Inquiry Lesson Plan Template (with Four Ways of Thinking connection)

Teacher:
Content & Title:
Grade Level:
Emily Nunez-Eddy
Day Three: The Cycle of Grade 8 Social
Poverty/Education
Studies
Empowerment
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.C
Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with
relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1.D
Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views
in light of the evidence presented.
Strand 2: Work History
Concept 1: Research Skills for History
PO 2. Interpret historical data displayed in graphs, tables, and charts
Strand 4: Geography
Concept 1: The World in Spatial Terms
PO 5. Interpret thematic maps, graphs, charts, and databases depicting various aspects of the United States
and world regions
Strand 2: World History
Concept 9: Contemporary World
PO 3: Analyze how world events of the late 20th century and early 21st century affected, and continue to
affect, the social, political, geographic, and economic climate of the world
Strand 2: World History
Concept 8: World at War
PO 16. Examine human rights issues during the 20th century
Objectives (Explicit & Measurable):
Students will identify and classify socioeconomic factors related to education, health, geography, and
household/family structure as either short-term lack of resources or poverty that cycles into the next
generation in a small group setting, and present their findings to the class in the form of a graphic
organizer.
Students will complete the Argumentative Writing Outline and present their argument in a
Philosophical Chairs Discussion.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable Assessment: formative and summative):
Formative Assessment: Students will display mastery of this lesson by competing a graphic organizer
that summarizes the socioeconomic factors either related to education, health, geography, or
household/family structure (depending on which factor the group was assigned) and presenting the
graphic organizer to the class.
Summative Assessment: Students will display mastery of this lesson by synethsizing and evaluating
information read in articles to develop evidence-based arguments and presenting these arguments in a
Philosophical Chairs Discussion.

Sub-objectives, SWBAT (steps that lead to completion of objective; sequence from simple to more
complex):
Students will be able to:
Define the cycle of poverty
Identify different socioeconomic factors that contribute to poverty
Classify whether certain circumstnaces would lead to a short-term lack of resources or poverty that
cycles into the next generation
Discuss, defend, and support arguments using evidence-based research related to poverty, education,
and sustainble development during a Philosophical Chairs Discussion
Lesson Summary and Justification: (summary gives detailed information about what students are
doing. Justification why is this lesson being taught)
Lesson Summary: During day three, students will learn about why poverty is often described as a cycle
and how education is an empowering factor in alleviating poverty. Students will engage in a simulation that
helps illustrate the various disadvantages within income, health, education, environment, and household
structure that contribute to poverty. Students will explore the short-term and long-term impacts of these
varying factors, and identify whether these factors may contribute to a short-term lack of resources of
poverty that cycles into the next generation. Students will then learn about how education is regarded as one
of the most important factors in alleviating poverty on a global scale. Students will read articles related to
poverty and education and participate in a Philosophical Chairs Discussion in which they analyze and discuss
the importance of education when considering sustainable development goals related to poverty. Then,
students will hear first-hand accounts of individuals who have alleviated poverty and empowered themselves
and their communities through education.
Justification: After having previous lessons on global poverty and national/local poverty within the United
States and Arizona, students will explore more in-depth the causes of poverty (various socioeconomic
factors) and why poverty is often described as a cycle, in order to increase overall undersatnding of
poverty as a sustainability and human rights issue. Students move from learning about poverty to becoming
empowered through solutions specifically education and develop their evaluation and argumentation
skills by reading and analyzing articles related to poverty and education and defending their perspectives,
opinions, and viewpoints in a Philosophical Chairs Discussion. This lesson encorporates elements of visual
(analyzing maps and data), auditory (watching videos and reading out-loud), and kinesthetic (creating a
graphic organizer) learning to promote a Universal Design for Learning model.
Background Knowledge: (What do students need to know prior to completing this lesson)
The background knoweldge that studetns need to know prior to completing this lesson will have come from
day one and day two of this lesson plan, specifically information regarding global versus national/local
poverty. Some of the most important key information that students will need to know from day one and day
two are: definitions of poverty, a general undersatnding of the Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index and the
Human Development Index, information regarding the prevalence of poverty in the United States and
Arizona, and general information related to poverty and racial/ethnic demographics. Most importantly,
students will need to have begun to think about poverty as a sustainbility and human rights issue, and to have
made connections between poverty and Values Thinking in previous lessons.
Misconception: (what possible misleading thoughts might students have?)
Many of the misconceptions that students have regarding poverty will have been addressed in day two,
where students analyze stereotypes and work to deconstruct some of these myths. Students may still have
misconceptions related to the cycle of poverty, believing that poverty occurs as a result of individual choice
rather than generational socioeconomic factors. Students may also have misconceptions regarding poverty
and education, possibly perceiving education to be less important in alleviating poverty than other short-term
relief efforts (such as food or shelter).

Process Skills: (what skills are you introducing or reinforcing)

Reconstruct information regarding socioeconomic factors into an organized platform (graphic
organizer)
Present the graphic organizer clearly and articulately to the class
Extract and synthesize information from multiple sources
Develop evidence-based arguments
Four Ways of Thinking connection: (Provide a complete explanation of how your lesson plan connects
to futures, system, strategic, or values thinking. Define the way of thinking you selected and used in
this lesson plan. Remember, this should be included meaningfully in the lesson plan.)
This lesson plan connects to Values Thinking in a variety of ways. Students will have had to consider Values
Thinking in relation to poverty in previous days (day one and day two) but will consider Values Thinking
more in-depth during day three. Students will need to consider how the cultural, racial, ethnic, geographical,
or religious differences influence what communities, governments, and people deem valuable in relation to
alleviating poverty is improving education and healthcare more important, or providing immediate relief
(such as food and shelter)? . Values thinking is incredibly important therefore in allowing people from
various environments and experiences to come together and openly discuss their diverse values with the
common goal of conflict resolution for the benefit of the whole. Although people with different values may
never agree on certain issues, all can work towards alleviating poverty and meeting the developmental goals
of the world by communicating and collaborating openly and using the principals of tolerance, fairness,
justice, and equality to dictate their solutions and actions. Students will consider Values Thinking in this
lesson by being asked various questions for discussion/reflection, including what socioeconomic factor
(education, healthcare, household/family structure, environment) is most valuable when considering
alleviating poverty? and considering the alleviation of poverty through sustainble development, should the
primary focus be on improving education or meeting the immediate needs of people (or something else)?.
Students will have to consider their own values, the values of their community/country, and different
cultural/international perspectives when developing their arguments.
Safety: (what safety rules and items need to be addressed?)
N/A
Inquiry Questions: (testable in the here and now.)
1. What do you think are the best ways to meet peoples immediate needs?/What do you think are the
most important factors in alleviating the root causes of poverty? Why?
2. Considering the alleviation of poverty through sustainable development, should the primary focus be
on improving education or meeting the immediate needs of people (or something else)?
Key vocabulary: (list and define)
Materials: (list item and possible quantity)
1. Income Poverty a familys income fails to meet
1. Take a Step activity cards (red, yellow, and
federally established threshold
green)
2. Extreme poverty an individual lives on less than 1$ 2. Take a Step activity questions
a day and is unable to meet their basic needs
3. Posterboard
3. Basic needs health, education, and standard of
4. Markers/Colored pencils
living
5. Maps on educational attainment
4. Values Thinking
6. Copies of articles
5. Sustainable development development that meets
7. Argumentative Text Outline
the present needs without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs
6. Cyclical Poverty the continuation of poverty across
multiple generations
7. Nonprofit organization an organization whose
purpose is something other than to gain profit (usually
a particular social issue)
8. For-profit organization an organization whose
primary purpose is to earn a profit for the owners

Engage - In this section you should activate prior knowledge, hook student attention, pose a question
(IQ#1) based on your lesson objective that students will seek to answer in Explore.
Teacher Will: (hook)
Students Will:
Ask students to raise their hand if theyve ever
Respond to the question of if theyve ever
heard the phrase the cycle of poverty
heard of cyclical poverty
Allow time for student response
Give responses as to what they think the
cycle of poverty is
Ask students what they believe the cycle of
Participate in the Take a Step activity
poverty means
Allow time for student response, record student
Respond to follow-up questions about the
answers on the board
Take a Step activity
Explain that students will be participating in an
activity called Take a Step
Explain that students will be receiving a card,
and that they must listen carefully and follow
the instructions given for their card
Ask students to clear out the center of the room
by moving desks to the edges of the classroom
Place a piece of tape on the floor and pass out
the different colored index cards
Read the Take a Step prompts (see attached
materials and supplementary aids)
Have students sit in a circle on the floor
(discussion-style) after the activity, and respond
to the following questions:
o What thoughts or reactions did you have to
this activity? What surprised you?
o Did your perspective about your own or
others privilege (or lack of) change as a
result of this activity?
o How might some of the step backwards
experiences be connected to poverty?
o If you stepped backwards during this
activity, how did you feel about slipping
behind the pack?
o Does this activity help you identify some of
the root causes of poverty? Which ones?
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Teaching style should encourage open communication and discussion between students (peer-to-peer)
and between teacher and students.
Students needing differentiated instruction/ELL instruction may benefit from seeing the Take a
Step prompts visually displayed (either on the overhead projector or on a handout) to increase
comprehension of directions.
Explore - In this section students should take the lead and actively use materials to discover information
that will help them answer the question posed in Engage. Teachers may choose to give steps to follow,
especially for younger students, but the goal is for students to discover some or all of the sub-objectives of
the lesson.
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #1)
Students Will: (list all steps)
Ask students to consider the factors presented
Identify and list the different categories of
in the Take a Step activity that contribute to
socioeconomic factors
poverty
Split up into small groups

Guide students in identifying the different

Work collaboratively with their small
categores of socioeconomic factors that
groups to develop circumstances in
influence poverty, including:
alignment with their category and display
o Education
their information on a posterboard
Discuss in their small groups the answers
o Health
to the questions How does your category
o Environment
relate to the cycle of poverty? and What
o Household/Family Structure
factors may contribute to poverty that
Explain that students will be splitting up into
cycles into the next generation?
small groups each focusing on one category

Write the differences between responding

and identify specific circumstnaces that might
to the immediate needs of people versus
lead to poverty
addressing root problems in their writing
Give one example for each category
notebooks
Break students into small groups and pass out
posterboard paper (one per group)
Give students 10 minutes to create a list of
circumstnaces on their posterboard
Ask students to re-evaluate their list of
circumstances, and identify which
circumstances would contribute to a short-term
lack of resources and which would contribute to
poverty that cycles into the next generation
Write the question How does your category
relate to the cycle of poverty? What factors may
contribute to povety that cycles into the next
generation?
Explain that students will discuss their
responses in their small group, and then present
the circumstnaces/factors they created and their
response to the question to the class
Ask students to consider the difference between
alleviating poverty in terms of immediate need
(shelter, food, etc) versus addressing root
problems (education, healthcare, etc) and write
their responses in their writing notebook
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Students needing differentiated instruction should receive a handout with the four categories of
socioeconomic factors (education, health, environment, and household/family structure) clearly
listed.
Students needing differentiated instruction should be placed in a small group where the teacher can
be available to closely monitor comprehension/participation in the group activity.
If a co-teacher is available, students receiving differentiated instruction should be seated with the coteacher and should receive assistance in creating a graphic organizer on posterboard to be presented
to the class.
Students needing differentiated instruction should receive a handout that explicitly states the
differences between immediate needs and root causes of poverty, in order to increase
comprehension and participation for subsequent activities.
Explain In this section students share what they discovered, teacher connects student discoveries to
correct content terms/explanations, students articulate/demonstrate a clear and correct understanding of the
lesson sub-objectives by answering the question from Engage before moving on.

Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Allow groups time to come to the front of the
Present their posterboard to the class
classroom and present their findings from the
Engage in a class-wide discussion about
explore section
what is the best way to alleviate poverty
o Specific circumstances that might lead to
poverty
o Identification of these as either short-term
lack of resources of poverty that cycles into
the next generation
o Answer to the questions How does your
category relate to the cycle of poverty? and
What factors may contribute to poverty that
cycles into the next generation?
Facilitate a short class-wide discussion
answering the following questions:
o What do you think are the best ways to meet
peoples immediate needs?
o What do you think are the most important
factors in alleviating the root causes of
poverty? Why?
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Teacher should allow group presentations to be student-led. Teacher should encouarage
feedback/questions to be given and asked at the end of each group presentation.
Students receiving differentiated instruction may benefit from writing out a script of what part of the
posterboard they are presenting, in order to encourage full participation.
Students receiving differentiated instruction should reference the immediate needs versus root causes
of poverty handout during the classwide discussion in order to increase comprehension of discussion
questions and increase participation of all students.
Elaborate In this section students take the basic learning gained from Explore and clarified in Explain
and apply it to a new circumstance or explore a particular aspect of this learning at a deeper level. Students
should be using higher order thinking in this stage. A common practice in this section is to ask a What If?
question. IQ #2
Teacher Will: (pose IQ #2)
Students Will:
Present the following discussion question by
Think independently about the discussion
writing it on the board:
question written on the board
o Considering the alleviation of poverty
Review and analyze the maps on education,
through sustainable development, should the
making connections between those maps
primary focus be on improving education or
and the HDI maps explored in day two
meeting the immediate needs of people (or
Make logical deductions about how
something else)?
education is related to poverty and
Explain to students that they will be analyzing
development levels in a country
data and gathering information to answer the
Break into small groups
following question, considering all the
Read and annotate assigned articles as a
socioeconomic factors discussed to think about
group
how people should go about alleviating poverty
Work independently to synthesize the
Present the three maps on educational data
information from the articles into the
(either over the overhead projector or by
Argumentative Text Outline, in response
providing one copy per student) (see attached
to the discussion prompt on the board
page of materials and supplementary aids)
Ask students to make connections between the
HDI maps they analyzed in day two and these
maps:

What similarities do you see between the HDI

maps and these educational attainment maps?
Based on these maps, what can you deduce
about how education is reltaed to poverty and
development levles in a country? Why do you
think this is?
Explain that students will then be breaking into
small groups to read the articles on education
and poverty alleviation
Pass out one copy of each article for each
student (see attached page of materials and
supplementary aids)
Pass out the Argumentative Text Outline (see
attached page of materials and supplementary
aids)
Remind students that they will be gathering
information from these articles to be used in
their Philosophical Chairs Discussion.
Encourage students to write down relevant
claims, reasons, examples, and counterarguments
Break students into small groups and have
students read and annotate the articles in their
small groups
After reading the articles, give students
additional time (10 minutes) to work
independnetly on finalizing the synthesis of
information on their Argumentative Text
Outline in preparation for the Philosophical
Chairs Discussion
Best Teaching Practice Strategy/Differentiation/ELL and Teacher Notes
Teacher should use personal experiences/examples to illustrate how education can bring people out of
poverty.
Teachers should assist students in analyzing data contained in maps/graphs in order to increase
student-made connections between HDI, poverty, and education.
Teacher should ask open-ended questions frequently throughout this section of the lesson (openended questions listed above) to encourage higher order of thinking.
Students receiving differentiated instruction may benefit from having previous HDI and poverty maps
in front of them to reference when considering comparisons/connections to graphs related to
education.
Students recieving differentiated instruction may have a modified Argumentative Text Outline that
simplifies/condenses information.
Students receiving differentiated instruction may benefit from having a summary of each of the
articles read to improve comprehension and ability to complete the Argumentative Text Outline.
Students receiving differentiated instruction should be assisted in writing out a point they will be
making during the Philosophical Chairs Discussion in order to increase particiaption.
Evaluate In this section every student demonstrates mastery of the lesson objective (though perhaps not
mastery of the elaborate content). Because this also serves as a closing, students should also have a chance
to summarize the big concepts they learned outside of the assessment.
Teacher Will:
Students Will:
Remind students of the discussion question:
Review the Philosophical Chairs Discussion

Considering the alleviation of poverty

through sustainable development, should the
primary focus be on improving education or
meeting the immediate needs of people (or
something else)?
Review with students the proper way to set
up and engage in a Philosophical Chairs
Discussion
Ask students to set up the classroom in the
appropriate way for the Philosophical Chairs
Discussion
Help faciliate the Philosophical Chairs
Discussion (which should be mostly studentled)
Show students two videos of individuals who
have used education and community
resources to alleviate poverty in their lives, as
a preface to day fours activities:
o Carlos Nunez:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=9PaqlYgWDEU
o Lashon Amado:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=CpaFX6Ei0nUz
Ask students to write in their writing
notebooks about their thoughts while
watching the videos, encouraging them to
make connections to past learning

process
Set up the classroom for the Philosophical
Chairs Discussion
Engage in the student-led discussion, citing
articles and using evidence gathered and
syntehsized in their Argumentative Text
Outline
Watch the two videos provided and reflect
independently (in their writing notebooks)
about their thoughts on the videos, making
connections to concepts learned throughout
the unit

Closure: (revisit objective, IQs and make real world connections)

In closing, the teacher will review the content covered throughout the unit and allow students time to
reflect on what theyve learned. The teacher will ask prompting, summative questions, such as:
o What is cyclical poverty?
o What is the difference between meeting immediate needs and addressing the root causes of
poverty?
o What are some socioeconomic factors that influence poverty?
o How did the Take a Step activity relate to these socioeconomic factors and cyclical poverty?
o How are education, the Human Development Index, and poverty related?

The teacher can then allow students to reflect on their learning and encourage text-to-self and text-toworld connections on some of the material theyve analyzed:
o What was discussed in our Philosophical Chairs Discussion and what conclusions did we come to?
o What article was your favorite and why?
o Did you find the graphs/maps interesting? Why or why not?
o How did you feel about the videos we watched after our discussion?
**Best Practices List the Best Teaching Practices you will use to enhance the learning outcomes. In
each section where prompted, list the best practice, how the practices will be used and the purpose.