Here is a simple idea for discussion that will yield a wonderful breadth and intensity of feeling and insight. Ask the students why some people are rich and why some are poor.
As we have developed the process, we have found that it works best when using the following procedure. First, tell the students they are going to have a discussion about why some people are rich and some poor. Then tell them you want them to take a few moments to reflect on this question and to jot down a few of their thoughts. After a relatively brief period of time, randomly assign students to groups of four or five and ask them to brainstorm reasons why some people are rich and some poor. Give each group a couple of markers and a large sheet of paper so they can record their ideas.
After the groups have completed their lists, have each select one or two spokespersons. The spokespersons will go over the list with the class.
Next, open the discussion. This can be in the form of a general reaction to the ideas that have been generated, or you might ask the students to rank the reasons that have been offered from most to least important, or to categorise them into "very important," "important," and "only slightly important."
There will be disagreement. Some students will strongly reject the generalisations others give as reasons (e.g. people are lazy; businesses take exorbitant profits.)
After getting this kind of fix on wealth and poverty among people, shift the focus to countries. Why are some countries rich and some poor? Are there any similarities between wealth and poverty as they appear among people and as they appear among nations? What are the differences between wealthy nations and poor nations?
You can follow up this exercise by asking the students to do some research involving interviews with their parents to see if they come up with the same responses, or interviews with a number of rich people and a number of poor people. The research should also include studies by experts and government reports.
A different sort of research project is to have students select a poor country and describe the way its poverty is manifest, what its causes are, and what the people of that country should do about it.
Finally, students may want to talk about whether anything can or should be done about the situation. Is it inevitable that some people and/or nations will be wealthy and some poor? Are there poor people or nations who don't want to be poor? Can anything be done about that? Is there anything the students can do? Is there a downside to living in a wealthy country? An upside to living in a poor one?