Ranging from 0 to 1, it combines life expectancy, adult literacy, and purchasing power into a single statistic. Even countries with low per capita GDP may rank high on the HDI- that is, if their people live relatively long, are mostly literate, and generate enough purchasing power to rise above poverty. On the other hand, countries with high per capita GDP may still have low HDI rates. The difference lies in the way national leaders set their priorities and allocate government funds. If younger students have difficulty responding to this prompt, the teacher may want to provide categories upon which students can expound, such as daily life, health, education, religion, and wealth.
Students then share their answers while the teacher writes responses on the board.
Students receive copies of the 1998 human development index. For younger or less advanced students, pairs of students can be assigned two facts from the article, adding a discussion element to this exercise. Copy the fact clearly at the top of the piece of paper. For the most part, each fact compares consumption by people in developed countries to that of people in less developed countries. Students present their facts and responses to them to the class.