Can Poverty be Eliminated?

1. Choose TWO common myths about those who live in poverty and come up with the truths about the myths.

You may want to refer to the following:

U.S. Poverty Myths: Myths about poverty in the world's wealthiest nation http://www.worldvisionusprograms.org/us_poverty_myths.php 

Are Poor People Lazy?

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/are-poor-people-lazy/

Poverty statistics: USA poverty

http://povertyprogram.com/usa.php

Debunking Poverty Myths and Stereotypes

http://wiscap.org/wiscap/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/June-2013-Debunking-Poverty-Myths-and-Stereotypes.pdf

Busting the seven great myths of poverty

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/08/03/1317417/-Busting-the-seven-great-myths-of-poverty

2. Not many Americans have had the same community service opportunity as you have had this semester, how do you propose to get people more involved so that they can see poverty first hand?  

3. From the various ideas and solutions presented in chapter 6 of "Our Kids" (Putnam, 2015) defend the TWO which you think are the most important and why.

4. I had a wise former student state: “If the cause of living in poverty is not addressed then a ‘cure’ and road map out of poverty may lead right back to a life of poverty.” Which road is more difficult to travel: the road leading to a life of poverty, or the road that leads one out of poverty? What do you think?

5. Now that you have completed the course, take a few minutes to review the key issues we have discussed throughout the course by looking over the following facts and taking one last quiz (choose one)

Poverty Facts: The Population of Poverty:

http://www.povertyusa.org/facts

Poverty Quiz – Huff Post (2017)

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/social-justice-quiz-2017-children-ten-questions_us_59919931e4b0caa1687a61c7

MSNBC - What is the state of poverty in the US? (2015)

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/quiz-what-the-state-poverty-the-us#57628

6. Please discuss any final thoughts of poverty or on what you learned this semester.

Additional Resources:

12 Things You Can Do to Fight Poverty Right Now

http://billmoyers.com/2013/05/12/twelve-things-you-can-do-to-fight-poverty-now/

Why Poor People's Decisions Make Perfect Sense

From not using birth control to eating junk food, Linda Tirado explained in her HuffPost blog how poverty leads to what many deem "bad decisions." She joins us to share her story.

Originally aired on November 25, 2013

http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/why-poor-peoples-decisions-make-sense/529379d802a7600de5000276

Three Steps We Can Take to Solve Poverty, From Someone Who Knows Firsthand

July 11, 2014
by Tianna Gaines-Turner  

http://billmoyers.com/2014/07/11/three-steps-we-can-take-to-solve-poverty-from-someone-who-knows-firsthand/

Want to end poverty? Educate the kids

http://watchdog.org/119077/education-poverty/

The True State of the Nation: How is America Really Doing?

http://thirdworldtraveler.com/Economics/True_State_America.html

How Much More Expensive Life Has Gotten Since We Last Raised The Minimum Wage, 5 Years Ago Today

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/24/5-year-minimum-wage-anniversary_n_5613955.html

Economist Calculates Just How Inadequate Your State's Minimum Wage Is

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/minimum-wage-should-be-states_n_5511161.html

“I am not a bum I am human being”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJQ3Bgh8PE4

Watch Holly Sklar, co-author of RAISE THE FLOOR: WAGES AND POLICIES THAT WORK FOR ALL OF US, discusses what current economic conditions say about the state of the American dream.

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/06132008/watch2.html

Gary Haugen: The hidden reason for poverty the world needs to address now – lack of compassion

http://www.ted.com/talks/gary_haugen_the_hidden_reason_for_poverty_the_world_needs_to_address_now?share=1dff25cee7

Finland Wants To Revamp Its Welfare System By Simply Giving People Cash

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/finland-universal-base-income_56660600e4b08e945ff09ea8

Evaluation Criteria

•  Your posting should demonstrate an understanding and application of the reading materials by answering all the required questions.

•  Your post must be at least 500 words long (I do not count restating the directions into the word count).