Education | Lesson Plans

A picture of a GED issued in the state of Iowa

A GED, or General Education Development is a test developed by the American Council on Education which determines if the taker has the skills and knowledge necessary to get the equivalent to a high school diploma. Therefore it is also called a ‘high school equivalent’.

Contents of the GED Test

The GED test consists of:

Language arts: Writing (2 parts)
Language arts: Reading
Social studies
Science
Mathematics

Language Arts: Writing

In the first part of this section, basic grammar skills such as sentence structure, usage and mechanics are tested. This is done by providing the test taker with texts that need correcting. The student is then graded on how well they edit and correct the texts.

In part two, the student is required to write an essay on a topic assigned by the test designers. The student needs to show a well-structured piece of writing to received good marks.

Language Arts: Reading

In this section a test taker answers question from text which are similar to those found in a high school classroom. It incorporates writing from both the fiction and non-fiction genres which are used to assess the test takers reading comprehension.

Social Studies

Topics covered in this section include:

American history
World history
Civics and government
Economics
Geography

Science

Topics covered in this section include:

Life science
Earth science
Space science
Physical science

Mathematics

This part of the test includes the following sections:

Number operations and sense
Measurement and geometry
Statistics, such as data analysis and probability
Algebra and functions

With around 15 million American obtaining a GED since its start, it has become a very recognized way of proving your knowledge.

Student Exchange Programs

Image via Wikipedia

A student exchange program is when a student, usually of a high school or a university, exchanges places with another student in a high school or university in another country. Sometimes a student is not exchanged with another, in which case it is referred to as a ‘study abroad’ program.

Exchange programs usually range from short stays, such as the summer, or longer, up to 12 months.

The Purpose of a Student Exchange Program

Life is about experiencing the world and all the cultures that make it up. The purpose of a student exchange program is to give young people the opportunity to study in another country and experience another culture, which they may not have experienced otherwise. It also allows a student to learn about the history, politics and traditions of another country.

How Does an Exchange Program work?

An Exchange program works by educational institutions partnering up and devising a program where students from other countries can come and stay with a host family and attend classes at the school. It is organized so the classes taken are equal to those the student would take in his or her own country, so no academic points are lost in the process.

The Benefits of Student Exchange

Exposes a student to new learning opportunities, on both academic and personal development.
The student could use a current second language, or learn a new language which could help them in later career.
It opens up doors for the student in regards to their career development as employers look favorably upon it.

If you want to find out more about student exchange programs, speak to your school for more details.

What is a GED?