Living+in+Poverty

**Introduction**
This will take one 90 min. project block

Before Assignment
Have students reflect on any connections they can think of between poverty and race. Have them put their responses in a new PowerPoint slide.

The Process
Go to http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html and select "Section 13. Income, Expenditures, and Wealth"

1. Open up the .pdf file you have downloaded and look at the following table: 2. Complete the following: a. Have students examine the table carefully. Read the table title carefully. Read the headings carefully to determine what relationships are being explored. b. Have students look at the column that deals with percent distribution. c. Break the Class into 3 groups. One will enter the data for WHITES in 2004. The second will enter the data for African Americans (BLACKS) for 2004 and the third will enter the data for HISPANICS in 2004 d. Have each group create a pie chart of the data showing the distribution. e. Have each student copy their graph into a second PowerPoint slide. 3. For each graph, answer the following questions: a. Which income range shows the highest percentage (Which piece of the pie is largest)? b. Are there any similarities between 2 of the graphs or all 3? If so, what are they? c. Are there any differences between the graphs? If so, what are they? d. What conclusions can you draw about the link between poverty and race? Can we say that racism is involved here? Why or why not? e. What might be some possible reasons for the difference that we see in these graphs? f. What statistics can you draw from these graphs that might be powerful if you showed them to others? Write at least 3. Try to be creative. g. Have students share their answers to these questions with the class. Have each student take those responses which they find most insightful and put them in a third PowerPoint slide.
 * No. 676. Money Income of Families – Percent Distribution by Income Level in Constant (2004) Dollar: 1980-2004**

__Attribution__

This lesson was developed from a lesson from Maricopa Learning Exchange. The URL is: http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/mlx/slip.php?item=1241