The SDGs can be hard to teach, especially with ones such as the first: poverty. I think it’s important to understand the context/concept of what you’re wanting the children to know before you think about anything else. Are you looking at poverty in the UK or another country? Why are you looking at poverty? Are any of the children in your class a victim to poverty? These topics are hard, but they must not be feared – it’s important that we speak about them and make children aware of the world they are about to embark into.
So how can we teach about poverty?
Books are always a good way to introduce a topic and act as a stimulus for discussion or learning. There are lots of wonderful websites that have put together a reference list for books that address poverty. The best one I have seen, however, is this one:
This is the best, in my opinion, because they sub-categorise the books into specific themes such as understanding economic privilege, identifying systemic inequity, moving past a victim/saviour mentality, how marginalised groups have a harder time and lots more.
If books are not your thing, maybe start with a video or song. The power of singing is strong and can help in children’s empathy and emotion towards this topic. There are lots of clips from TV appeals that you could show the children, although I do feel some of these might be too overwhelming for them. Also, these appeals are more often than not a depiction of poverty elsewhere in the world and there may be children in your class who are victim to poverty here in the UK, this may lead to an uncomfortable chat with parents. For this reason, I would stay away from TV appeals.
I recommend this video. Beyonce is current, she is engaging to children. This song was written and filmed for the United Nations World Humanitarian Day in 2012 and it is one that still gives me goosebumps to listen to. The video features some very emotive videos that the children could have questions about. You could ask the children to dissect the lyrics to gain a deeper understanding of and meaning for them, promoting discussions and possibly debates.
Language and Meaning
Before anything else, I would teach the children what poverty means, using the stimulus as a guide. Talk about the difference between our basic needs and what we want. It’s always interesting to discover what children feel are their basic needs. Discuss words like: deprived, homeless, shortage. Have they heard these before? If so, when and why? Talk to children about the poverty we see here in the UK, show them the poverty in other countries.
A Lesson Plan
I came across this FREE lesson plan online while doing some research and it’s one I have bookmarked for the future. Take a look at it here. It includes a lesson plan and all the resources you’ll need.
If you have seen anything else, please leave a comment below for people (including myself) to check out. Thank you for reading.
Amy x x