edHelper.com 2008 Elections

Poverty in America

---

Poverty in America
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	6.49

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		eligibility, voucher, deport, housing, humanitarian, economic, follow-up, helping, well-paying, landlord, finding, society, accessible, wage, nation, immigration
	content words:		United States, American Progress, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Urban Development, Housing Program, Earned Income Tax Credit

---

Print Poverty in America

Print Poverty in America  (font options, pick words for additional puzzles, and more)

Quickly Print - PDF format

	Quickly Print: PDF (2 columns per page)
	Quickly Print: PDF (full page)

Quickly Print - HTML format

Quickly Print: HTML

Proofreading Activity

Print a proofreading activity

---

Feedback on Poverty in America

Leave your feedback on Poverty in America  (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

Poverty in America By Phyllis Naegeli

---

¹     The United States is a wealthy nation and a world power. Yet, poverty in our great country continues to be a problem. Imagine living paycheck to paycheck or being without the means to pay for everyday expenses for housing, food, and utilities. The poor in our land are affected in a greater way by the rising cost of many of these necessities. Their income is just not enough to pay for their needs. Many are in a position where they are without the ability to change their situation. What can we as a nation do to help end poverty and turn things around for the poor?
 
²     Officially, the percentage of people living at the poverty level rose to 15.1% in 2010. It is estimated that about 45 million people remain below the poverty level. The guidelines for determining poverty are very strict. For example, in 2009 the poverty level for a family of four was $21,756 per year. If this family makes one dollar more, it is not considered to be in poverty. Thankfully, many social service agencies use from two hundred to four hundred percent of the poverty level to determine eligibility for assistance. But is this enough? Do we need such strict guidelines? What about a family that is in a temporary situation? Should we bend the rules to assist them temporarily? How do people become poor?
 
³     There are many causes of poverty and no one solution. Many issues commonly discussed in politics contribute to the problem of poverty. Lack of healthcare, failing schools, the economy, and even immigration are factors leading to poverty. Other issues include lack of affordable housing, the high cost of childcare, and rising tuitions at colleges and universities. According to the Center for American Progress, poverty costs the United States approximately $500 billion dollars a year. They estimate that an investment in programs that would cut poverty in half would cost $90 billion dollars a year. What type of investment would work? Are we willing as a nation to make the sacrifice to invest in changing the lives of the poor?
 
⁴     Lack of health insurance places a tremendous burden on our nation. When people are sick or injured, they need proper care. Poor people who do not have health insurance may have to go to a hospital emergency room for treatment. These costs are very high. Without insurance and with a small income that barely lets them make ends meet, how will they pay for this treatment? Even making small payments can cause a hardship. What if follow-up care is needed? Where will the money for this come from? How will a poorer person pay for this care? What can we do to make health care accessible and affordable for all Americans?
 
⁵     Our failing schools need help to become better. Students in poorer schools do not always receive the education and training they need to get a good job. Without a good education, finding a well-paying job can be difficult. Lower paying jobs with few opportunities to advance may be all that is available to a person with a poor education. This leads to poverty. Access to a college education is also important. A higher education degree is valued in our society. How will we change our schools to give all students the chance to learn? What can we do to make our education system work? How will we help those with lower incomes get the education they need? What needs to change so that higher education is available to all who wish to go to college?

Paragraphs 6 to 11:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

2008 Elections

2008 Elections

---

Social Studies

Social Studies

2004 Elections         2008 Elections         United States History and Theme Units         American Government         Ancient America         Ancient China         Ancient Egypt         Ancient Greece         Ancient India         Ancient Mesopotamia         Ancient Rome         Biographies         Canadian Theme Unit         Country Theme Units         Crime and Terrorism         Economics

European History: 1600s-1800s         Explorers         Famous Educators         Geography         Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series         History of Books and Writing         History of Mathematics         How Can I Help?         Inventors and Inventions         Middle Ages         Renaissance         World Religion         World War I         World War II         World Wonders

---

More Activities, Lesson Plans, and Worksheets

Back to School Graphic Organizers Alphabet Worksheets Sight Words Math Worksheets Mazes 50 States Education Teaching Monthly Themes January February March April May June July August September October November December

Fractions Place Value Time and Calendar Money Earth Day Solar System Analogies Nouns Following Directions Listening Capitalization Cursive Writing Patterns and Sequencing Dinosaurs All About Me Kindergarten First Grade Second Grade Third Grade Fourth Grade Fifth Grade Sixth Grade

Multiplication Division Main Idea Cause and Effect Measurement Decimals Rounding Order of Operations Verbs Community Helpers Adjectives Plants Grammar Addition and Subtraction Contractions Bulletin Board Ideas Word Searches Crossword Puzzles Printable Puzzles Reading Comprehension Reading Skills English Language Arts

Copyright © 2013 edHelper