TEL 311 INQUIRY LESSON day 1:

Poverty in America
Jennifer Hand, PharmD
Driving Question: How to provide basic nutrition to your family when
living below the poverty line.
Lesson Objective: Explore Poverty in the US and in AZ

“Engage”
“Entry Event” Activity
Video: Mapping Poverty in the US - The Economist
(Oct 16, 2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pUhViiNtxg

“Explore”
Learn
Stupid-easy math lesson:
USDHHS Federal Poverty Guidelines for 2021:
https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines

** note the 2021 poverty line for a family of 4 from

the table for the 48 contiguous states and DC **
** compare this to the annual income of someone
earning $12.05 per hour ($12.05/hr x 40 hrs/wk x 52
wks/yr IF 2 wks PTO, or use 50 wks/yr if NO PTO)
Make sure to provide directions
 “Explain” to Each Other
The class will watch the following video:
https://www.census.gov/library/video/2020/int
roduction-to-income-and-poverty-in-united-sta
tes.html
The class will review the median income table:
https://policyadvice.net/insurance/insights/av
erage-american-income/
And discuss how the various income levels
compare to the national poverty level, and to
the income level of Arizonans earning the
minimum wage.

Elaborate
Students will break out into groups, and calculate
the following:
1. Weekly paycheck: $12.05/hr x 40 hrs, x 0.8 =
$385.60 to estimate net weekly pay.
2. Weekly grocery costs: 12.05/day x 7 days =
84.35 per week.
Food expense as percentage of net pay:
84.35/385.60 x 100 = 22%
 “Evaluate” What You Know
Students in breakout groups will brainstorm the
challenges faced by families living at or below the
poverty line, and list their ideas. Then they will move to
the enrichment exercise below:

Enrichment: extend the

learning
Students will review the Multidimensional Aspects of Poverty
Infographic, and write or record video reflections:
https://map.4thworldmovement.org/wp-content/uplo
ads/2019/03/ATD_17x11_UP_Brochures_FrenchFold-Inside.pdf
Select one area of life that is affected by poverty, and share how it
impacts someone you know.