SDG 01: No Poverty

Teacher Guide

This guide offers educators a structured yet adaptable framework, including background information, practical examples, and didactic strategies. All exercises can be completed without having any specific pre-existing knowledge about the topic. They build on each other but can also be carried out independently of each other, and individually. Of course, you can make adjustments as needed. The modular structure allows for flexible implementation - lessons can be taught sequentially or individually, depending on time constraints and students' prior knowledge.

It is ideally suited for subject lessons or project-based learning and can also be utilized outside the traditional classroom setting by environmental groups and clubs.

Boardstory

Together with your students watch the short and fact-based boardstory on SDG 1. If terms are unclear, students can also be asked to write down unknown terms and questions so that they can be clarified after watching the boardstory. Student questions can also create the opportunity for further inquiry and exploration.

Take a second look at the boardstory and use the pause button on the player to ask comprehension questions. Use the interactive exercises embedded in the boardstory. The three exercise types - search game, impulse questions, and quiz - allow you to discuss the content, improve understanding and deepen knowledge on SDG 1.

Student Workbook

After watching the boardstory you can extend and enhance the learning process using the "Student Workbook" for which background information, didactic notes and explanation to each of the exercises can be found in the tab "Teaching Unit".

EXPLORING THE BOARDSTORY

This is a wrap-up activity that helps the students connect what they have learned with the content of the Boardstory. Through discussion and reflection, they will revisit key themes, reinforce their understanding, and explore real-world applications of the story's message.

Session 1:

Watch the short, fact-based SDG 1 boardstory with your students. Have an initial discussion and solve the integrated interactive tasks.

Before watching the boardstory for the first time, give the students a listening task: "What do you learn in the boardstory?" Possibly with the addition: "Remember at least three things."

Then, ask the students to describe the boardstory by asking the following:

• What happened in the boardstory?

• What caught your interest and why?

• Why is it important that no one has to live in poverty?

Session 2:

Work (further) on the worksheets.

Hand out the worksheets "EXPLORING THE BOARDSTORY" from the student workbook to engage the students in the content of the SDG 1 Boardstory.

UNDERSTANDING EXTREME POVERTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

This exercise connects extreme poverty to human rights. Part A focuses on basic needs. Since these needs are known to everyone, it fosters empathy and maybe even solidarity with people living in poverty. Part B links those needs to basic human rights and political responsibility for them.

While part A presumably works best as a single assignment for each student, part B is preferably discussed in class or smaller working groups.

Part A

Hand out the worksheet "UNDERSTANDING EXTREME POVERTY AND HUMAN RIGHTS" from the workbook. There are five short fill-in-the-blank texts. In Part A the marked gaps are to be filled with the terms provided from the table with columns A and B. The missing headline and conclusion are to be added in Part B.

If some students find it challenging, guide them by pointing out that the icons next to the text in the tables serve as hints. Encourage them to think about what each icon represents and how it relates to the topic, helping them make meaningful connections more easily.

You can continue to have some students read their answers for all and compare them to others.

This exercise covers certain basic human needs (like food, housing or health) that might be satisfied in different ways (certainly, not all students have the same favorite meal), but are as such, needs every human being has. This hopefully makes human needs relatable for your students.

The further learning is that there are people who cannot satisfy these basic needs, because they live in extreme poverty. You could either say this yourself or, rather, try to lead a short discussion with the class on this issue, using the following questions:

• Why, do you think, some people cannot afford a healthy meal every day (or any other example of column B)?

• Do you think that anyone should have to live under these conditions (= in extreme poverty)? (What did you write in response to each paragraph's last question?)

• How do people living in extreme poverty feel, what do you think?

• Whose responsibility could it be to end extreme poverty?

Part B

Then follow up with a short input on human rights, and on possible political measures against extreme poverty (Part B).

Short input on Human Rights: (Ideally, certain aspects of the following input have already been considered in your discussion at the end of part A).

You have seen that there are basic needs every human being has. SDG 1 aims to end extreme poverty. That means that every human being should live under conditions so that they do have enough food and water, a home, access to healthcare and education, and are not exploited by others. Almost every country in the world agreed to achieve this goal.

In addition, almost every country in the world recognizes that there are rights which every human being has. These are called Human Rights. You too have human rights. There is even an extra convention on the human rights of children. Human rights are essential to achieving the SDGs. States that have signed human rights treaties are basically saying: We want to make sure that everyone in our country can satisfy their basic human needs which are guaranteed by human rights. And we want to make sure that there is no slavery and forced labor. That means that no one can own another human being. And it means, that all people are free to leave their jobs if they like without being threatened.

You can see, how human rights and SDG 1 are intertwined: If we want to end extreme poverty, we must see that everyone's basic human rights are met.

Now, let the students continue with the second task from the worksheet, using the terms from column C to fill in the correct headlines above the paragraphs.

Achieving human rights and ending extreme poverty is primarily the responsibility of governments. Effective political measures are needed in order to fight poverty. Some governments need other, international partners to achieve that. And every government usually needs to be reminded by its citizens (including you) that it must protect, respect and fulfill human rights obligations.

At last, use column C to discuss political measures that fight poverty and ensure basic human rights. The students will add the correct terms to the end of each paragraph. You can further ask your students:

• Who is responsible for implementing these suggested measures?

• Do you know whether steps are taken to reduce poverty are needed in your community?

• Whose job is it to do something against poverty? Whose job is it to ensure human rights?

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY

This group activity helps students understand why people live in poverty by looking at how wealth and power are distributed globally. It focuses on how historical events, particularly colonialism, have shaped today’s economies. While colonialism is just one of many factors, it is highlighted in this exercise because of its strong connection to European history and its lasting impact on global trade. Many European countries became wealthy through trade with their colonies, often in ways that were unfair to the people living there.

Step 1: Group Activity Setup

• Divide your class into small working groups.

• Give each group six country cards. See templates here.

Part A: Introducing the countries

1. Ask the students to look at their country cards and as during a group discussion fill in the missing information (language, continent, and capital).

2. If this is too difficult, write the correct answers on the whiteboard and let them match them to the right country.

   1. Capitals: Paris, Madrid, New Delhi, London, Lima, Dakar

   2. Continents: 3x Europe, 1x Africa, 1x South America, 1x Asia

   3. Languages: Hindi, 2x French, 2x Spanish, 2x English

3. Organizing the Countries

   1. Ask students to arrange the six countries into two vertical columns and three horizontal rows based on shared characteristics.

   2. Correct arrangement:

      France - Senegal

      United Kingdom - India

      Spain - Peru

4. Guided Discussion:

   1. What do the countries in each coulumn have in common?

   2. Why do you think some countries have the same official language?

   3. Do you think these countries share a history, or is it just a coincidence?

   4. What do the three countries in the left column have in common? (Most students will say "Europe.")

During the discussion, you can briefly explain that France, the UK, and Spain had a major influence on the other three countries through colonialism.

Key Concept: Average Income

Some students may notice that the three European countries generally have higher average incomes. You can introduce the concept of average income in simple terms:

"Imagine if everyone in your class earned the same amount of money. The average income tells us what that amount would be for a whole country. It helps compare rich and poor countries."

In this activity, the average income of the countries helps to understand the economic gap between former colonial powers and the countries they colonized.

Part B: Resources

1. Now, give each group six resource cards (2x cotton, 2x peanuts, 2x silver). See templates here.

2. Introduce the task by asking for example: "Imagine it is the 19th century. Where do you think the largest amounts of these raw materials cotton, peanuts and silver were produced?"

3. Encourage students to place the cards on the countries where they believe these resources were most commonly found.

4. Have a discussion with the class about common misconceptions. Most students will likely spread the cards evenly across the countries, believing that fair distribution means giving each country at least one resource. This is a great opportunity to spark a discussion:

   1. Why did you place the raw material cards the way you did?

   2. Do you think this distribution is fair?

   3. What would fair distribution look like?

   4. Do you know what these raw materials were used for?

5. Talk with the entire class about the correct answer and key learning:

   This activity helps students realize that resources are not naturally distributed equally, just like wealth is not. Instead, certain regions were rich in specific materials, shaping global trade and power structures.

6. Before moving on, show the correct distribution and have students rearrange their cards accordingly. The most accurate solution is:

   Peru: 2x silver

   India: 2x cotton

   Senegal: 2x peanuts

   (Alternatively, one cotton card can go to India and one peanut card to Senegal.)

This leads into Part C, where students will explore who actually profited from these resources.

Part C: Profits

A country having raw materials does not mean the people living in those countries were the ones who benefited most. Instead, the biggest profits were made by those in power - often merchants, businesses, and governments from colonializing countries like France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

1. Give each group three profit cards. See templates here.

2. Ask the students: "Where do you think the people came from who made the most money from selling these resources?"

3. Let them place the profit cards on the countries they think benefited the most. You can decide, at what point you provide the (simplified, yet overall correct) answer that the UK benefited the most from cotton, Spain from silver, and France from peanuts.

4. Once the students have made their choices have a guided discussion about fairness and distribution with the entire class:

   1. Why do you think the biggest profits were made in these countries?

   2. Who were the most powerful countries in the 19th century?

   3. How were people in colonialized countries involved in this trade?

      At this point, you can explain that many workers were either forced laborers, cheap labor, or even enslaved people working on plantations and in mines for European merchants.

   4. Do you think this system was fair?

   5. How are power and poverty connected?

   6. Are some countries still wealthier today because they were powerful in history?

   7. What are other causes of poverty besides historical developments?

   8. Is poverty mainly about countries, or does it have more to do with businesses and individuals?

To deepen the students' understanding, you can add a research task on global wealth distribution today by looking up charts or statistics (e.g. The percentage of the world’s wealth owned by the richest X people).

THE LINK BETWEEN POVERTY AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS

This exercise helps your students to understand that countries with a lot of resources are often reinforcing climate change through their consumption decisions while countries with less resources have often lower GHG emissions. However, wealthy countries are better able to adapt to its consequences, which showcases injustice as people living in poverty are more vulnerable and affected by the climate crisis.

Hand out the worksheet "THE LINK BETWEEN POVERTY AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS" from the student workbook.

IDENTIFYING AND REFLECTING ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AND BIASES

This exercise encourages students to reflect on their personal biases and assumptions about people living in poverty. Through self-exploration and discussion, they will recognize how stereotypes influence perceptions and how these assumptions are often untrue. The activity also aims to foster empathy and solidarity with those in vulnerable situations.

Step 1: Choosing Adjectives

1. Begin by presenting the following list of adjectives in a word cloud or as a simple list on the board.

   lazy, helpful, weak, respectful, curious, unorganized, awkward, loyal, ambitious, dirty, popular, rude, cool, stupid, smart, reliable, annoying, careful, calm, lively, social, nice, creative, amusing, irresponsible, independent, mean

   Feel free to adapt the list of adjectives. Make sure that in the end it represents a mix of positive, neutral, and negative adjectives.

2. Task for Students:

   "Imagine a person living in poverty. Now, independently choose five adjectives from this list that you think describe this person."

   Some students may already struggle to choose adjectives, realizing they do not actually know enough about the person to make assumptions. This is an important moment to highlight.

Step 2: Challenging Assumptions with Stories

1. Now, share real-life scenarios of young people in different situations. You can change names to avoid using students’ names or pick names associated with common stereotypes.

   Example stories:

• Connie does not wear brand-name clothing. Her classmates exclude her from their group.

• Jerome receives free school meals through a special program, but he avoids using the ticket because he thinks it makes him look uncool.

• Simón and Fred both love playing a video game. To advance levels, players can buy tokens. Fred buys them and reaches Level 5 quickly, while Simón, who cannot afford them, works hard but remains on Level 3. Fred laughs at Simón, saying he just is not good enough.

2. Task for students:

   "Imagine you are ______ (one of the people above). Now, look at the five adjectives you chose earlier. Do these words accurately describe ______? Why or why not?"

3. Follow up with a class discussions. You can for example ask:

   1. Why do your initial assumptions no longer fit?

   2. Can we make assumptions about someone based on their financial situation?

   3. What do you associate with poverty now?

Step 3: Understanding Stereotypes

Once students recognize the inaccuracy of their assumptions, introduce the concept of stereotypes:

• Stereotypes are general assumptions about groups of people. They might sometimes be based on real experiences but do not apply to every individual.

• Sweeping judgments simplify reality and can lead to discrimination.

Encourage students to reflect on how stereotypes can be harmful and misleading, particularly when discussing poverty.

TAKING ACTION

This exercise encourages students to brainstorm and reflect on concrete actions they can take to help reduce poverty and support people in need. It helps them understand the different levels at which action can be taken: individually, within their school and community, and at a societal or political level.

Step 1: Brainstorming Areas of Action

Begin by introducing the topic: "We have learned a lot about poverty, its causes, consequences, and the stereotypes surrounding it. Now, let us focus on what we can do to help!"

Explain that actions can be small personal steps or larger collective efforts. Organize the brainstorming session around the following categories and let the students use the brainstorming worksheet in the student workbook:

1. Helping in our community

   1. What programs exist in our town/city to help families in need?

   2. Are there shelters, food banks, or organizations helping people living in poverty?

2. Challenging stereotypes

   1. How can we challenge unfair assumptions about poverty?

   2. How can we spread awareness about the realities of poverty?

3. Protecting human rights

   1. What programs exist in our town/city to help families in need?

   2. Are there shelters, food banks, or organizations helping people living in poverty?

4. Improving living conditions

   1. What actions could we take collectively to improve people’s lives and reduce poverty?

5. Taking action at school

   1. What could we do to ensure everyone at school feels included and supported?

   2. Example: Could school meals be made free for everyone?

6. Political and governmental measures

   1. What policies or programs could help people living in poverty?

   2. Example: Social security benefits, financial aid, or free access to groceries and housing.

Step 2: Group Brainstorming Activity

Divide students into small groups and assign each group one or more categories. Let each group:

• brainstorm possible actions they could take within their category.

• justify their ideas. "Why would this action help reduce poverty?"

• prepare to share their ideas with the class.

Encourage students to think creatively and practically.

Step 3: Sharing and Creating a Collective Action Plan

Have each group present their ideas to the class. Write their suggestions on the board or a large poster to create a class action list.

Optional extension:

• Turn the brainstormed actions into classroom posters or a school display.

• Encourage students to choose one action they would personally like to take.

• If possible, discuss ways to implement a small action as a class, such as organizing a fundraiser, awareness campaign, or volunteer activity.