A paired skills series uses a sustained content approach to teach skills necessary for taking academic courses in English. Academic Encounters Level 2 Student's Book Reading and Writing: American Studies engages students through academic readings, photos, and charts on stimulating topics from U.S. History and Culture. Topics include the foundations of government, equal rights, and the American Dream. Students develop important skills such as skimming, reading for the main idea, reading for speed, understanding vocabulary in context, summarizing, and note-taking. By completing writing assignments, students build academic writing skills and incorporate what they have learned. The topics correspond with those in Academic Encounters Level 2 Listening and Speaking: American Studies. The books may be used independently or together.