Overview Inquiry Description This inquiry leads students through an investigation of the intensification of economic inequality. By exploring the compelling question “Can we afford the super-rich?” students evaluate the historical trends and consider the epidemiological, political, and socio-environmental consequences of escalating economic inequality. The formative performance tasks build on knowledge and skills through the course of the inquiry to help students understand the influence of the super-rich on the lives of others through a progressively expanded lens of economic inequality, mental and physical health, democratic processes, and climate change mitigation efforts. Students create an evidence-based argument about why we cannot afford the super-rich or why the super-rich do not pose a risk to society and the environment in which humanity is embedded. Though students can complete the inquiry with the provided sources, teachers are encouraged to have students research the supporting questions to supplement them. It is important to note that this inquiry requires prerequisite knowledge of historical events and ideas. Thus, students should have already studied the Gilded Age and the myriad problems associated with it: working class exploitation resulting in the upward transfer of wealth and its concentration at the top of the socioeconomic pyramid; public health crises; political corruption; and geopolitical struggles around resource control and use. Note: This inquiry is expected to take eight 40-minute class periods. The inquiry time frame could expand if teachers think their students need additional instructional experiences (i.e., supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources). Teachers are encouraged to adapt the in order to meet the needs and interests of their particular students. Resources can also be modified as necessary to meet individualized education programs (IEPs) or Section 504 Plans for students with disabilities. Structure of the Inquiry In addressing the compelling question “Can we afford the super-rich?” students work through a series of supporting questions, formative performance tasks, and featured sources in order to construct an argument supported by evidence while acknowledging competing perspectives. Staging the Compelling Question In staging the compelling question, “Can we afford the super-rich?” teachers show students a series of slides of figures, headlines, and images related to economic inequality, prompting a classroom discussion concerning its causes and consequences.
Supporting Question 3 Featured Source Source C: Freedom House (2016). Freedom in the World 2016 Report, United States and Table of Country Scores. Report. Retrieved from and Supporting Question 4 Featured Source Source A: Kenner, D. (2016). Reducing inequality and carbon footprints within countries. Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University. Article. Retrieved from Supporting Question 4 Featured Source Source B: Upton, J. (2013, September 12). Let’s fight the 1 percent—of power plants. Grist. Article. Retrieved from Supporting Question 4 Featured Source Source C: Mankiw, N. G. (2014, February 16). Yes, the Wealthy Can Be Deserving. The New York Times. Article. Retrieved from