Political systems and educations of the usa and canada

Т Е Х Н О Л О Г И Я Л Ы Қ К А Р Т А

ПӘНІ: Шетел тілі

Семей, 2018

TECHNOLOGICAL СARD № II term

І BLOCK «Aims and objectives»

ІІІ BLOCK «Lesson plan»

Additional material

Political System of the US

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states. Each state has its own government («state government*). In some ways the United States is like 50 small countries.

The government of the USA act according to the Constitution which was signed by the first thirteen representatives of thirteen original American states in 1787. The document was written in 1787 and since that time twenty six Amendments have been added. The first ten Amendments were simply rights or the Bill of rights. According to the Constitution the USA is a republic. So, the officials of any rank are elected by US citizens. Every citizen has rights which can not be violated.

The Constitution proclaims a federal system of government which keeps both the states and the federal power from getting too much power. It means that the federal government is given certain powers, for example, to make peace or war, to issue money and to regulate the trade and so on.

The federal power is located in Washington, D.C. It is based on legislative, executive and juridical branches of power.

The legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives, There are 435 members in the House of Representatives and 100 senators in Congress. Each state elects two members for the Senate.

The executive branch is headed by the President who is assisted by the Vice President. The President enforces federal laws, serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The President can veto a bill unless Congress by a two-thirds vote shall overrule him. The Vice President, elected from the same political party as the President, acts as chairman of the Senate, and in the event of the death of the President, assumes the Presidency. The President of the USA is chosen in nationwide elections every 4 years together with the Vice.-President. The President can not be elected for more than two terms. The Cabinet is made up of Department Secretaries. The most important of them is the Secretary of State, who deals with foreign affairs.

The judicial branch is made up of Federal District Courts, 11 Federal Courts and the Supreme Court. Federal judges are appointed by the President for life.

Federal courts decide cases involving federal law, conflicts between citizens of different states.

Constitution has been amended twenty six times. The Bill of Rights guarantees individual liberties: freedom of word,» religion and so on. Later amendments abolished slavery, granted the vote to women and colour people and allowed citizens to vote at the age of 18.

Questions:

1. What is the main document of the USA?
2. When was the Constitution of the USA signed?
3. How many Amendments have been added to the Constitution since 1787?
4. What does the Constitution proclaim?
5. What powers is the federal government given?
6. Where is the federal government located? .
7. Where is the legislative power vested?
8. How many members are there in the House of Representatives?
9. Who is the head of the executive power in the USA?
10. How often do the President's elections take place?
11. Who deals with foreign affairs in the USA?
12. What does the Bill of Rights guarantee?

Vocabulary:

to consist of — состоять из 
own — свой, собственный 
to sign — подписать, подписывать 
original — зд. первый
amendment — поправка (к резолюции, законопроекту) 
according to — в соответсвии с, согласно 
officials — должностные лица, чиновники 
citizen — гражданин
to violate — нарушать, попирать, преступать 
to proclaim — провозглашать; объявлять 
certain — точный, определенный 
to issue money — выпускать деньги 
to regulate the trade — регулировать торговлю 
federal power — федеральная власть 
to locate — находиться, размещаться 
to vest — наделять (правом), давать права, облекать правом
branch — подразделение; ветвь (власти) 
legislative — законодательный 
executive — исполнительный 
judiciary — судебный 
Congress — Конгресс
house — зд. палата 
Senate — Сенат
House of Representatives — Палата представителей
to assist — помогать, содействовать
Vice President — вице-президент
elections — выборы
to enforce — принуждать, вынуждать (к чему-л.)» заставлять; навязывать (кому-л. — on)
commander-in-chief — главнокомандующий
armed forces — вооруженные силы
to veto — налагать вето (на что-л.), запрещать
bill — законопроект
overrule — отклонять, отказывать; отменять (чье-л. решение); отвергать
chairman — председатель
to assume — принимать, брать на себя (ответственность, управление и т. п.); получать (должность)
Cabinet — Кабинет (министров)
Department Secretaries — министры
Secretary of State — государственный секретарь, глава внешнеполитического ведомства США
Federal District Court — Федеральный окружной суд
Supreme Court — Верховный суд
federal judges — федеральные судьи
to appoint — назначить
to amend — вносить изменения, вносить поправки (в законопроект и т. п.)
to abolish — аннулировать, отменять, упразднять, объявлять недействительным
slavery — рабство
to allow — позволять, разрешать

Education in the USA

Education in the United States of America is compulsory for children from the age of 6 till 16 (or 18). It involves 12 years of schooling. A school year starts at the end of August or at the beginning of September and ends in late June or early July. The whole school year is divided into three terms/trimesters or four quarters. American students have winter, spring and summer holidays which last 2 or 3 weeks and 6 or 8 weeks, respectively. The length of the school year varies among the states as well as the day length. Students go to school 5 days a week.

The American education system consists of 3 basic components: elementary, secondary and higher education. There is also such a notion as preschool education. At the age of 4 or 5 children just get acquainted with the formal education in a nursery school. The preschool education programme aims to prepare children for elementary school through playing and help them to acquire the experience of association. It lasts for one year. Then they go to the first grade (or grade 1).

Elementary education starts when pupils are 6 years old. The programme of studies in the elementary school includes the following subjects: English, Arithmetic, Geography, History of the USA, Natural sciences, Physical Training, Singing, Drawing, wood or metal work. The education is mostly concentrated on the basic skills (speaking, reading, writing and arithmetic). Sometimes children also learn some foreign languages, general history and such new subjects as drug and sex education. The main goal of elementary education is the general intellectual, social and physical development of a pupil from 5 to 12 or 15 years old.

Secondary education begins when children move on to high or secondary school in the ninth grade, where they continue their studies until the twelfth grade. The secondary school curriculum is built around specific subjects rather than general skills. Although there is always a number of basic subjects in the curriculum: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Physical Education, the students have an opportunity to learn some elective subjects, which are not necessary for everybody. After the first two years of education they can select subjects according to their professional interests. The electives are to be connected with the students' future work or further education at university or college. Every high school has a special teacher — a guidance counselor who helps the students to choose these elective subjects. Moreover, he helps them with some social problems, too. The elective courses are different in various schools.

Members of each grade in high school have special names: students in the ninth grade are called freshmen, tenth graders are called sophomores, eleventh graders are juniors and as for twelfth graders, they are seniors.

After graduating from high schools the majority of the Americans go on studying at higher education establishments. In universities they have to study for four years to get a bachelor's degree. In order to get a master's degree they must study

Questions:

1. At what age do American students start and finish their compulsory education?
2. How are the school years called in the United States?
3. The length of the school year varies among the states, doesn't it?
4. What are the basic components of American education?
5. Do all children have to attend a nursery school?
6. When does elementary education start?
7. What is the main aim of elementary education?
8. The secondary school curriculum doesn't imply a number of basic subjects, does it?
9. What are elective subjects?
10. Who is a guidance counselor?

Vocabulary: 
compulsory — обязательный
to involve — включать
schooling — обучение в школе
to be divided into — делиться на
trimester — триместр
quarter — четверть
respectively — соответственно
to vary — варьироваться
to consist of — состоять из
elementary education — начальное образование
secondary education — среднее образование
higher education — высшее образование
notion — понятие
preschool education — дошкольное образование
to get acquainted with — знакомиться с
nursery school — детский сад
to aim — быть нацеленным
to acquire the experience of association — получить опыт общения
grade — класс
General History — всеобщая история
sex and drug education — сексуальное образование и уроки, посвященные изучению социальной роли наркотиков
skill — навык
goal — цель
curriculum — расписание, учебный план
specific — конкретный, определённый
Social Studies — обществознание
opportunity — возможность
elective subject — предметы по выбору
according to — в соответствии с
guidance counselor — советник по профессиональной ориентации
various — разнообразный
freshman — новичок
sophomore — студент второго курса колледжа или ученик 10-го класса средней школы
junior — студент предпоследнего курса колледжа или ученик 11-го класса средней школы 
senior — студент последнего класса колледжа или ученик 12-го класса средней школы 
majority — большинство 
bachelor's degree — степень бакалавра 
master's degree — степень магистра
to be engaged in — заниматься чем-либо 
research work — научно-исследовательская работа