Education in the UK and USA

If you ever watched an American High School movie, you have probably encountered words such as sophomore, middle school, public school etc. Maybe you were confused when a character said they were in ninth grade. We do not know these terms, because the education system in the USA differs from ours in several aspects. The education system in the UK also differs from ours. In British films you have probably seen the pupils wearing a very strict uniform, with ties and school issued sweaters etc.

In this Webquest you will find out what the schools in the UK and the USA look like. On the one hand, you will be looking at secondary schools, for pupils in their teens, usually from 12 to 18. On the other hand, you will be looking at higher education, for pupils who want to study further after they have graduated secondary school.

In groups of four, you will research the educational system for secondary and higher education in both UK and USA. You will write a paper together, explaining the different systems.

You should examine the following topics:

• General structure of primary, secondary and higher education and what kind of schools are available for secondary and higher education.
• The school life of secondary school: How is the secondary school structured? What subjects do the pupils take? What is their timetable like?
• The process of applying to university/college
• The student life at Oxbridge and Ivy League: How do you get a degree? Where do the students live? What are the classes like?

You can use following links for your research:

UK:

https://www.internationalstudent.com/study_uk/education_system/

https://www.internationalstudent.com/study_uk/education_system/secondary_education/

http://www.hmc.org.uk/about-hmc/projects/the-british-education-system/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-secondary-curriculum

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/league-tables/rankings?o=Entry+Standards

https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/international/studying-in-the-uk/applying-to-a-british-university/

https://www.ucas.com/

USA:

https://www.justlanded.com/english/United-States/USA-Guide/Education/The-American-school-system

https://isss.umn.edu/publications/USEducation/2.pdf

http://www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com/articles/american_education_system.htm

https://readyforthenewworld.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/schedules-and-timetables/

http://articles.niche.com/private-school-vs-public-school-breakdown/

http://www.ourkids.net/private-schools-versus-public-schools.php

https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2012/10/private-vs-public-high-schools-in-the-united-states

https://www.studyusa.com/en/a/58/understanding-the-american-education-system

http://www.bestcollegereviews.org/history-ivy-league/

You should also make vocabulary lists for the terms below, explaining them in English.

1. Form a group of four.

2. Decide how you will arrange your team work. Since you have four researchers, you can divide the work.

eg. Every pupil tackles one of the subjects.

or Pupil 1 and 2 focus on the UK, while pupil 3 and 4 focus on the USA.

or ...

3. Research the education systems. Make sure you use multiple sources to confirm information.

You have to give short explanations of certain terms. Depending on whether you are researching the UK or the USA, there are different vocabulary items you should look into. These items are listed under the tab "Task".

4. Discuss your findings with your team and compare the situations in the two countries.

5. Write a paper of at least four pages long, explaining the educational systems in both countries, and comparing the two situations. Make sure you point out any differences and similarities. You should also have a vocabulary list. Include a list of the sources you used in your research at the end.

5. Hand the paper in!

When you have handed in the paper, grade yourself on the following points:

Team work:     /5

Were you able to work together as a team? Did you deliver your work? Were you able to help your team members when they needed it?

Comments:

Collecting information:    /5

Were you critical of the information you collected? Did you check several sources for each element? Did you find all the information you were looking for?

Comments:

Structuring information:     /5

Were you able to explain what you had found to your colleagues? Could you put information that was connected together? Could you structure your information in such a way, that it was easy to understand?

Comments:

Writing:      /5

Could you put everything you discovered into words? Were you able to explain the differences and similarities clearly? Did you make sure that what you wrote was attractive to read?

Comments:

I will read your paper and grade it on the following points:

Grammar:      /3

There are no grammar mistakes.

Structure:      /3

The paper is well-structured. There is an introduction, middle and conclusion. The paragraphs follow each other in a logical order.

Correctness of information:       /6

Everything you researched is correct.

Comparison UK/USA:      /3

You have compared the situation in the UK and the USA on several points, highlighting both differences, as well as similarities.