Grq 8 - Guided reading questions week 8 PDF

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Guided reading questions week 8...

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Please go to the following webpage: http://playspent.org/. Play the game Spent until you either make it through the whole month or “go broke.” If you run out of money on the first try, attempt the game again. After playing answer the following question: ●

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Describe the monthly expenses that surprised you, expenses you didn't realize others have to think about each month. ○ I’m honestly speechless after completing this. The audio evoked a feeling of stress and sadness while the statistics put this all into perspective. What surprised me was the option to have a friend do something or asking a friend meant sharing the link on social media. I felt guilty doing this. It was a horrible feeling to have to choose between making money and doing something for your child. Choosing between attending their school play or helping a friend move to make $50 or deciding if they should go to the birthday party or not. As a parent, I wouldn’t want to make my kid upset that they couldn’t complete activities. The sad reality is that although free lunch programs help families, children may have to endure bullying. ○ Which amenities or necessities did you have to go without in order to make ends meet? ○ I had to say no to giving my mother medication and going to get my heart checked out. I always said no to anything that was specifically for me, but always made sure my child had opportunities. I played the “game” twice. The first time I hit another car, but had to drive away. I picked the job as a waitress and had to hide the plates that I broke. After they were blamed on my coworker I didn’t stand up for her and she got fired. It was really difficult to have to ignore morals to be able to survive.

After watching The Line, please answer the following questions about the film. John’s Story

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What stereotypes do we have about what poverty looks like? How does John’s story challenge those stereotypes? ○ The stereotypes we have about poverty are that people are lazy and uneducated. John’s story challenges this by talking about a new kind of poverty, suburban poverty. John is a single dad of three kids. He was a SVP in banking working six figures. His last bank was acquired and he had to leave his job. He started a new venture and everything fell apart. He is trying to go back to work as a teacher, but is struggling to make money. Substitute teaching and tutoring doesn’t pay enough. He never thought he would be in this position. Johns image of a middle class white man in banking doesn’t meet the stereotype in mind of someone under the poverty line.

Sheila’s Story

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How is violence—in a city, neighborhood, or other community—connected to poverty? Why? ○ When people are in poverty, they have a sense of hopelessness. Children living in poverty don’t expect to live past 18-20, so they don't prioritize their education.Oftentimes, these children feel as though they can’t become anything so they resort to drug activity in order to make easy money. Feelings of neglect, loneliness, depression, or anger for their living situations lead to violence. Sheila's son had no idea he was involved with “bad kids” who were involved in drug activity. Oftentimes kids can get roped into situations without knowing.

Ronald’s Story

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What does it mean for society as a whole when able-bodied, intelligent, hard-working people cannot find any work? ○ When an able-bodied, intelligent, hard working person can’t find work its truly dangerous. If someone is willing to work, they should be able to. This means our society is in really bad shape. By not letting others work, we are taking opportunities from people who are trying so hard to support themselves and their families.

James’ Story

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James says that if you’re not living in poverty, you don’t see it, and you don’t think about it. How do we shield ourselves from having to think about poverty? ○ We shield ourselves by putting ourselves in situations to better ourselves. For example, going to college shields ourselves to poverty. Instead we are surrounded by other people who have the privilege to attend higher education. There is poverty just outside of Drexel University, but we continue to ignore it and do things to better ourselves and strive to move up to higher classes. James explains “If youre not apart of it, you don’ think about it”. If we don’t see it in our everyday lives or in the news, we won’t think about it.

Rev. Julian’s Story

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How has seeing firsthand accounts changed the way you view and understand poverty? Can you picture yourself in any of their shoes? How might you handle the challenges and struggles that each of the people profiled in the film has faced? ○ I really enjoyed seeing a broad explanation of poverty. I rarely think of how diverse poverty can be. Especially for someone like Ronald who wants to work or Sheila who was on track to better herself, but got injured. When I was younger my family was in a similar position to John. After the recession my father lost his six figure job and struggled to get back onto his feet. He was the sole provider of income so their divorce hit my mom hard financially. After my dad lost his job, he could not pay alimony and my mom struggled to provide food for my sister and I. As a child, my parents worked hard to shield my sister and I so we would not feel ashamed. We lived in an upper middle class community where most people were well off. Growing up, I have always been very frugal of money. I

genuinely do not know how I would handle these situations. Its similar to the Stanford Prison Experiment where you never know what you will do unless youre in it. I would likely immediately apply for unemployment and food stamps to get an additional boost. After that, I would try to move with my sister to save money. Regardless, I would continue to push myself and work hard to better myself.

After reading the assigned articles, please answer the following questions: ●

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According to the author, Trisha Lovetrove, why does she have to lie to the food pantry? ○ Trisha has to lie to the food pantry because all of the reason for need boxes relate to why someone cant work. Trisha and her husband are able to work, but can barely make ends meet. They struggle to put food on the table. Oftentimes, Trisha does not eat. She isn’t lying about her income or the amount of people she has to feed to get more food. She is simply doing what she can to fairly get food. ○ According to Linda Tirado, why do the "bad" decisions of poor people make sense within the context of their lives? ○ The “bad” decisions of poor people make sense because they have very limited options. They struggle to afford basic necessities. Oftentimes sacrificing their health because they can’t afford nutrient rich food or their sleep because they have to work numerous jobs. Linda explains “It is not a good decision, but it is the only one that I have access to. It is the only thing I have found that keeps me from collapsing or exploding”. She explains that she will always be poor, so her poor financial decisions don’t matter in the long run. For her, it is not worth it to deprive herself of small pleasures so she can make a single large purchase. It is truly upsetting to read her say that her spending habits don’t matter because regardless of how responsible, frugal, or impulsive her decisions are she will always end as poor....