In America, 16.3 percent of children are growing up in poverty. This puts them at greater risk for a number of challenges that affect their lives inside and outside the school building, including higher absenteeism and dropout rates, and a greater likelihood for developmental delays.
In his book, Poverty, By America, Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond examines the state of poverty in the country. Laura Mayer, a professional learning consultant with Penguin Books, Desmond’s publisher, created a supplemental guide for educators looking to teach about poverty in their classrooms.
It establishes a shared knowledge and vocabulary around issues of equity and economics, and offers ways for teachers to incorporate the subject into argumentative writing exercises and civics discussions in the classroom.
According to Mayer, many students are unaware of how pervasive poverty is. She hopes these lessons can turn students into poverty abolitionists—people who understand poverty and its causes, and can work on solutions.
