This resource encourages students to deepen their understanding of global poverty—to see our connections to the rest of the world, to explore the roots of inequities and to understand the importance of assistance that preserves human dignity, values diversity and unleashes the inherent power of community.

Experience has shown that successful development is possible—if initiatives invest in people and ensure that beneficiaries over time become the owners of the development process. This means addressing the intertwined causes of poverty and helping communities mobilize their resources so that they can help themselves. ultimately, it means providing a hand up instead of a handout. The stories contained in this resource draw on the long-term experience of Canada and Canadians in the developing world, and encourage students to see themselves as part of the bridge of hope that unites us as global citizens.

Tips for using this resource:
The lessons in this resource have been created as a unit that builds foundational understanding and encourages exploration of key concepts and critical global issues to allow for deeper learning and meaningful attitudinal change. While we recommend that the lessons be used together, each set of lesson activities can also stand alone to provide learning opportunities around a particular aspect of international development. The term “lesson” does not imply that it can be completed within one class. Class periods vary with timetables, and experience in co-operative learning, language levels and group dynamics can all affect the time needed to complete these activities. The teacher is the best judge of these factors.

Curriculum Connections:
The themes and concepts presented provide excellent links to Ministry of Education curricular objectives/
expectations in Social Science, history and Geography programs across the country. activities also maximize a
variety of specific skill-based objectives/expectations and competencies such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, social skills and map analysis. Each lesson outlines general objectives/expectations to assist teachers in program planning. The activities can easily be adjusted for grade and level by providing varying degrees of support, allowing additional time and adjusting expected outcomes.

Rural life is quite separate and unlike urban life in most developing nations. In Cambodia, there is a great contrast between rural and urban life. The rice fields of Kampong Cham and the bustling streets of Phnom Penh are worlds apart. The purpose of these three lessons is to provide students with an overview of Cambodian rural life through lecture, reading, and writing. Students will analyze demographic data, write a creative story using the viewpoint of a village participant and critically discuss issues of poverty and modernization in rural Cambodia. Finally, they will reflect on how their own values influence the way they view life in rural Cambodia. These lessons are designed for a high school elective about Cambodia, but could certainly be used by any high school or middle school students studying Cambodia.

This resource was designed for educators and provides hundreds of ideas for the classroom for integrating Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESD) into their classrooms.

There are resources for:
No poverty
Zero hunger
Good health & well-being
Quality education
Gender & equality
Clean water & sanitation
Affordable, clean energy
Decent work & economic growth
Industry, innovation, infrastructure
Reduced inequalities
Sustainable communities
Responsible consumption & production
Climate action
Life below water
Life on land
Peace, justice, strong institutions
Partnerships

This is a fantastic resource!

An excellent resource from the Eastern Ontario Catholic Curriculum Cooperative. This resource includes an in-depth simulation to place students into the “shoes” of those living in poverty. “This unit will help engage students to actively explore international trade, development and co-operation issues as they pertain to Canada, its trading partners, and the fair trade system.”