Starter Task What do you know about the

Starter Task What do you know about the USA? What have you learned about the USA in school, on TV and in films? With your shoulder partner come up with 10 things you know about the USA. The USA

World Power The USA

aaaaaa 27/05/19 Introduction to the USA • To understand basic facts about the United States of America • To understand the political and economic system of the USA • Describe at least 4 basic facts about the United States of America • Accurately describe the concepts of capitalism and the “American Dream” • Create a mind map on the United States of America • Watch a variety of clips on life in America • Write basic definitions of capitalism and the American Dream

The USA In the International Issues unit we cover the USA, focusing on the USA’s political, social and economic influence in the world: • Politics of the USA: the President, the Congress and the Supreme Court • Socio-economic issues: why do ethnic minorities continue to suffer in the USA and what is being done about it? • Case Studies: Gun Crime and Immigration in the USA • The role and influence of the USA on other countries – is the USA really a superpower?

US Stereotypes • People that don’t know much about America stereotype what it is like. In reality it is quite different. • Stereotypes are assumptions we make about an entire group based on observations of some • Here are some of the stereotypes people have of the USA. • Discuss these as a class. Think about what the stereotype is and why people might think America is really like that.

The USA – Basic facts… • The USA is considered the most powerful country in the world. • The basis of its power is its wealth, which in turn rests on its size, population and natural resources. These factors gave the USA both its economic influence and its military dominance.

Geography • The USA is the fourth largest country by size in the world with mountains, desert and sub-tropical environments. • The USA stretches from Canada in the north to Mexico in the south. From New York to LA is about 2, 500 miles. • The USA has 6 time zones (if you include Alaska and Hawaii)

History • The USA’s history has been dominated by immigration. The Native Americans (often wrongly called ‘American Indians’) are the smallest ethnic group in the USA currently. • European/White settlers were the first to arrive in the USA spreading from the East across the continent to the West in their millions. African Americans were also early to arrive in the US (as a result of slavery). • More recently immigrants from Mexico/Central America and Asia have been arriving in millions. In 2017, approximately 1 in 7 US residents was foreign born.

Brief history of the USA from Michael Moore’s documentary Bowling for Columbine http: //www. youtube. com /watch? v=l. GYFRzf 2 Xww

• With a population of approximately 327. 2 million, the USA has the third largest population in the world (after China and India). • What ethnic groups exist in the USA? • Which ethnic group is the largest? Which ethnic group is the smallest? Ethnic Group % of population (2017) White American Black/African American Hispanic/Latino American Asian & Pacific Islanders (API) Native American 60. 7% 13. 4% 18. 1% 6. 0% 1. 3%

Video Clip… http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=QOeu. My m. Iezg The changing state of US ethnicity (BBC)

The American Economy • The USA also has a large variety of water, mineral, agricultural and other land resources, which provide the basis for a highly productive economy, making the USA the world's wealthiest nation. • The USA’s GDP in 2017 was $19. 39 trillion. Gross Domestic Product = the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year

The American Political System • The USA prides itself on being the “greatest democracy in the world” world however this is very debatable… • The American political system is very different from our own and is based on a system known as FEDERALISM.

The American Political System • American citizens vote on a very regular basis across a number of different governmental levels and for a number of different positions and laws. For example: • Presidential elections – every 4 years – federal (national) level • State governor elections – every 4 years in most states – state level

Capitalism in the USA • Like the UK, the USA is a capitalist country. • Capitalism is an ideology based on the building of wealth through private ownership of business and production of goods/services. • In a capitalist country individuals are free to invest in any business they choose and work in any industry they choose. • Capitalist countries are usually democratic and allow freedom of speech etc

Here a few examples of successful Capitalist companies in the USA…

Task: Capitalism in the USA • The last few slides have shown 3 huge US multinational companies that we have here in the UK. • On the next slide there is a table. Copy and complete this table in your jotter. • You will see the names of various US companies which sell products in the UK. • What you need to do is figure out what they sell. You should fill the table out on your own and then discuss your answers with your shoulder partner.

US based Multinational companies COMPANY PRODUCT COMPANY Microsoft Levi Strauss Fisher Price Boeing Colgate. Palmolive Kodak Ben & Jerry’s Heinz Xerox Kellogg's Ford Motorola Apple Gap PRODUCT

The American Dream is the idea that any US citizen has the opportunity to be successful regardless of their background. The American Dream has two parts: • Americans believe the rights and freedoms they are guaranteed under the US Constitution benefit them. These rights include the right to free speech and the right to freely elect their representatives and government. • The American Dream also includes the idea that any American become rich if they get an education, work hard and develop their skills. Some of the richest people in the world are American.

The American Dream was the idea that people could achieve whatever they wanted through hard work, regardless of class. America became known as the ‘land of the free’ or ‘the land of opportunity’. From the clip. Q 1. Where did the majority of immigrants come through into the USA? Q 2. Why were people migrating to the USA? Q 3. What were some of the issues with this influx in immigration? https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=b. DNKH Wz. Qiz 8

The American Dream Watch the following clips answer the following questions and support your answer with explanations… What does the American Dream mean to US citizens today? Does the American dream hold true for every American?

The American Dream Throughout this topic we will explore in more detail socio-economic issues within the USA and deconstruct the idea that every single American citizen has equal opportunity to achieve the American dream….

3 Different States • Capital of the state • Population of the State • Landmarks/Places within the state • Industry within the state – jobs, education etc.

Was I successful? • I have Constructed a spider diagram showing examples of what I know about the USA • I can Express my opinion on USA stereotypes and determine whether these stereotypes are accurate or not. • I have examined what capitalism is and identify capitalist businesses and what services they provide.

Map of the USA •