I hear a lot of politicians, reformers, and even educational administrators talk about the importance of preparing students for the marketplace. I appreciate being reminded that this is not education’s ultimate goal.

Business Insider has a page that features a ton of different charts and graphs on wealth inequality. It would work great in conjunction with an activity on Occupy Wall Street. The graphs start off showing how unemployment is at an all-time high (since 1940), then they look at CEO pay and corporate profits.

The graph I have included here compares corporate profits and CEO pay rates to production worker income and minimum wage. It makes a clear statement against the argument that a rising tide lifts all ships. Corporate profits and CEO pay have risen tremendously since 1990, but the trickle down of jobs and middle class income has not materialized.

Another interesting chart (far down the page) is one that compares wealth inequality in the US to that of other countries. We currently rank 93rd, behind China, Iran and Russia. Even further down is some information about how banks are using the money they are borrowing from the government at virtually 0% interest to buy treasury bills, profiting from free loans with zero risk.

These charts could be used in a wide array of activities on business, wealth and poverty, globalization, and worker’s rights. The page as a whole is probably too much, but a few carefully chosen graphs or charts would make a great addition to a reading or discussion activity.

Thanks Khalid!

If I were teaching a class on business, I would absolutely include information on this protest. In my experience, it may come as a surprise to some students that the majority of Americans are not rich. This would fit in well with activities on the distribution of wealth. One of the groups involved in the protest, We Are the 99%, offers a powerful collection of photos and narratives by the poorer 99% of Americans. This would work well with graphs illustrating the fact that, while the wealthiest 1% have seen their real income more than double in the past few decades, the rest of America has seen little to no growth. And, of course, this problem is not uniquely American. Students could be invited to present information on the distribution of wealth in their countries, or in other countries that they research. It could also be fruitful to combine these with activities looking at the distribution of wealth between countries. Whatever the angle, articles on this protest would be a great addition to a unit on business, government or wealth and poverty.

If I were doing a unit on business or the economy, I would absolutely use materials from this site. Many of the readings are fairly short, and the language is pretty down to earth.

Mother Jones has put together a collection of 11 great infographics that look at the distribution of wealth in American from a number of different angles. I particularly like the one headed “Out of Balance” (included here) that compares perceptions, reality and preference. It is really incredible, with the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of so few, that so many Americans are still convinced that we are too “socialist” and that unions are the problem.

Thanks Larry

The main section of the site is Gapminder World. The default graph compares life expectancy with GDP, with the dot representing each country sized according to its population, and the dot color representing the geographic region. The power comes from the fact that all of these can be reassigned. There are many, many statistics that can be assigned to the x-axis, the y-axis, dot size and even dot color. It is also possible to view each graph as an animation, seeing how things have changed over time. Play around with it, or check out the tutorial or example graphs.

Another neat resource on the site is the collection of animations illustrating Human Development Trends in 2005. In addition to conveying some interesting information, these animations also would be useful in a unit on understanding graphs. For example, the animation on Differences within Countries illustrates how important information can be lost in averages. For English language learners, a good feature of these animations is that they operate as slideshows, meaning each part can be read at any speed.

Gapminder can be used to quickly create easily comprehensible graphs on a very wide range of issues. Many of the prepared animations would also work well in an ESL / EFL classroom.

I haven’t used any of these materials yet, so to get a better understanding, I took a look at one topic in particular. I chose the 9-12 unit on Microfinance. The lesson plan itself is 37 pages, with detailed descriptions of the standards met, and several page-long readings on women and microfinance. It starts with a set of visual aids, a collection of photos and maps that help introduce the issues.

Next, students watch a short (2 min.) video clip profiling a woman in Aceh, Indonesia who is rebuilding her business after the tsunami. There is also a reading that gives additional information on her story, and discussion prompts are included with the visual aids. Many ideas for extension activities are also given, including reading graphs, understanding laws, and learning about gender inequality in the US.

The second part of the lesson uses a 2 min. interview with a woman from the International Food Policy Research Institute. She discusses how improving the economic status of woman also benefits children. Slides in the visual aids take students through a summarizing activity and a discussion of the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals. Again, many extension activities are given.

Based on this lesson, I would absolutely look to use these materials in class. They are full of great vocabulary, and engaging activities. And I think the range in grade levels available would make it easy to find something that would work with a class at a variety of English proficiencies.

Via World727

Pollution has been defined as a resource in the wrong place. That’s also a pretty good description of the company’s profits. The great plumes of money that have been bursting out of the company’s accounts every year are not BP’s to give away. They consist, in part or in whole, of the externalised costs the company has failed to pay, and which the rest of society must carry.

Does this sound familiar? In the ten years preceding the crash, the banks posted and disposed of stupendous profits. When their risky ventures failed, they discovered that they hadn’t made sufficient provision against future costs, and had to go begging from the state. They had classified their annual surplus as profit and given it to their investors and staff long before it was safe to do so.

I also like this line, about the fact that (while clearly not being a Marshallese company) the rig is registered in the Marshall Islands.

Flags of convenience signify more than the place of registration: they’re an unmistakable sign that responsibilities are being offloaded.

A lot of students aren’t aware of the underlying assumptions in traditional economics, how corporations are allowed to externalize costs and avoid liability. Business is always a popular topic, and an introduction to alternative economic points-of-view (like these) can be really engaging for students.

And for more on the Gulf oil spill, be sure to check out this list of resources by Larry Ferlazzo. As usual, it’s quite comprehensive and includes a lot of good stuff.

Strange Maps is a great blog that features, well, strange maps. The pictures are really interesting, and the accompanying text is usually informative. A Road Map to Success and Bridge to Nowhere: a Map of Golden Gate Jumpers are examples of maps that I think could be good class prompts. (Thanks Anne)

This infographic from the New York Times shows how different groups of American’s spend every minute of their day. It can be broken down by race, age and gender.

Here is a list of the 15 best websites to get free documentaries. (Thanks Nik)

I found this series of activities on bartering, money and community currency when I was writing about a guy that has been living without money.