Poverty in the Classroom Resources

Micro-teach
Video (3 Minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqoiuvoj_Qk
What is this about? (3 minutes)
(ask class for what they think of)
Absolute poverty- the amount of money necessary to meet basic needs such as food,
clothing, and shelter (from United Nations)

We wanted to use a song to show an element of poverty in a way that would grab
attention. Most people know about Dolly Parton and her songs.
 People should not be treated differently because of the amount they can afford.
This among many reasons is why we need to fight poverty. So, students feel
equal.
 Share about student with hole in their pants and could not concentrate because
they were worried about holding the hole closed.

Activity (10 minutes)

You are sending you child off to school, but you need to get them everything they need
before they go. If there are not enough materials for you on the table, we will talk about
that after.

Ten items each

Food On a Yearly basis, the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen serves over 26,500 meals

School Supplies $108 - 450 per student per year (school supplies)

Winter clothes (30 brand new pairs of gloves were donated, and they were gone
that same morning)

Child Care- Single parent spends $5640 a year for one child

School Fees-
 Early Education/Kindergarten- $40 plus $175 for four half days per week
 Elementary /High School- $50 to $200 depending on classes

Lethbridge has the highest poverty rate in all of Alberta

How can we combat poverty (5-8 minutes)

At the tables discuss ways you could combat one of the areas of poverty and share with
the group.
 Breakfast programs
 Dental Programs
 Lunch program
Resources in Lethbridge (In case of extra time)
 Aboriginal housing society
 Blackfoot family lodge society
 Greystroke home health
 Habitat for humanity Lethbridge
 HomeBASE
 Lethbridge Shelter and resource center
 McMan Youth, Family and community services
 Parkside home
 Treaty & Urban Indian Housing Authority
 Wood Homes Youth Shelter
 YWCA
 References
https ://www.lethbridge.ca/living-here/Our-
Community/Documents/Vibrant%20LethbridgePovertyReport.FINAL.Feb.%202015.pdf

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/How-Poverty-
Affects-Classroom-Engagement.aspx

http://www.canadasocialreport.ca/PovertyReductionStrategies/AB.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqoiuvoj_Qk

https://globalnews.ca/news/2190605/back-to-school-supplies-how-much-youre-spending-and-
how-you-can-save/

https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=48772AE70070B-C931-D03A-530785CB8A0E8CA4

http://lethbridgeunitedway.ca/funding-priorities/poverty-possibility

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-
migration/glossary/poverty/

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-
migration/glossary/poverty/

http://community-links.ca/ServicesDirectory/BrowseByService.aspx?r=Lethbridge&t=12