Causes of Global Wealth Gap

Active learning helps students grasp complex issues like the global wealth gap by making abstract concepts concrete. When students role-play unequal trade rules or analyze colonial legacies, they move from passive listening to active engagement with real-world systems. These activities build empathy and critical thinking, which are essential for understanding structural inequality.

• Grade 7
• History & Geography
• 3 activities
• 25 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the historical factors, such as trade policies and resource extraction, that have contributed to global economic disparities.
2. Explain how the historical exploitation of resources and labour during colonialism continues to impact the economic development of nations in the 'Global South'.
3. Compare and contrast absolute poverty and relative poverty, providing examples of each within a global context.
4. Evaluate the role of international institutions and global trade agreements in shaping wealth distribution between nations.

Simulation Game

⏱ 45 min·Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Global Wealth Game

The class is divided into groups representing different world regions. A 'wealth' (e.g., candy or tokens) is distributed according to real-world percentages, leading to a discussion about fairness and opportunity.

Prepare & details

Analyze the historical factors contributing to the uneven distribution of wealth globally.

Facilitation Tip: During the Global Wealth Game simulation, ensure students take on roles with clearly unequal starting resources to highlight structural barriers.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 50 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: The Legacy of Colonialism

Pairs research how a specific country's history as a colony has affected its current economic status. They create a 'cause and effect' map showing the link between the past and the present.

Prepare & details

Explain how the legacy of colonialism continues to affect economic status in the 'Global South'.

Facilitation Tip: When investigating colonialism, assign specific regions to groups so they can trace direct connections between historical policies and current economic conditions.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Closing the Gap

Students brainstorm three things that could be done to reduce the wealth gap (e.g., fair trade, education, debt relief). They share their ideas and discuss which one would be the most effective.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between absolute and relative poverty in a global context.

Facilitation Tip: For the Think-Pair-Share activity, provide sentence stems to guide students from personal reflection to broader systemic analysis.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Teaching this topic works best when you balance empathy with rigor. Avoid oversimplifying by framing the wealth gap as a result of interconnected systems, not individual failure. Research shows students retain more when they analyze primary sources or firsthand accounts alongside data. Encourage students to question assumptions about poverty by comparing global and local disparities, such as Indigenous communities in Canada.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students recognizing how historical and structural factors shape wealth distribution, not just individual effort. They should be able to explain the difference between absolute and relative poverty, and connect their findings to real-world examples. Discussions should include nuanced references to trade rules, colonial legacies, and access to education or technology.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During the Global Wealth Game simulation, watch for students attributing wealth differences to personal traits like laziness. Redirect by asking, 'What rules or starting conditions made some teams wealthier?'

What to Teach Instead

During the simulation, have students record how their initial resources and trade rules limited or expanded their options before the activity begins.

Common Misconception

During the collaborative investigation on colonialism, watch for students believing poverty is solely a result of recent corruption. Redirect by asking, 'How do colonial trade policies still shape these nations’ economies today?'

What to Teach Instead

During the investigation, provide a timeline template so students map colonial policies to current economic indicators, such as trade deficits or infrastructure gaps.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Global Wealth Game simulation, ask students to share their team’s strategies and challenges, then facilitate a discussion on how real-world trade rules create similar barriers.

Quick Check

During the Think-Pair-Share activity, provide two short case studies on poverty. Ask students to label each and write one sentence explaining their choice, then collect responses to assess understanding of absolute versus relative poverty.

Exit Ticket

After the collaborative investigation on colonialism, have students write one historical factor that contributed to global wealth inequality and one way this legacy affects a specific region today. Use these to check for accurate connections between history and present-day conditions.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge early finishers to research and present on how climate change disproportionately affects Global South nations with limited resources.
• Scaffolding for struggling students: provide guided questions that break down the simulation rules into smaller steps before the full activity.
• Deeper exploration: Have students compare two nations’ GDP data over time and write a short analysis on how colonial or trade policies might have influenced the trends.

Key Vocabulary

Colonialism	The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.
Global North and Global South	Terms used to describe the economic and political division between wealthier, industrialized countries (Global North) and generally less developed countries (Global South).
Absolute Poverty	A severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education, and information.
Relative Poverty	Poverty defined by the inability to enjoy a standard of living that is considered normal in the society in which one lives.
Economic Inequality	The unequal distribution of income and opportunity between different groups in society.