Introduction
Warm Up (10 mins):
Divide the students into three groups, representing the three income groups in our world today - high-income, middle and low-income groups. 15% of the students represents the high-income group, 30% of the students will be in the middle group and the rest (55%) represent the low-income group. Tell the high-income group to stand at one end of the classroom. Have the middle income group sit at desks near the middle of the classroom. Lastly, have the students in the low-income group sit on the floor on the other side of the room.
Once the class is divided into the three income groups read the following to the class:
Everyone on this earth has the same basic needs; it is only our circumstances that are different. As we gathered today, you were given your lot in this world that has been created. Look around, as you can see that equality and balance don’t exist here.
It is important to notice that no one section of this room represents one country. Every country around the world has people who fall into the income groups represented today.
Now, I want to introduce the three segments of the world to you.
(Move near the high-income group)
This group represents 15 percent of the world’s population with a per capita income of $8,900 or more. As a group, your income group is able to afford a nutritious daily diet. You have access to the best medical care. You were born destined to go to school; the only uncertainty is how many years will you study after high school.
As part of this income group your family has access to credit and money that most others do not. You and your family live in comfortable and secure housing. Your parents own at least one car, and probably have two televisions. When your family takes their annual two-week vacation, your parents don’t worry about their jobs disappearing.
It’s a good life because you and your family have access to everything you need and security to enjoy it.
(Move near the middle-income group)
This group represents roughly 30 percent of the world’s population. Your parents earn between $725 and $8,900 a year. The levels of access and security you and your family enjoy vary greatly. You are the folks who live on the edge. It would take losing only one harvest to drought, or a serious illness, to throw you and your family into poverty.
Your parents may work as day laborers, domestic help, or perhaps as migrant workers. You may go to school - for a few years anyway - especially if you are a boy. Your parents were born into this harsh life and hope that you will have an opportunity for a better one.
Your family probably owns no land and lives in overcrowded housing with shoddy plumbing. Your village or town offers electricity, but your family must ration their use. If only your parents could get better skills training, they might have a chance at a higher-paying job. Maybe, if your family is lucky, your parents can find a way to join a community credit group to get access to a small loan.
So, like everyone stuck in the middle, your family feels squeezed, and they just hope that the bottom doesn’t fall out from their world.
(Move near the low-income group)
This group represents the majority of the world’s population - roughly 55 percent. The average income is $725 a year - about $2 a day - although many of your family’s earn much less. Most of you are from poor countries such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Haiti, or Cambodia.
Every day is a struggle for your family to meet their basic needs. Finding food, water, and shelter can consume your day. For many mothers, it would not be uncommon to walk five to 10 miles to find clean water; spend several more hours working in the fields and of course taking care of the children. School is a luxury few of you will ever experience. Most of you girls don’t even bother to dream about school. Healthcare is out of the question, so for most families death is all too familiar, with families expecting to lose two to three of their children before they turn five.
Many of your family’s are homeless or living in structures so flimsy that a hard rain or strong wind becomes life threatening. Many of you are frequently hungry. It is quite likely that your family doesn’t get the minimum number of calories their hardworking life requires.
If your parents do work, they are probably tenant farmers or landless day workers. They reap few benefits from the crops they work on; they would prefer to grow food for you to eat themselves.
(To the entire group)
No one can choose the circumstances into which they are born.
Have the students return to their seats.
(Scripted Activity Source: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/poverty2000/introclass.asp)
Developing Inquiry (15 minutes):
1. Tell students for this unit they will be exploring the defining characteristics of poverty, human rights and poverty, impact of poverty on individuals and the global community, and means to address poverty.
3. Introduce the inquiry question: "Many strides have been made to improve the lives of those living in poverty. Is it possible to eradicate severe global poverty?"
4. Invite the students to sit quietly for 3 minutes and think about the inquiry question.
5. On whiteboards, have students brainstorm and jot down thoughts, ideas, and supporting questions
6. Teacher facilitates student led discussion of supporting questions. As students speak, teacher records the students generated questions on the board and discusses their significance for the inquiry.
Activity (20 minutes):
1. Discuss with students that they will be writing to other students living in a country with a high poverty rate. Assign pen pals.
2. Have students begin writing a letter to their pen pal where the students introduce themselves and talk about their lives in the USA. Letters will be mailed or emailed to the pen pals in partnering schools.
(Pen pal partnering website: www.theteacherscorner.net/penpals)
Conclusion/ daily assessment: Teacher observation
Homework: Complete letter or e-mail to pen pal
Materials:
White boards and pens
paper
pencil
pen pals and information about them
Divide the students into three groups, representing the three income groups in our world today - high-income, middle and low-income groups. 15% of the students represents the high-income group, 30% of the students will be in the middle group and the rest (55%) represent the low-income group. Tell the high-income group to stand at one end of the classroom. Have the middle income group sit at desks near the middle of the classroom. Lastly, have the students in the low-income group sit on the floor on the other side of the room.
Once the class is divided into the three income groups read the following to the class:
Everyone on this earth has the same basic needs; it is only our circumstances that are different. As we gathered today, you were given your lot in this world that has been created. Look around, as you can see that equality and balance don’t exist here.
It is important to notice that no one section of this room represents one country. Every country around the world has people who fall into the income groups represented today.
Now, I want to introduce the three segments of the world to you.
(Move near the high-income group)
This group represents 15 percent of the world’s population with a per capita income of $8,900 or more. As a group, your income group is able to afford a nutritious daily diet. You have access to the best medical care. You were born destined to go to school; the only uncertainty is how many years will you study after high school.
As part of this income group your family has access to credit and money that most others do not. You and your family live in comfortable and secure housing. Your parents own at least one car, and probably have two televisions. When your family takes their annual two-week vacation, your parents don’t worry about their jobs disappearing.
It’s a good life because you and your family have access to everything you need and security to enjoy it.
(Move near the middle-income group)
This group represents roughly 30 percent of the world’s population. Your parents earn between $725 and $8,900 a year. The levels of access and security you and your family enjoy vary greatly. You are the folks who live on the edge. It would take losing only one harvest to drought, or a serious illness, to throw you and your family into poverty.
Your parents may work as day laborers, domestic help, or perhaps as migrant workers. You may go to school - for a few years anyway - especially if you are a boy. Your parents were born into this harsh life and hope that you will have an opportunity for a better one.
Your family probably owns no land and lives in overcrowded housing with shoddy plumbing. Your village or town offers electricity, but your family must ration their use. If only your parents could get better skills training, they might have a chance at a higher-paying job. Maybe, if your family is lucky, your parents can find a way to join a community credit group to get access to a small loan.
So, like everyone stuck in the middle, your family feels squeezed, and they just hope that the bottom doesn’t fall out from their world.
(Move near the low-income group)
This group represents the majority of the world’s population - roughly 55 percent. The average income is $725 a year - about $2 a day - although many of your family’s earn much less. Most of you are from poor countries such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Haiti, or Cambodia.
Every day is a struggle for your family to meet their basic needs. Finding food, water, and shelter can consume your day. For many mothers, it would not be uncommon to walk five to 10 miles to find clean water; spend several more hours working in the fields and of course taking care of the children. School is a luxury few of you will ever experience. Most of you girls don’t even bother to dream about school. Healthcare is out of the question, so for most families death is all too familiar, with families expecting to lose two to three of their children before they turn five.
Many of your family’s are homeless or living in structures so flimsy that a hard rain or strong wind becomes life threatening. Many of you are frequently hungry. It is quite likely that your family doesn’t get the minimum number of calories their hardworking life requires.
If your parents do work, they are probably tenant farmers or landless day workers. They reap few benefits from the crops they work on; they would prefer to grow food for you to eat themselves.
(To the entire group)
No one can choose the circumstances into which they are born.
Have the students return to their seats.
(Scripted Activity Source: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/poverty2000/introclass.asp)
Developing Inquiry (15 minutes):
1. Tell students for this unit they will be exploring the defining characteristics of poverty, human rights and poverty, impact of poverty on individuals and the global community, and means to address poverty.
3. Introduce the inquiry question: "Many strides have been made to improve the lives of those living in poverty. Is it possible to eradicate severe global poverty?"
4. Invite the students to sit quietly for 3 minutes and think about the inquiry question.
5. On whiteboards, have students brainstorm and jot down thoughts, ideas, and supporting questions
6. Teacher facilitates student led discussion of supporting questions. As students speak, teacher records the students generated questions on the board and discusses their significance for the inquiry.
Activity (20 minutes):
1. Discuss with students that they will be writing to other students living in a country with a high poverty rate. Assign pen pals.
2. Have students begin writing a letter to their pen pal where the students introduce themselves and talk about their lives in the USA. Letters will be mailed or emailed to the pen pals in partnering schools.
(Pen pal partnering website: www.theteacherscorner.net/penpals)
Conclusion/ daily assessment: Teacher observation
Homework: Complete letter or e-mail to pen pal
Materials:
White boards and pens
paper
pencil
pen pals and information about them