Poverty in America: a divided nation

Today, you are going to continue your look on America as a divided nation. So far, we have seen divisions in politics (gun control – Republicans – Democrats) and in racial issues (Martin Luther King’s speech and the short story “The New Girl”). Now, we will shift our focus to the division between rich and poor.

As you may recall, we have talked about the American dream; the idea that everyone has the same opportunities to become whatever they want – as long as they are willing to work hard.

This idea of “equality of opportunity”, however, may not be as universal as some Americans may think. Today, you will watch a documentary about the poor people in America to get an idea of the size of the problem in the U.S.

Plan for the lesson:

First, before watching the documentary, write a short text where you describe what you think/know about poverty in America (how many people live in poverty? What does it mean to be poor in America etc.)

when I think of poverty in the United States. Then I think you live in poverty when you can't afford to buy food, clothes or to pay rent. That is, when you don't have enough money to support yourself or if you have children. You are poor when you do not have the same opportunities and the same living conditions as the rest of the country or the city.