction and one of the most recognizable icons of the United States. Many of the city's ethnic enclaves, such as Jackson Heights, Flushing, and Brighton Beach are major shopping destinations.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nickname: "Philly", "City of Brotherly Love", "Cradle of Liberty", "The Quaker City", "The Birthplace of America."

The city of Philadelphia is a major commercial, educational, and cultural center for the nation. In the 18th century, the city was the first capital. At that time, with Benjamin Franklin taking a large role in Philadelphia's rise. The city was the geographic center of the 18th-century thinking and activity that gave birth to the American Revolution and subsequent American democracy and independence.

Philadelphia was a major center of the independence movement during the American Revolutionary War. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were drafted here. Philadelphia's Tun Tavern is traditionally regarded as the location where, in 1775, the United States Marine Corps was founded.

Most of the city's historic landmarks are in Old City and the Historical District in the Society Hill neighborhood east of Center City, including Independence National Historical Park, site of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

For almost a century, Philadelphia's skyline was dominated by Second-Empire-style City Hall. Begun in 1871, City Hall took 30 years to complete and is the tallest masonry load-bearing structure in the world at 548 feet, including the statue of William Penn at its crown.

Tourist attractions

Philadelphia contains many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks. Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the Liberty Bell are the city's most famous attractions. Other historic sites include homes for Edgar Allan Poe and Betsy Ross and early government buildings like the First and Second Banks of the United States.

The city contains many museums such as the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Rodin Museum, the largest collection of work by Auguste Rodin outside of France. The city’s major art museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, features the steps made popular by the film Rocky. Philadelphia's major science museums include the Franklin Institute, which contains the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. History museums include the National Constitution Center, the Atwater Kent Museum of Philadelphia History, the National Museum of American Jewish History, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and Eastern State Penitentiary. Philadelphia is home to the United States' first zoo and hospital.

San Francisco, California

Nickname: The City by the Bay

San Francisco is located on the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula and is the focal point of the San Francisco Bay Area.

In 1776, the Spanish settled the tip of the San Francisco peninsula, establishing a fort at the Golden Gate and a mission named for Francis of Assisi. The California Gold Rush in 1848 propelled the city into a period of rapid growth. After being devastated by the 1906 earthquake and fire, San Francisco was quickly rebuilt.

San Francisco is renowned for its chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, an eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture, and its peninsular location surrounded on three sides by the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Famous landmarks include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, the cable cars, Coit Tower, and Chinatown.

Tourist attractions

Baker Beach occupies a picturesque setting just west of the Golden Gate Bridge. The biggest and most well-known park is Golden Gate Park, stretching from the center of the city to the Pacific Ocean. Once covered only in grass and sand dunes, the park is planted with thousands of non-native trees and plants and is rich with attractions including the Conservatory of Flowers, the Japanese Tea Garden, and Strybing Arboretum. The Presidio, a former military base, and its Crissy Field section, restored to its natural salt marsh condition, are part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes Alcatraz, and other regional parks. Buena Vista Park is the city's oldest, established in 1867.

Vocabulary notes

Incorporate-регистрировать

Segregation-изоляция, отсоединение

Prominent-выдающийся

Tomb-могила, склеп

Rotating-вращающийся

Specimens- образец, экземпляр

fine/visual arts-изобразительное искусство

venue-место сбора

Cradle of Liberty-колыбель свободы

massacre-резня

ornate-богато украшенный

embedded-встроенный, вкрапленный

portage-перевозка

clog-засорять

drastic-интенсивный

exceed-превышать

intersperse-рассыпать

sanctuary-убежище, неприкосновенность

bay-залив

shelter-укрытие

annexation-добавление

waterborne-на плаву, перевозимый морем

tonnage-грузовместимость

cargo-груз

sin-грех

gamble-играть в азартные игры

lavish-неумеренный, расточительный

hedonism-гедонизм

vicinity-соседство, близость

boost-поддержка, рекламирование

mansion-особняк

consolidate-объединять

enclave-анклав

masonry-каменная кладка

devastate-опустошать

peninsular-полуостров

Culture

The United States is a culturally diverse nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values. The culture held in common by the majority of Americans is referred to as "mainstream American culture." Certain Native American traditions and many cultural characteristics of enslaved West Africans were absorbed into the American mainstream. Westward expansion brought close contact with the culture of Mexico, and large-scale immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries from Southern and Eastern Europe introduced many new cultural elements. More recent immigration from Asia and especially Latin America has had broad impact. The resulting mix of cultures may be characterized as a homogeneous melting pot or as a pluralistic salad bowl in which immigrants and their descendants impact distinctive cultural characteristics.

 

Popular media

Movies

The iconic Hollywood sign

 

In 1878, Eadweard Muybridge demonstrated the power of photography to capture motion. In 1894, the world's first commercial motion picture exhibition was given in New York City, using Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope. The next year saw the first commercial screening of a projected film, also in New York, and the U.S. was in the forefront of sound film's development in the following decades. Since the early twentieth century, the U.S. film industry has largely been based in and around Hollywood, California. The major film studios of Hollywood are the primary source of the most commercially successful movies in the world, such as Star Wars (1977) and Titanic (1997). American screen actors like John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe have become iconic figures, while producer/entrepreneur Walt Disney was a leader in both animated film and movie merchandising. Director D. W. Griffith was central to the development of film grammar and Orson Welles's Citizen Kane (1941) is frequently cited in critics' polls as the greatest film of all time.

Television

After World War II, American homes were invaded by a powerful new force -television. The idea of seeing "live" shows in the living room was immediately attractive. Television has developed since World War II into the most popular medium in the United States, one that has had great influence on American way of life. Three large privately-owned networks -- NBC, CBS and ABC -- claimed 90 percent of the TV market from the 1950s through the 1970s with free broadcasts.

Cable Television

However, the rapid spread of pay cable TV in the 1980s broke the hegemony of the big three. By 1999, close to 70% of American households had subscribed to cable TV. Cable TV, carried by coaxial and fiber-optic cables, originated in 1948 to better serve individuals in mountainous or geographically remote areas who could not receive over-the-air TV stations.

In December 1975, Home Box Office, an all-movie channel owned by Time, Inc., became the first programmer to distribute its signal via satellite. The next service to use the satellite was a local television station in Atlanta owned by Ted Turner. It became known as the first "superstation," bouncing its signal off a satellite to reach a nationwide audience. The same technology allowed Turner in 1980 to found the Cable News Network, CNN, the world's first 24-hour all-news channel. By early 1993, MTV, the leading American rock music TV network, had an audience of 46 million in the United States and 32 other countries.

Public Television

U.S. public television stations are independent and serve community needs. All public television organizations are linked nationally, however, through three national organizations: the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), created by Congress in 1967 to channel federal government funding to stations and independent producers; the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), formed in 1969 and which today distributes programming and operates the satellite system linking all public TV stations; and the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), which helps member public TV stations with research and planning. In addition to these public TV stations, there are a growing number of noncommercial stations run by Christian evangelistic ministries, which are, for the most part, supported by donations from viewers and member churches.

Radio

The beginning of regular commercially licensed sound broadcasting in the United States in 1920 ended the print monopoly over the media and opened the doors to the more immediate and pervasive electronic media. By 1928, the United States had three national radio networks - two owned by NBC (the National Broadcasting Company), and one by CBS (the Columbia Broadcasting System).

In 1998, the number of U.S. commercial radio stations had grown to 4,793 AM stations and 5,662FM stations. In addition, there are 1,460 public radio stations in the United States. Most of these stations are run by universities and public authorities for educational purposes and are financed by public and/or private funds, subscriptions and some underwriting. NPR (National Public Radio) was incorporated in February 1970 under the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act. NPR was created to provide leadership in national newsgathering and production and to act as a permanent nationwide interconnection of noncommercial stations.

Magazines

The late 1800s saw the start of opinion journals still influential a century later, including the Atlantic Monthly, the Nation, and Harper's. The largest readerships were won, however, by magazines that catered to Americans' increasing leisure time and appetite for consumer goods, magazines such as Cosmopolitan, the Ladies Home Journal, and the Saturday Evening Post. Publishers were no longer just selling reading material; they were selling readers to advertisers. “ Time” was launched in 1923 by Henry Luce (1898-1967). Intended for people too busy to keep up with a daily newspaper, Time was the first magazine to organize news into separate departments such as national affairs, business and science. “Newsweek”, using much the same format, was started in 1933. Other prominent news weeklies are “Business Week” and “U.S. News” and “World Report”.

Newspapers

The first U.S. newspaper, Public Occurrences: Both Foreign and Domestic, first published on September 25, 1690 lasted only one day before it was suppressed by British colonial authorities. Other newspapers quickly sprang up, however, and by 1730, the colonial press had gained sufficient stature to seriously challenge British governors. Historians consider the birth of America's free-press tradition to have begun with the 1734 trial of John Peter Zenger for seditious libel. Horace Greeley founded the New York Tribune in 1841, and it quickly became the most influential newspaper in America. Other important dailies, such as the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, and Chicago Tribune were founded in the 1850s. Two media giants, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst, began building their newspaper empires after the Civil War (1861-1865). Their fierce competition produced "yellow journalism" -- sensational and often inaccurate reporting aimed at attracting readers. "Chain" newspapers under the same ownership became a dominant feature in the early 20th century. In addition to the front-running Hearst chain, the Scripps-Howard and Cowles chains grew following World War I.

The top five daily newspapers by circulation are: the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post.

Music

Elements from folk idioms such as the blues and what is now known as old-time music were adopted and transformed into popular genres. Jazz was developed by innovators such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington early in the twentieth century. Country music, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll emerged between the 1920s and 1950s. More recent American creations include funk and hip hop. American pop stars such as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and Madonna have become global celebrities.

Theater

American theater is traditionally dated from the arrival of Lewis Hallam's English troupe in Williamsburg in 1752. Theater became a more pervasive part of American life during the early nineteenth century and the two decades before and after the turn of the century were golden years for theater. Audiences could choose between legitimate theater, ballet, vaudeville, burlesque, and opera. In the second half of the 19th century, vaudeville emerged. From the 1880s through the 1930s, vaudeville's fast-paced collage of music, comedy, dance, novelty numbers, and skits appealed to a large audience.

In 1866, the "The Black Crook" was produced and the American musical was born. Song, dance, and spectacle were grafted onto an existing melodrama. By the end of the nineteenth century the American musical stage encompassed a number of genres: Operettas, topical musicals and revues with roots in minstrel shows. After World War I, Broadway entered a golden period. Ever since the production of "West Side Story" in 1957, dance has been integral to the story. Performers now had to sing, dance, and act - the triple-threat talent required for most subsequent shows. Rock 'n' roll pushed Broadway out of its place as the trendsetter of American popular music.

Today's American theater might be divided into three categories. First, Broadway productions persist and many new plays, usually about 50 productions a season, are presented first in the theater district of New York City. Second, many fine regional theaters produce some of the best new drama. Subsidized by corporations, foundations and the government, regional theater for some critics represents the best hope of American drama. Finally, colleges and universities support active theater programs. Musicals may still rule on Broadway, but it also launches some great new American plays.

 

Vocabulary notes

Variety-разнообразие

Value-ценность

Mainstream-основное направление

absorb-впитывать

expansion-расширение

impact-влиять, воздействовать

media-средства массовой информации

hegemony-господство

subscribe-подписываться

remote-отдаленный

via satellite-через спутник

donation-дар, подношение

pervasive-пропитывающий, заполняющий

spur- подгонять, побуждать

cater-обеспечивать, обслуживать

leisure time-досуг

consumer-потребитель

goods-товары

seditious-бунтарский

libel-клевета

giant-гигантский

celebrity-знаменитость

legitimate-узаконивать

encompass-окружать

USA Education

Americans have shown a great concern for education since early colonial times. Within 30 years of the founding of the first settlement in Massachusetts (1620), all towns were required to hire a schoolmaster. In 1787 the Continental Congress asked every new township to reserve one plot of land for public schools.

Today, almost 90 percent of American students attend public elementary and secondary schools. The other ten percent attend private schools. Four out of five private schools are run by religious groups, where religious instruction is part of the curriculum. There is also a small but growing number of parents who educate their children themselves, a practice known as home schooling.

The United States does not have a national school system, but the government provides guidance and funding for federal educational programs in which both public and private schools take part. Each of the 50 states has its own laws regulating education.

 

American Education System

Primary school

American children start school at the age of five years. The first year at school is called kindergarten. It is required of all American children enrolled in the American education system. The second year at school is considered the first year of primary school and is referred to as first grade. In America, the word grade has two meanings: (1) the score achieved on an exam or in a course, and (2) a year of education in primary or secondary school. Primary school most commonly consists of five years of education, referred to as first through fifth grades.

Secondary school

Upon completion of fifth grade (the last year of primary school), American children enrolled in the American education system advance to secondary school. Secondary school most commonly consists of a total of seven years, referred to as sixth through twelfth grades. The ninth through twelfth grades are most commonly referred to as high school. Upon completion of twelfth grade, American students are awarded a certificate called the high school diploma. In the American education system, students must have obtained a high school diploma before they are admitted into college or university.

Undergraduate school

Students who have completed high school and would like to attend college or university must attend what is referred to as an undergraduate school. These are schools that offer either a two-year degree (called an associate degree) or a four-year degree (called a bachelors degree) in a specific course of study. That course of study is called the major. While most schools that offer a four-year degree will admit students who have not yet chosen a major, all students are required to select (or declare) a major by their second year at school. Students who complete an associate degree can continue their education at a four-year school and eventually complete a bachelor degree.

Graduate school

Students who have obtained a bachelor’s degree can continue their education by pursuing one of two types of degrees. The first is a master’s degree. This is usually a two-year degree that is highly specialized in a specific field. Students are sometimes admitted to a master’s degree program only if they have a bachelor’s degree in a closely related field. However, there are many exceptions to this, such as with students who want to pursue a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) degree. Students who want to advance their education even further in a specific field can pursue a doctorate degree, also called a PhD. A PhD degree can take between three and six years to complete, depending on the course of study chosen, the ability of the student, and the thesis that the student has selected. The thesis is a very intensive research paper that must be completed prior to earning the degree. It is always required of students pursuing a PhD, and may sometimes be required of students pursuing a master’s degree (depending on the school).

Certain courses of study are only available at the graduate school level in America. The most notable of these are law, dentistry, and medicine. Students who want to pursue a degree in one of these fields must first obtain a bachelor’s degree.