Have you ever wondered what it's like to live in another country and go to another school? Well, I can answer that question. In this article, I will answer the question: what is different in an American school than in a German school? An American school is different from a German school. In America, schools are a lot longer than in Germany, because schools in Germany are about 4-6 school hours (a school hour is about 45 minutes). American schools are usually about 7-8 hours (American school hours are about 30-45 minutes).

American schools. In an American school, children go to preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten. Preschoolers are 3 to 4 years old, Pre-Kers are 4 to 5 years old, and Kindergartners are 5 to 6 years old. American schools are separated into three different parts: lower school, middle school, and high school. Lower school is from preschool to 5th grade. Middle school is from 6th grade to 8th grade. And high school is from 9th grade to 12th grade. In America, kids eat lunch at school.

We've been asking children who are new and who have been here already since kindergarten or 1st grade to tell us a little more about their school. Arlo, a new 4th grade student in Mrs. Hales' class who also plays the cello, says, “I like Blake very much. I like the lunches there. I like P.E., art, and strings. I am happy I moved.” Now, Arlo is a very new kid at Blake, so it seems like he likes it. Stella, a student also in Mrs. Hales' class who has been here since kindergarten, says, “I like it at Blake. I stayed here because I liked it. The only thing I don't like about Blake is recess.”

German schools. In a German lower school, children go to 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and higher (kindergarten isn't a part of school). As in the first paragraph, you can see that German schools are shorter than American schools, which means that the kids are dismissed between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. That also means that the children don't eat lunch at school. I also asked children to tell us a little more about German schools. Emilia, an exchange student from Germany, says, “A school in Germany is much different than an American school. German schools are much shorter, and you can walk to it.” In Germany, a lot of children walk to school because in Germany there are no school buses, or rarely some.

What is the difference. German schools and American schools have very similar things, like the subjects in which students learn, but also many differences that both countries have. One difference is that American schools are longer; another one is that Europeans walk to school (still doesn't mean that every European walks). Another two are that Germans don't eat lunch at school — they eat lunch at home or extended day — and that Americans have lower school, middle school, and high school, while Germans have no pre-K because there is only a preschool and kindergarten. All the differences that they have can't tell which school is better because they are good in the same way. In my opinion, Blake is better.