Minds On

Task 1: True or false?

Read through the following statements and mark them as true or false:

True or False?

Source: 10 Facts about Global Inequality. FutureLearn. (n.d.). https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/0/steps/58228.

When the previous task is complete, press the Answers button to explore the correct answers to the true or false questions.

All of these statements are TRUE. Which statement surprised you the most? Why?

Record your response orally, digitally, in print, or in another method of your choice.

Task 2: If the world were 100 people

Explore the following definitions of equality and inequality.

The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.

The state of not being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.

Currently, our world has 7.9 billion people. But what if there were only 100 people?

Imagine the world had only 100 people and examine the following population statements:

  • 50 people identify as male, and 50 people identify as female
  • 14 are American, 15 are African, 11 are European, and 60 are Asian
  • 86 can read and write, 14 cannot
  • 15 people make less than $2 per day, 56 people make between $2 to $10 per day, 13 people make $10 to $20 per day, 9 people make $20 to $50 per day, 6 people make $50 to $90 per day, and 1 person makes more than $90 per day (1 person controls 50% of all the money)
  • 21 people are above a healthy weight, 63 are healthy, 15 are malnourished, 1 is starving
  • 87 have clean drinking water, 13 do not
  • 77 have shelter, 23 do not,
  • 44 have internet access, 56 do not
  • 7 attended college, 93 did not

Brainstorm

Reflect

If the world were 100 people, would we fight harder for equality?

Acknowledgements(Opens in a new window)

Action

Task 1: Vocabulary

The following words and concepts are essential to your learning. These are important terms that you will be engaging in and using throughout the learning activities.

Match the following words to their associated definitions. You may choose to conduct research to help you.

Good job! The following is another group of essential words.

Match the following words to their associated definitions. You may choose to conduct research to help you.

Task 2: Global inequalities? What does that mean?

Explore the following definitions. Each definition relates to inequality.

A sovereign (independent) nation whose economy has highly progressed and possesses great technological infrastructure and higher per capita income, as compared to other nations.

A sovereign (independent) nation with low industrialization and low human development index and has lower per capita income, as compared to other nations.

The results of an annual ranking of countries with respect to life expectancy, educational achievement, standard of living, and other measures of development.

The development of industry, primarily manufacturing, on a very wide scale.

Examine the following image. What do you notice and wonder about the image? What do you think this image is trying to convey? Record your ideas in a method of your choice.

Press Hint to reveal additional information.

Hint: Think about why there would be such a difference between these two rooftops and how it’s effective to compare them side by side.

The world is an unequal place. Global inequality means that not everybody has the same access to the same rights, opportunities, or quality of life. A good way to understand this is to examine the life expectancy in different areas of the world:

Country Life expectancy (2017)
Japan 85 years
Canada 81 years
United Kingdom 80 years
United States 80 years
Pakistan 68 years
Nigeria 59 years
Afghanistan 52 years

The data from the chart indicates that if the same baby was born in a different part of the world, there would be a 30-year difference in how long they would live.

Brainstorm

Brainstorm

Using a method of your choice, brainstorm a list of reasons you think that someone may live longer or not as long in different parts of the world.

Press Answers to explore possible answers.

Possible answers

There are many variables that affect life expectancy, including: access to healthcare, economy, political stability, basic human rights and equality, geography, education, access to information, access to food/water, lack of funding, poverty, war, and violence.

Source: UNICEF Canada. (2019, October 29). What is Global Inequality? Kids Boost Immunity. https://kidsboostimmunity.com/what-global-inequality.

Today’s global inequality is centralized around where you are born. The inequality between countries is a consequence of unequal progress.

Examine the following visualization. It shows inequality in living conditions between developed and developing countries. In a method of your choice, record three new things you learned from examining this graphic. What surprised you the most?

Task 3: Compare and contrast

Think about your own quality of life. How do you predict your average day is different or similar in comparison to the average day in the life of a young person in another part of Canada? What about another part of the world? Record your predictions in a method of your choice.

Explore the following profiles to get a better sense of daily living of a child in another country. It is important to note that these profiles show the perspective of one young person in this country and it does not necessarily represent the life of all young people living in this country. After exploring the profiles, choose one profile to compare and contrast with your own daily life.

Press each tab to read the profile.

Student 1 lives in Cambodia with his brother, uncle, and younger sister in a village of approximately 150 people. He lives in a wooden house without any electricity or running water. They obtain their water from the closet river and boil it to make it drinkable. Student 1 helps his uncle farm rice and vegetables, as well as take care of the chickens and ducks. They get most of their food from their own farm. If someone were to get sick, the closet medical clinic is a 7-kilometre walk to the town, where there is no school. Despite there being no school, Student 1 wants to learn how to read and learn about the world around him.

Student 3 lives in a small house in Romania with her mother. Luckily, Student 3’s mother has a good job in the city, but sometimes women have a hard time finding work and the wages are much lower in Romania compared to other countries. Student 3 works hard in school because she wants to become a doctor someday, as Romania does not have a very good health care system.

Student 4 lives with his parents on a coast in New Zealand. He goes to school every day of the week and enjoys time surfing and playing sports on the weekends. Student 4's mom works at a bank in the city and his dad owns his own business. When Student 4 graduates high school, he plans to spend some time travelling the world before going to university with his friends, an opportunity that they all have access to. Student 4 really likes living in New Zealand because it has reliable resources and services, such as healthcare and policing. New Zealand provides Student 4 with a lot of different opportunities.

In a method of your choice, compare and contrast your life to one of the children you just read about. Record similarities and differences in the way you live and write one conclusion based on the evidence in your chart.

You may want to include:

Compare and Contrast

Consolidation

Task 1: Connecting

Consider your own life and community. Are there any inequalities in your own community? How do you know? If you don’t think that there are, conduct some research on the history of your community. Were there ever any inequalities? Record your findings and ideas in a method of your choice.

Task 2: Choice board

Choose one of the following performance tasks to demonstrate what you have learned today about global inequalities.

Be sure to include the following items in your performance task:

  • some vocabulary words that you learned
  • information about global inequality including mortality rates, life expectancy, schooling, and average income
  • information about a few of the countries highlighted

Task 3: Overall reflection

Answer the following question using a method of your choice:

Why is it important to be aware of global inequalities that exist around the world, even if they do not exist in our own communities?

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

I feel...

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.