Extreme World Poverty Living on One Dollar Unit | Human World Geography

Explore extreme world poverty using a variety of sources with this eye-opening inquiry unit that will leave your students feeling thankful, aware, and empowered to create change.

This unit is perfect for your Human Geography or Current or Contemporary Global Issues course.

All student resources come in both printable PDF and editable, digital Google files.

Almost half of the world lives on $5.50 a day or less. At least 70% of all humans live on $10 or less. While those are shocking, the most extreme, $1 a day, is the reality for nearly 800 million people.

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Greatness is recognizing and addressing the extreme income disparity that exists in the world.

Few American teenagers know the world beyond their own surroundings and many have no idea that the vast majority of fellow humans live in a world of abject poverty, unsanitary conditions, and limited means of opportunity.

Guide your students through a wide variety of sources, from statistics and photos to documentaries and news articles and even a quick service project, as they wonder and build towards answering this not-so-simple question: “What is it like to really live on $1 a day?”

You will set each of your students up for success in this high-interest, multi-faceted project-based unit, regardless of ability, with highly scaffolded graphic organizers, skill sheets, and supplemental resources included at each step of the way.

Empower your students to become globally aware and engaged citizens in this 2-3 week unit!

Included in this inquiry-driven unit:

Teacher Materials

• Unit overview detailed daily lesson plans
• Student-friendly rubrics & answer keys
• Editable instructional slide deck (PowerPoint & Google Slides)

Student Materials - Activities & Projects

• Concept Definition Sheet to record and reflect on learning
• By the Numbers statistical analysis activity
• A Picture is Worth photo analysis activity
• Guatemala's Story in-depth look at one country's struggle
• Living on One Dollar documentary analysis activity for the film, Living on One Dollar a Day, based on a small Guatemalan village
• Extreme World Poverty Graph & Map analysis to better understand the worldwide implications of extreme poverty
• United Nations' SDGs explore the Sustainability Development Goals and how they are reducing worldwide poverty
• Current Event Research & Discussion Project research one impoverished country, share and reflect collaboratively in a class discussion
• Micro-Loan Project to decide and fulfill a person’s request for funds
• BONUS Skill Sheets: Annotating a Text, Analyzing News Media Sources, Annotating a Citation, Creating a Works Cited

Note: the film is easy to find online, either to stream for free or to purchase inexpensively. Links are provided.

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What Other Teachers are Saying

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ There is a wealth of information here divided into different activities so students can become aware of their luxurious lifestyles. It was very eye-opening. - Rachel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We use a lot of project-based learning and really focus on world issues in my geography classes. I loved this as did my students and it was still easy to implement digitally! The activities are varied but really push students to think critically and develop empathy and understanding. - fellow TPT seller

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great resource for me to use to incorporate writing across the curriculum. My students enjoyed the wide variety of activities included and became more aware of the outside world along the way! - fellow TPT seller

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Only have a few days?

Living On One Dollar a Day Activity Kit: these 4 powerful activities are perfect if you only have a week or so

Interested in more Global Issues stand-alone units like this one?

These units can be easily integrated into your Current Events, Human Geography, or Environmental Science course (more units coming!)

• Population Growth: a 3-week unit exploring the simultaneous global problem of explosive population growth as well as alarming decline
• Globalization: a 4-week unit exploring the exponential growth of trade, technology, and travel that has created an unbelievable global economic and cultural change
• Water Supply & Pollution: a 3-week unit exploring our finite freshwater supply and the human rights, pollution, and conservation issues that need urgent solutions
• Fossil Fuels & Alternatives: a 3-week unit exploring our addiction to oil, the harsh impact it is having on our air pollution and greenhouse gas levels, and the urgent need to switch to clean renewable energy sources
• Plastic & Garbage: a 3-week unit exploring the modern invention of garbage, landfills, and single-use disposables, the effects it is having on our oceans, and how a zero-waste lifestyle can be possible
• Global Priorities Research Project: a 2-option, 2-3 week capstone research project where students complete either a one-pager or research essay on the global issue they find most pressing

Or check out this complete Global Issues course for real impact

This semester-long thematic course combines current events, human geography, and environmental science to create engaged and empowered global citizens

• World Population, Demographics, & Poverty Unit: explore worldwide population numbers, extreme poverty, and demographics
• Growth, Globalization, & Natural Resources Unit: explore the growth and shrinking of our global population, connectivity, and resources
• Sustainability & Consumption of Water, Energy, & Garbage Unit: explore the ever-increasing water, fossil fuel, and garbage footprints
• Global Priorities Research Project: culminate learning with this capstone project that strengthens research, sourcing, and writing skills to turn your students into global citizens

This listing is for one license for regular, non-commercial classroom use by a single teacher only. Commercial use like online teaching (ex. Outschool) or sharing with other teachers (ex. shared drive, in a Facebook group, in a professional development training) is strictly prohibited.

By purchasing a license to this resource, you have access to all future updates at no cost, available under “My Purchases." Multiple and transferable licenses are available for purchase. PDF files are uneditable, other files have editing abilities, unless otherwise stated. All files are protected under federal copyright laws.

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