American Studies Ms.

Tieu Phuong 2016

AMERICAN STUDIES - REVIEW QUESTIONS
VALUES AND BELIEFS
1. Present six traditional American values with specific examples.
2. Bellah believes that individualism has a bad effect on American society. Do you agree or
disagree with Bellah? Describe examples that support your opinion.
3. Many Americans believe that citizens have the right to own a gun. Do you think this is an
important right? Why?
4. For you personally, which American value is the most difficult to understand or accept? Why?
Support your opinion with specific examples.
LANGUAGES AND IDIOMS
1. Do you think Americans should make English the official language of the United States? Why or
why not?
2. What is AAVE? Should African Americans be discouraged from speaking AAVE?
IMMIGRATION
1. Although all these groups of immigrants faced hardships, some of them experienced much more
serious hardships than others. Discuss which group of people faced the most serious hardships.
Why?
2. Present some of the contributions that immigrants have made to the United States with specific
examples.
3. What problems or challenges do Generation 1.5 immigrants face? Give a specific example of
each problem or challenge. How does the American government partially solve these problems?
GEOGRAPHY:
1. What do you know about the car-oriented culture in the United States?
2. The mythic version of the American West has been popular around the world. In your opinion,
why do people outside the United States enjoy Western stories so much?
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:
1. What are the responsibilities of each branch in the federal government? How do three branches
control and check one another? What are the advantages of the system of checks and balances?
2. Summarize the process of electing a United States president.
EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM:
1. What are the advantages of American educational system?
2. What do you think the real value of American college education is? Is it monetary? Is it
intellectual? Is it social?
3. Choose one American value from Chapter 1, and explain how American educational system
expresses that value.

American Studies Ms. Tieu Phuong 2016

MUSIC
1. Robert Santelli says that American music connects us despite our cultural diversities. It
sidesteps class and other social barriers. Do you think music in the United States has a unifying
effect, as Santelli says, or do different kinds of music divide people by culture and class? Support
your opinion with examples from what you have read about American music.
2. Choose two American values from Chapter 1, and explain how American music expresses those
values.
3. Describe three examples of how hip-hop has influenced the mainstream U.S. culture.
HOLIDAYS
1. What are the origin and the meaning of Thanksgiving Day/ Independence Day in the U.S.? What
do Americans do to celebrate this holiday?