Critical Thinking: Income Inequality - An Integrated Math and Social Studies Lesson

Critical Thinking: Income Inequality - An Integrated Math and Social Studies Lesson

Here's a relevant and integrated math and social studies lesson to add to your teaching toolbox. It teaches students about a current events issue (income inequality) while using curricular math skills (ratio and percentage calculations).

The lesson focuses on income inequality, an issue that resonates globally. The resource starts by teaching:

• The basics of income inequality including the definition and some relevant causes

• The Palma ratio used for comparing countries' wealth distribution disparities

• Potential solutions

Skeleton notes are provided for student utilization and engagement.

Then students get to apply their knowledge to four sample societies with different degrees of income inequality ranging from completely equal to very unequal- like some countries are today. In each society, some values are given, and students calculate the rest using basic skills (such as subtraction and division) to complete the Palma ratio for each scenario. These exercises support better comprehension of the topic while also refining mathematical skills.

Finally, students are prompted to write a paragraph stating which society they would choose to live in based on their understanding of income disparity. This exercise encourages critical evaluation of the information students have just learned—an essential skill required in academia and life beyond the classroom—helping shape informed future adults who make thoughtful decisions. Class discussions and debates could also be encouraged at this point.

Grades to Use With:

This lessons is designed for middle grades students from grades 5-9. It could be great for an enrichment group or class or a whole class working on a percentage and ratio unit. It could also be used in adult education classes.

What's Included:

5 Page PDF: Title Page, Notes, Sample Societies, and Complete Answer Key

If you enjoy this real-world math lesson, check out others in my store: Grace Under Pressure