Caitlin and Lauren are girls who live in the same neighborhood but attend different schools. At Caitlin's school, children all wear uniforms. In the morning they all line up with their classmates and are led into the school by their teacher. There is no talking allowed as they walk into school in single file and take their assigned seats. During class, students must raise their hand to speak or to get permission from the teacher to sharpen a pencil or go to the bathroom. No one is permitted to chew gum or eat in class. There are clear rules against using swear words or fighting on the playground.

Lauren, on the other hand, can wear jeans or shorts to school, but she can't wear extrashort skirts. When the bell rings, she and her classmates enter the school together, laughing and talking to one another. Once they get to the classroom they take whichever seat they wish. If they have something interesting to say during a lesson, they can speak up without raising their hands so long as they don't interrupt another speaker. If they need to sharpen a pencil, they can do so whenever they wish so long as they don't interfere with other students. Bathrooms are built into each classroom, and students may use them freely whenever they need to. As in Caitlin's school, students are not allowed to eat or chew gum in class. Also as in Caitlin's school, there are clear rules against fighting, and kids aren't supposed to swear, though that rule isn't strictly enforced.

Lauren and Caitlin attend schools with different social norms, which reflect divergent educational philosophies and ideologies.