Nuke teh northern hemisphere
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pygmypiranha
Vice Admiral
Someone's gonna get Nuked sooner or later.
Starkey
Avenging Rooster
Back in 1996 when I was living in Ohio, everyone thought that Brazil was nothing but a big jungle, and the capital was Buenos Aires. I think that has to do with the American school system, where the students choose which classes they´ll take, and no one studies Geography 
Needaham45
Spaceman
American's educational system isn't all pick and choose. Once you get to the high school level there is a set of paths you can choose. For example, with Science the path's look like this:
Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Bio 2 - Elective
Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Chem 2 - Elective
Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Physics - Elective
General Science - Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Elective
Electives include: Bio Chem and Organic Chem, Anatomy and Ecology, Chem 2, Bio 2, Physics, and Scientific Research. You can not take a class that you have already taken. There are also honors classes that take the place of the normal class. These are AP Bio 2, AP Chem 2, and AP Physics. It is also possible, if you have the time in the day, to double science. For example, I did Bio 1, Chem 1, and this year I'm doing AP Chem and AP Bio. Next year I'll do AP Physics and the Research Course (2 electives).
That's just a sample of a more complex branching system. It's not so much we get to chose what we want. We have to have so many years of English, Math, Social Studies, Foreign Language, ect. to graduate. We can chose what course within a certain field to take however, at certain points.
In Social Studies, there are core classes for 3 years, and then an elective. By high school there is no Geography class - it's integrated into whatever your studying (US History would have US geography in it; World Cultures, world geography; European History, European geography, ect.). It's also integrated into the Elementary and Middle School cirriculums. However, Americans are deficient in Geography, as well as other schools. There was an foreign exchange student in my US History Class, and she had a 97 average - top in the class. It was really embarassing.
Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Bio 2 - Elective
Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Chem 2 - Elective
Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Physics - Elective
General Science - Bio 1 - Chem 1 - Elective
Electives include: Bio Chem and Organic Chem, Anatomy and Ecology, Chem 2, Bio 2, Physics, and Scientific Research. You can not take a class that you have already taken. There are also honors classes that take the place of the normal class. These are AP Bio 2, AP Chem 2, and AP Physics. It is also possible, if you have the time in the day, to double science. For example, I did Bio 1, Chem 1, and this year I'm doing AP Chem and AP Bio. Next year I'll do AP Physics and the Research Course (2 electives).
That's just a sample of a more complex branching system. It's not so much we get to chose what we want. We have to have so many years of English, Math, Social Studies, Foreign Language, ect. to graduate. We can chose what course within a certain field to take however, at certain points.
In Social Studies, there are core classes for 3 years, and then an elective. By high school there is no Geography class - it's integrated into whatever your studying (US History would have US geography in it; World Cultures, world geography; European History, European geography, ect.). It's also integrated into the Elementary and Middle School cirriculums. However, Americans are deficient in Geography, as well as other schools. There was an foreign exchange student in my US History Class, and she had a 97 average - top in the class. It was really embarassing.
Needaham45
Spaceman
I'm not exactly sure, but if you were asking me to specify ages of school, it's like this:
Grammar School (Primary schooling) - age 5-10 (Grades Kindergarden to 5th grade)
Middle School (Secondary schooling) - age 11-13 (Grades 6-8)
High School - age 14-17 (Grades 9-12)
College (there are 2 year, 4 year, 5 year, even 6 year.. it also depends on your major).
That's how it is in my district, but in some places, it's a little different (plus or minus a year from some schools). Also, they sometimes split middle school up so there's only Grammar School and High School.
If you weren't asking me about ages, disregard this.
Grammar School (Primary schooling) - age 5-10 (Grades Kindergarden to 5th grade)
Middle School (Secondary schooling) - age 11-13 (Grades 6-8)
High School - age 14-17 (Grades 9-12)
College (there are 2 year, 4 year, 5 year, even 6 year.. it also depends on your major).
That's how it is in my district, but in some places, it's a little different (plus or minus a year from some schools). Also, they sometimes split middle school up so there's only Grammar School and High School.
If you weren't asking me about ages, disregard this.
When in doubt, pick the most popular city in a country and assume it's the capital ...
As for education systems, they all need to be reformed.
They either spend too much time in books leading to uncreative and boring adults or they spend too little time with books leading to generally dumb adults.
US seems to have problem number 2. There was this US exchange student in our comp arch class, we were doing delay and he's going but don't electrons move at the speed of light? Everyone went, huh?!?
Singapore seems to have problem 1. There's little creativity here at all. The only really inovative idea that went global was Creative Technologies, the makers of your sound card.
That's over simplifying but you get the idea.
As for education systems, they all need to be reformed.
They either spend too much time in books leading to uncreative and boring adults or they spend too little time with books leading to generally dumb adults.
US seems to have problem number 2. There was this US exchange student in our comp arch class, we were doing delay and he's going but don't electrons move at the speed of light? Everyone went, huh?!?
Singapore seems to have problem 1. There's little creativity here at all. The only really inovative idea that went global was Creative Technologies, the makers of your sound card.
That's over simplifying but you get the idea.
Needaham45
Spaceman
Simple answer: Yes.
Long answer: In elementary school and middle school they have a social studies cirriculum. Everyone in the grade learns the same things until high school, where in some subjects, they can chose what class to take. I don't remember exactly when everything was learned, but I know until 5th grade we had basic map reading skills, basic geography, basic world cultures, and basic world history. In 5th and 6th grade social studies was US history. Then in 7th grade Ancient Civilizations. In 8th grade it was European history.
Upon reaching high school the path is as follows:
World Cultures - US History 1 - US History 2 - Elective
Electives include Diplomatic History, Government and Politics, Supreme Court, European History, You and the Law (a basic law class), Socialogy, and next year they are adding Human Geography (stuides migrational patterns and the like).
So yes, we did have basic geography and history. Also, geography is integrated inot the history you take in high school. US history teaches US Geography as well. World Cultures teaches World Geography as well. You get the idea.
Again, this is just my school system. Not all are like this.
And Steampunk. Not all Americans are like that. The majority are, yeah, and it's really sad. Your lucky you don't have them surrounding you and that you don't need to deal with them everyday. I'm not saying I'm something amazing, but in that sense I'm better than the average American. I know it's not saying much... but that's what it is.
Long answer: In elementary school and middle school they have a social studies cirriculum. Everyone in the grade learns the same things until high school, where in some subjects, they can chose what class to take. I don't remember exactly when everything was learned, but I know until 5th grade we had basic map reading skills, basic geography, basic world cultures, and basic world history. In 5th and 6th grade social studies was US history. Then in 7th grade Ancient Civilizations. In 8th grade it was European history.
Upon reaching high school the path is as follows:
World Cultures - US History 1 - US History 2 - Elective
Electives include Diplomatic History, Government and Politics, Supreme Court, European History, You and the Law (a basic law class), Socialogy, and next year they are adding Human Geography (stuides migrational patterns and the like).
So yes, we did have basic geography and history. Also, geography is integrated inot the history you take in high school. US history teaches US Geography as well. World Cultures teaches World Geography as well. You get the idea.
Again, this is just my school system. Not all are like this.
And Steampunk. Not all Americans are like that. The majority are, yeah, and it's really sad. Your lucky you don't have them surrounding you and that you don't need to deal with them everyday. I'm not saying I'm something amazing, but in that sense I'm better than the average American. I know it's not saying much... but that's what it is.
I realise that. America indeed has cultivated some of the best minds in the world. That doesn't mean their education system is OK though. Similarly just because Asian and European school kids generally do much better than US kids doesn't mean that our system is OK either. It's all bad ...
Needaham45
Spaceman
I agree. All educational systems need reworking. Also - I wasn't trying to yell at you or anything like that. I just noticed that often Americans are judged based on stereotypes (that for the most part are accurate). It was more of just an assurance to you, and everyone else that not all of us are like that. The majority are, but not all. I'm glad you realize that - a lot of people I've talked to don't.
