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Schule > Englisch > Landeskunde > An American High School

Subject: An American High School

I think there are two most representative things about an American High School. The first one is the pledge of eligions. Every morning you have to stand up, hand on your heart, in direction to the flag and say the pledge ( I pledge eligions to the flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty in justice for all (sth. like that)). I think that is really the American school, if we did it in Germany it would be direct nationalism, not patriotism.
The second one is their mascot, which is not only present all over the school in pictures, flags, or mosaics, but, if possible, also alive at the games (for example a ram). This animal is not only a symbol for the American High School students, it gives them strenghth, power, energy, and a team spirit, we will never find in Germany.
Another important thing for an American school is, of course, sports, particulary American Football and Cheerleading. As you can see it in films, they are the most high praised sports, and for them the rules may be get neglected, too, for example the skirts of the Cheerleaders are shorter that short, and you can look under them. American Football is so important that they made another kind out of it; It's called Powder Puff, and the girls are the Football players, and the boys the Cheerleaders.
Of course not everybody is of the same opinion, and does or likes the same things, but one very important thing, and I think it is the status symbol for an American High School student, is the car. In America you just need a car, or you can't go anywhere, if you are not in a big city. So at the school everybody can show his or her car- the smallest one, the loudest one, the fastes one, or the biggest truck- at the parking spots.
In school you can't find just one thing which represents the students, because there are just so many groups, for example: sports, orchester/ music, languages, art courses, and so many more. And all have an opportunity to show themselves outside of school at a special event.
The last thing I think is represantative for an American High School is the opportunity to specify yourself, and attend at the Vo-Tech-School, the Vocational Technical School. I think this is a perfect opportunity for students to do what they really like, and get a chance to practise in their early grades a job, that might be their end occupation.
I know that there are so many more representative things about an American High School, but I think it is too much to list them all in a detailed version. So just short some examples like the choices in physical education, detailed subjects for a class, the six-day system, one whole period for lunch in the cafeteria at school with "security", the lockers, and the little prudish dress system.

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