Trading Fairly In Our World

Subtask 1 - An Introduction to Poverty in Our World
(PDF File)

Description | CGEs | Expectations | Teaching/Learning | Resources
Teacher Background Notes | Relevant Scripture Passages
Relevant Excerpts from Church Documents | Summary Box

Description
The primary objective of this unit is to educate students about the realities faced by those living in developing countries, the positive impacts of fairer trade, and the global impact of their daily choices and actions.  In order to begin engaging students in this process it is necessary that they become aware of the way in which people throughout the world live.  In this initial subtask, students are introduced to the state of the world’s people by listening to the story, If the World Were a Village.  Through this story and the related activities that follow, students are provided a broad overview of the economic, social and cultural differences that exist in our world.

Catholic School Graduate Expectations
CGE3b

Creates, adapts, and evaluates new ideas in light of the common good.

CGE4a Demonstrates a confident and positive sense of self and respect for the dignity and welfare of others.
CGE5a Works effectively as an interdependent team member.
CGE5e Respects the rights, responsibilities and contributions of self and others.
CGE7f Respects and affirms the diversity and interdependence of the world's peoples and cultures.

Expectations
6z39 use and construct a variety of graphic organizers and graphs to sort, classify, connect and interpret information (e.g., tables to show countries and total trade; double bar graphs to compare imports to exports; circle graphs to show how tourist dollars are spent)
6z41 use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., technology, culture,
immigration, tourism, physical features, indigenous peoples,  export, import, parallels, meridians, Pacific Rim, economics,  media) to describe their inquiries and observations
6e1 communicate ideas and information for a variety of purposes and to specific audiences
6e26 explain their interpretation of a written work, supporting it
with evidence from the work and from their own knowledge and experience
6e32 summarize and explain the main ideas in information
materials, and cite details that support the main ideas
6e35 select appropriate reading strategies
6e51 contribute and work constructively in groups
6m1 represent, and explore the relationships between decimals, percents, rates, and ratios using concrete materials and drawings
6m41 solve simple rate and ratio problems (shading and mapping)
6r7 to see the other as the image of God
6r28 to stir up a sense of justice
6r29 to examine issues of justice
6r32 to hear Jesus call us to generosity
6fl2 be encouraged to appreciate that every human person is
created to be loved and to love
6fl11

reflect the need for all people to live in relationship with others


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Summary Box

Groupings
Students work in a whole group
Students work in small groups
Students work individually

Teaching/ Learning Strategies
Read-Aloud
Discussion
Simulation
Demonstration
Response Journal
Visual/Graphic Organizers

Assessment
Students’ work, and their contribution to class and small group discussions, are observed and recorded anecdotally by the teacher. Students complete a response journal in the form of a personal reflection, which is assessed using a rating scale.

Assessment Strategies
Observation
Response Journal

Assessment Recording Devices
Anecdotal Record
Rating Scale

 
Teaching/Learning
  1. Students complete the first activity in this subtask using the book, If the World Were a Village.  The teacher begins this initial activity through a whole class discussion about how people live in different parts of the world.  Students are asked to share their knowledge and any personal experiences of other countries or cultures.  Students then complete, independently, the “Before Reading” sections of the Anticipation Guide (BLM 1.1) in their unit folder, journal or notebook.  The teacher reads the story If the World Were a Village to the class and the students complete the “After Reading” sections of the Anticipation Guide (possible answers can be found on the Answer Key - BLM 1.2).  Students compare, share and discuss their ‘Before and After’ responses as a whole group.  In the class discussion that follows the activity an emphasis should be placed on the extreme differences and inequity in economic and social prosperity among the various peoples of the world.

  2. In the second activity using If the World Were a Village, students work in small groups
    using the jigsaw format to complete a visual representation of the world as 100 people.  In their expert groups, students use one of the sections of the story (e.g., Food, Schooling and Literacy, Religion) to colour his/her own 100 People Chart (BLM 1.3).  As with all graphic organizers a legend or key should be included to help explain the visual information.  Students then meet with members of the other expert groups to discuss their charts.  These 100 People Charts can then be displayed on a bulletin board with the title ‘If the World Were a Village of 100.’  As an extension, students can use the ratios from their section of the story (e.g., 60 out of 100 people are always hungry) to calculate the actual number of people in the world who are part of those criteria.  For example, given a world population of 6.2 billion as of January 1, 2002, 60% would be 3 720 000 000 people who are always hungry.

  3. For the third and final activity of this subtask, students will take part in a simulation activity in which they have an opportunity to experience the unequal distribution of wealth and resources first hand.  Using a globe, the teacher begins by showing that most of the richest countries are in the North (e.g. Canada, United States, European countries) and the most economically disadvantaged countries are in the South (e.g. Ethiopia, Haiti, etc.).  The class is then divided into two sections to represent those who always have enough resources, the Northerners (approximately 25% of class), and those who are struggling to get by, the Southerners (approximately 75% of class).  Within each of these two sections the teacher organizes the students into groups of 3 or 4 (by table, row, numbering, etc.) which represent families or communities within the Northern or Southern world.

    Once the class has been organized into these groupings the teacher distributes jellybeans to each student.  All Southerners receive 3 jellybeans each while all Northerners receive at least 12 jellybeans each.  If you have enough jellybeans it is even more effective to provide the small number of Northerners with an unlimited amount of jellybeans in the form of a big bowl or bag.  This better represents the extreme inequality that exists in our world (i.e. wealthiest 25% of world’s population uses/controls 75% of wealth and resources).    

    The teacher then leads students through the Jellybean Demonstration activity as further outlined in BLM 1.4.  Northerners have nothing to worry about as their communities always have more than enough resources.  Southerners, however, are affected by a wide range of situations that may help or hinder their access to resources.  The teacher begins by explaining to the Southerners that they live in an economically impoverished region of the world.  Each Southern group is then read a scenario (from BLM 1.4) and a redistribution of their jellybeans is made.  This can also be done by placing the scenarios in a container and allowing each group to randomly select a slip.  Through the scenarios presented students are exposed to some of the factors that contribute to and sustain poverty in our world.  After the demonstration, students discuss and brainstorm factors that create and sustain poverty. These ideas are recorded on chart paper that can be posted in the room for later reference.  At the end of the demonstration, students may eat their jellybeans, but you may want to have two sets – one for the demonstration and one for eating later.


  4. To conclude this subtask, the teacher reads Luke 10: 25-37, the parable of the Good Samaritan, to the class. Students discuss and reflect on Jesus’ call for us to help others who are in need.  Students write a personal reflection in their unit folder, journal or notebook on their thoughts, feelings and reaction to what they have discovered in this subtask.  In particular they should write about how it felt to be a Southerner or a Northerner.  How do they feel about the inequality that exists in the world and do they have any ideas on how to change this unfair reality.  This reflection is assessed using a Rating Scale (BLM 1.5).  Students will revisit this reflection later in Subtask 5.

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Resources

BLM 1.1 – Anticipation Guide
BLM 1.2 – Anticipation Guide Answer Key
BLM 1.3 – 100 People Chart
BLM 1.4 – The Jellybean Demonstration
BLM 1.5 – Rating Scale for Personal Reflection
If the World Were a Village – David J. Smith (ISBN 1-55074-779-7)
Bible Luke 10: 25-37
Colouring Tools
Calculators
Jellybeans

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Teacher Background Notes
The following teacher’s notes will be useful in providing background knowledge on the issues in this subtask and for assisting you when explaining these issues to your students.  This section will improve students’ awareness of how their lives differ from children and people around the world, will assist them in overcoming stereotypes and hopefully begin to engage them to be active citizens.  It is not meant to a comprehensive guide, but rather a starting point from which to start and facilitate class discussion.

Notes for, ‘If the World Were A Village’:
Factors that Create and Sustain Poverty:
  1. Unequal distribution of wealth
  2. Lack of access to income or resources for income (i.e. land, credit, employment opportunities)
  3. Environment conditions (drought, erratic rainfall, natural disasters, infertile soil)
  4. Few or no programs locally to assist the poor in developing countries (food banks, health centers, dental plans etc.) For example, Canada has an established a minimum wage that helps protects families from being in dire poverty. However, in developing countries there is no minimum wage so people will work for the bare minimum just to be able to have some sort of earnings. Many people barely make $1 per day.
  5. Location – if they are very far north or a place that is difficult to reach people will have limited access to resources
  6. Corrupt governments who do not develop safety networks for their people
  7. Lack of education -communities aren’t able to get ahead, because they lack the knowledge
  8. Unable to work or attend school because of diseases, poor access to doctors and medicine.
  9. Multi-national companies controlling local resources and local people not receiving the   
    benefits from these resources.

What does poverty mean? What do people have and not have access to? Does everyone need money? What types of programs are available in Canada to assist the poor?


Breakdown of Issues, ‘If the World Were a Village’:
  1. As shown in "If the World Were a Village", every person represents 62 million people.  Since Canada has a population of ___, our lifestyle does not even represent ½ of a person in the global village. We may think that “we are the world”, however, in reality how we live, our high standard of living, is very high in comparison to the rest of the world.
  2. What is a nationality? Multicultural place based on continent location and not on culture.
  3. Languages allow us to express ourselves. There are also many non-verbal cues that are universal (smile, frown etc). In today’s global community it is very important to speak many languages.
  4. Ages of the world – young people make up a large portion of the world population.
  5. Religion - provide a brief summary of different types of religion, include the different religions of students in your class.
  6. Access to food - There is enough food in the world, but people’s access to it is not equal. People may be growing cash crops like coffee that they are not able to eat. They then need to buy food that is more expensive and which they may not be able to afford.
  7. Education - everyone deserves access to an education. School may only cost a few dollars per year. This may not seem like a lot, but when a family only is able to earn $1/ day, saving up extra money for children to go to school, and have school books is just too expensive. Children are needed to work in the field, gather water, and collect wood. There is not always enough time to go to school.  It is difficult to attend school past grade 6 because most rural communities may only have an elementary school within walking distance.  It is difficult to attend higher education unless one has access to a bike, has the time and energy to walk long distances or one can stay with a family member wherever the school is located. Many times children are needed to work in the field so sometimes attending school is not an option.  More males are taught because it is the women’s responsibility to take care of the family.
  8. Money/Possessions - What do we decide as important?  Wants vs. Needs
  9. Electricity - How does electricity impact our lives? What would it be like without it?

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Relevant Scripture Passages
Teachers may find the following scriptures passages useful for student journal reflection, guiding class faith discussions, or for making connections to the faith dimension of this subtask.  The full text of these passages can be found in Appendix C.

Luke 10: 25-37, Mark 12: 28-31, John 13: 34-35, Matthew 25: 31-40, 1 Corinthians 12: 12-16

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Relevant Excerpts from Church Documents
Documents of Vatican II
There is a growing awareness of the sublime dignity of human persons, who stand above all things and whose rights and duties are universal and inviolable.  They ought, therefore, to have ready access to all that is necessary for living a genuinely human life:  for example, food, clothing, housing… the right to education, and work…. Every day human interdependence grows more tightly drawn and spreads by degrees over the whole world.  As a result the common good, that is, the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment, today takes on an increasingly universal complexion and consequently involves rights and duties with respect to the whole human race.  Every social group must take account of the needs and legitimate aspiration of other groups, and even of the general welfare of the entire human family.
                                         
                  Gaudium et Spes, (The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church
1908 Second, the common good requires the social well-being and development of the group itself.  Development is the epitome of all social duties.  Certainly, it is the proper function of authority to arbitrate, in the name of the common good, between various particular interests; but it should make accessible to each what is needed to lead a truly human life:  food, clothing, health, work, education and culture, suitable information, the right to establish a family, and so on.

1931 Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that “everyone should look upon his neighbour (without exception) as ‘another self’, above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity”.  No legislation could by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies.  Such behaviour will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a “neighbour”, a brother.

1932 The duty of making oneself a neighbour to others and actively serving them becomes even more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be.  “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”

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Canadian International Development Agency, CIDA