Description

In this lesson, students will be able to show what they have learned thus far about poverty. On laptops, students will generate and input a list of words that they think describes poverty using an app called Answer Garden . Answer Garden is an interactive tool that allows for students to give feedback in short answer form. As words are added, the most frequently used words will appear larger than the less frequently used words. If the teacher does not have access to Answer Garden or laptops, the students can write each word on a sticky note and place them on the board in front of the classroom. In order to truly understand how people living in poverty feel, students will participate in a food simulation activity. Students will reflect on their feelings after the simulation activity to understand how those may feel who live in poverty.

Content

Student Engagement/Motivation

Student Engagement/Motivation (5 minutes):

Students will select a partner and take turns sharing what they want to know about poverty from the previous lesson.

After 1 minute of sharing in pairs (30 seconds for each student), students will take turns coming to the interactive whiteboard, document camera, standard whiteboard, or chart paper to record their answers as a whole group.

Learning Targets and Criteria for Success

I can define poverty.

I can describe how those living in poverty may feel.

I will use photos to help me define poverty.

I will create a list of words that describe poverty.

I will participate in a food simulation to understand how those may feel who live in poverty.

Supplies/Resources

Website Resource:

Answer Garden

https://answergarden.ch/create/

Supplies:

Know, Want to Know, and Learned Chart Handout (see attachments)

Simulation Reflection Questions Handout (see attachments)

Laptops (sticky notes if laptops are not available)

Journal Reflection Rubric Handout (see attachments)

Counting cubes or some form of counting manipulative (3 per student-total depends on how many students in the class)

Food Simulation:

• Pink and orange index cards
• Four Bowls
• One box of Cheerios, One large bag of M & Ms, one large bag of pretzels, two bags of popcorn
• Small cups-for food and drink-enough for each student to have one cup for drink and one cup for food
• Masking tape
• Two gallons of clean water
• Two gallons of dirty water
  • To make the dirty water, you can simply add one cup of dirt from outside to the two gallons of water.
• Two gallons of juice

Learning Tasks and Practice

• Activate Prior Knowledge: (20 minutes)

• Students will be shown the word poverty. They will have 30 seconds to think of words that come to mind when they see/hear the word poverty. While students are thinking of words, the teacher will pass out laptops. Each pair of students will use the following website to create a class list of words that describe poverty:

https://answergarden.ch/create/

• Prior to the lesson, the teacher will need to go to the Answer Garden website and create a class Answer Garden. To do this, you will click on the plus sign in the top right corner of the website. Then, it will provide you with a private link that the students will use. You can display this link on the school website or simply give students the link during the activity for the to type in.

The most frequently used words will appear in the largest letters. While the students are inserting words in Answer Garden, the teacher will be walking around assisting those who need technological help or prompting those that need help coming up with words. After about five minutes the teacher will lead a class discussion about the words that are listed and the importance of each. If the teacher does not have access to Answer Garden or laptops, the students can write each word on a sticky note and place them on the board in front of the classroom.

• Direct Instruction: (20 minutes)
  • The teacher will pose a questionto students. How many children in America today are living in poverty?
  • According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2012, an estimated 16.1 million children were living below the poverty line – 21.8 percent of all children, or one out of every five in the United States.
  • Teacher will inform students they will participate in an activity to simulate poverty. The teacher will have students will count off by five’s.  Each student, numbered one through four, will receive an orange card. Each student with the number five, will receive a pink card.
  • There will be a table at the front of the room with four bowls of food, containing Cheerios, M&Ms, popcorn, pretzels, clean water, dirty water, juice, and a stack of small cups. Students with an orange card are invited to come to the food table and take a cup. They are allowed to fill the cup with as much cereal, pretzels, M & Ms, and popcorn as they desire They may also choose from clean water or juice. After all the orange card students are served, students with a pink card are then invited to the food table.  These students are told they may only choose the Cheerios - and they may only fill their cups halfway with dirty water. Students will tape the card to their clothing so they can empathize with the notion that others know you are poor.
  • Once the distribution is made, the students with the orange cards are then advised that they may share any of their food with those holding a pink card.
  • During the food simulation activity the teacher will be at the counter with the food and drinks monitoring students as they pick their choices.

• Reflection and Sharing: (25 minutes)

After the food simulation, students will write a reflection in their journals about how they felt during the activity. Before students begin their reflections, the teacher will share with them a reflection rubric that will be used to assess students’ understandings (see Reflection Rubric attachment). The following are question stems that may help students with their reflection writing. These questions will be on the interactive whiteboard, document camera, standard whiteboard, or chart paper. If there is no technology available, the teacher will print off the questions and provide them in a handout (see Simulation Reflection Questions attachment):

• Orange card students:
  • What was your initial reaction when told you could share your food with the others? How did it feel to see others not be able to get as much food as you? Did you care if others could not choose what they wanted?

• Pink card students:
  • How did it feel to be the one in five with the pink card? How did it feel to stand at the table with food but be allowed to only choose one item? How did it feel to get to have a lesser amount than available to the others? How did it feel to have someone share with you?

While the students are reflecting about their experience, the teacher will walk around the room conferencing with students.

After ten minutes, students will be placed into groups.The teacher will determine the number of students for each group depending on class size. The teacher will pass out three counting cubes to each student. They will take turns putting a counting cube in the center of the table and sharing one thing that they included in their food simulation reflection. After all students have shared three thoughts and all counting cubes are in the center of the table the group has completed the sharing activity. While students are completing the sharing portion of the simulation activity, the teacher will be moving from group to group listening and sharing his or her thoughts as well. For the last five minutes of sharing time, the students will share with the whole class how they felt during the simulation activity.

Technological Engagement

The students will take turns writing on the interactive whiteboard, paper under document camera, standard whiteboard, or chart paper to fill in the want to know portion of the Know, Want to Know, and Learned chart created in lesson 1. Using laptop devices, students will input words that they think describe poverty into Answer Garden.  As words are added, the more frequently used words will get larger in size and the less frequently used words will remain small.

Collecting and Documenting Evidence of Learning

The teacher will use the list created by the students to describe poverty.

The teacher will also use observations while the students are participating in the food simulation activity.

The teacher will read the food simulation reflections to assess understandings of showing empathy towards people living in poverty.

Student Self-Reflection and Action Steps

Students are given the opportunity to reflect on their learning by creating a Know, Want to Know, and Learned chart  that shows what they want to know about poverty. Students are given opportunities to share their thoughts with a partner as well as the whole group. Students are able to reflect on their feelings after the food simulation activity to show their understandings of how people living in poverty may feel. If students have not met instructional goals they will be paired with students who have met the instructional goals and can help them further their understandings. Students that have met the instructional goals can help coach students who need further support. The teacher can monitor throughout the lesson to support students who need additional  instruction.

Feedback/Instructional Adjustments

Throughout the lesson students are given opportunities to independently reflect on poverty. Students are given time to share their thoughts and are given feedback from their peers and teacher. There are paired discussion throughout the lesson as well as whole group discussion that will enable the teacher ample opportunities to provide feedback. The teacher can adjust the lesson by spending more time on certain topics if the students are not showing adequate understandings. There can be further conversations about poverty if the teacher feels that it is necessary before moving on to another activity.

Extended Learning Opportunities

Students can visit their school or public library to checkout books pertaining to poverty around the world. Students can write to community legislators sharing research on poverty in the county and actions that can be taken to help those in need.

Teacher Reflection of Learning

The teacher will review the food simulation activity reflections and use observations throughout the lesson to ensure that students are meeting the goals of the lesson.