Defining poverty

Year level: Upper secondary Learning outcome Students explore poverty and empathise with people who are living in poverty Brainstorm ideas about wealth and poverty. What do the terms mean to you? Which groups of people and countries do you think are poor? What might life be like for people who are poor? Why are some people poor and others rich? Why are some countries poor and others rich? Why is there wealth and poverty within countries, including 'rich' ones, as well as between countries? How do incomes vary in Australia? Why? Is it fair that some people do not have enough to live on while others have far more than they need? How might people be trapped in a cycle of poverty? Discuss Should we distinguish between the 'basic needs' of a family, such as clean water, nutritionally adequate food, shelter and healthcare, and the 'wants' of a family, such as a family car, a television, a home-computer and holidays? Draw a concept map or write a brief paragraph to show how any three of the following can cause poverty: poor quality land no title to land inadequate diet and poor health limited or no education limited or no job training poor infrastructure unstable government restrictive trade policies Draw a concept map or write a brief paragraph to show how poverty can cause the three situations you chose. Discuss Would the definition of poverty vary according to where a person lived? How might poverty affect the lives of people who do not consider themselves to be living in poverty? How does poverty affect the lives of those who are 'rich'? Assessment task Write a definition of poverty which includes the political, cultural and social aspects as well as the economic.