Resources for Advent 2006
Objective: Provide a visual example of the distribution of the world’s food and wealth and stimulate discussion among students about fairness and justice.
Supplies: M&Ms and 3 bowls
Overview: Divide students into three groups (based on percentages below) to represent high-income countries, middle-income countries and low-income countries. Put an empty bowl in front of each group for the M&Ms. Statistics come from Bread for the World Institute research.
High income (also called “First World Countries” or “Developed Countries”)
Number of students: about 17 percent of your total group’s size
Number of M&Ms: 50 per person
Middle Income
Number of students: about 25 percent of your total group’s size
Number of M&Ms: 7 per person
Low Income (also called “Third World Countries” or “Developing Countries”)
Number of students: about 57 percent of your total group’s size
Number of M&Ms: 1 for every 3 people
Explain that the 3 groups represent high-income, middle-income and low-income countries. Describe each group (see descriptions below). After each description, pour the M&Ms into the group’s bowl and explain that this represents the amount of food the group gets. (Ask students to eat when the exercise is over – and do not even out the M&Ms later but allow them to share if they choose to do so without prompting).
Group 1: The richest countries
- You make up 17% of the world’s population.
- Average income per person is about $8,900 a year.
- Includes countries like the U.S., Canada, Japan, England.
- Not many children die in these countries.
- You get more to eat than you need.
Group 2: The middle-income countries
- You make up 26% of the world’s population.
- Includes countries like Poland, Thailand, Phillipines.
- Many in your group do not get enough to eat.
Group 3: The poorest countries
- You make up 57% of the world’s population.
- Average income per person is $725 a year, or $2 a day.
- Includes countries like Haiti, Bangladesh, Ethiopia.
- Many people go hungry every day.
- Your drinking water is contaminated, so lots of people get sick and die.
- The average person lives to age 60, compared to 76 in group 1.
Discussion Questions
- For Group 1: How does it feel to have so much food, especially when others do not?
- For Group 3: How do you feel about the people in the wealthy group? What would you want them to do?
- Is this distribution fair? Why or why not? What would make it fair?
- If you lived in the poorest group, what are some other things you may not have besides food?
- Why do a small number of people have so much, and a large number of people have so little? What causes hunger?
- What do you think God feels about these inequalities? What do you think God would want us to do about them? How will he judge us? How does God want the world to be?
Scripture: Luke 4:18-19