Secondary Lesson Plan Template Grade level and subject discipline: Length of class: Economics (11-12) 85 minutes LEARNING

GOALS to be addressed in this lesson: Iowa Core 5c, d. Students will understand
how universal economic concepts present themselves in various types of economies throughout the world.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES : Students will understand the factors of economic inequality and its
relation to economic growth and propose solutions to complex economic problems.

Description: Students are introduced to the concept of the poverty line and poverty rate, as well as an unequal distribution of wealth in the United States. Various antipoverty programs are discussed and students must work in groups to analyze these programs to develop critiques of each one. The students are then assigned an independent assignment that analyzes the relationship between economic inequality and economic growth. KNOWLEDGE: Poverty can affect anyone. Poverty in America is measured by levels of income per household. The causes of poverty include low education level, location, discrimination, skill level, etc. A large gap in income levels leads to economic inequality and destabilizes economic growth. Government provides various antipoverty programs to varying levels of success. SKILLS: Independent and Group Research Skills. The ability to form an opinion with evidence. Independent writing skills. Comparing costs and benefits. Social skills for working with peers.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED: Poverty Survey PPT: Poverty and Income Distribution Student Laptops with internet Classroom News Night 2.0 Website http://www.noodleclassroom.weebly.com Evaluating Poverty Programs Handout Essay Handout (Economic Growth and Antipoverty Solutions) ASSESSMENT (How will I know if students achieve the learning goals/objectives?): Informal: Quick write/discussion to gauge current knowledge. Informal: Questioning Checking for understanding during group work.

Formal: Antipoverty Essay LEARNING PLAN:

1. Quick Write (5 mins): For Blocks 6 and 7 (85 minutes) I issued a poverty survey (see attached). Due to time constraints, I eliminated this exercise from Block 3 and replaced it with a brief discussion asking the following prompt: " What are the key characteristics of poverty? Location? Income? Age? Race? Gender?" The point of this discussion is to gauge student perceptions about poverty and who it affects. 2. Direct Instruction: PPT (15 mins) Poverty and Income Distribution: (See Attached) Concepts covered include the poverty line, poverty rate, causes of poverty and income inequality, and popular antipoverty programs. 3. Activity: Jigsaw: Evaluating Antipoverty Programs (attached handout) (30 minutes) Students are divided into six groups of 3-4. Each group is assigned 1-2 key antipoverty programs to research. Students analyze the programs and describe the pros and cons of each, as well as an overall summary of how they feel about the effectiveness of each program. After the groups have finished, results will be discussed in a jigsaw format so all students have complete information on each program. The jigsaw portion may have to carry over into Friday's class due to the shortened class period. Students will use the information gathered during this exercise to assist with the development of their poverty essay. 4. Assignment: Poverty Essay (If time allows, otherwise this is introduced on Friday) Students are assigned a short essay (attached) in which they must explain the relationship between economic inequality and economic growth, and how this affects the economy overall. They are to then determine whether they believe government should enact policies to help reduce these inequalities, and, using the information from the jigsaw activity, advocate for 1-2 programs that they believe are good solutions for reducing poverty. The essay is a mere 3-5 paragraphs in length, and it MUST be submitted before the test for Unit 3 is taken. This is assigned roughly 7 days before the test and they will be given sufficient class time to work on the essay, so students cannot take the exam until they turn in the essay.

Differentiation: Printed notes for students with attention and hearing challenges. Collaborative work with strategic grouping by ability. Direct instruction through lecture/discussion with guided power point. Graphic organizer for group activity.