Human Rights Education Lesson Plan
An Invisible Catastrophe
Understanding Youth Homelessness
Hello! My name is Kathleen Acevedo. I am currently a freshman at Montclair State University and I am majoring in Educational Foundations For Elementary Teachers. I enjoy working with younger kids, love shopping, being around those who love me, and watching k-dramas. I hope you all enjoy my lesson today and it intrigues you enough to see a different perspective among young people's lives!
Email: acevedokathleen1@gmail.com
Introduction of Human Rights Topic
In this lesson I will be going in depth about the issues our youth face today relating to homelessness. Not all of us are as fortunate, born into wealthy families, or surrounded by people who support the decisions we make. So, we will dig deep on how being homeless holds our youth back and diminishes their chances of a better opportunity in life. As well as gaining a connection with some of our youth throughout our lesson to build logical solutions for them in the end.
Essential Questions:
What is youth homelessness?
What are some of the causes of youth homelessness?
What are some of the effects of youth homelessness?
How do you think the young people feel when they come to the realization that they are going to end up homeless?
What are some of the struggles homeless youth goes through?
What are the basic necessities they are missing out on?
What are some ways we can help out the homeless?
Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
Define youth homelessness
Understand the challenges faced by homeless youth
Explore historical and current responses to US youth homelessness
Identify the social and political issues that exacerbate youth homelessness
Identify some of the emotions homeless youth may feel
Empathize with homeless youth
Identify specific ways to help out those in need
New Jersey State Social Studies Standards:
6.1.12.EconET.14.a: Use current events to judge what extent the government should intervene at the local, state, and national levels on issues related to the economy.
6.1.12.EconET.14.b: Analyze economic trends, income distribution, labor participation (i.e., employment, the composition of the work force), and government and consumer debt and their impact on society
Homelessness: The condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing
Unsheltered: A synonym for the word “homeless” - having or offering no shelter
Emergency shelter: A place for people to live temporarily when they cannot live in their previous residence. (Very similar to homeless shelter)
Housing Insecure: Being housing insecure means lacking stable or adequate living arrangements, especially because one lives unsafe or in uncomfortable conditions, or may even be at risk of eviction
Special Materials:
Computer and projector, with screen
Copy of accompanying slide show
Wi-fi access
Phones to scan QR codes for activities
Youth homelessness is a very big case in the U.S right now. I truly feel like it is a topic that is not talked about enough which motivated me to teach it. Students tend to think of the world homelessness as a person that lives and sleeps on the street. But it tends to be much more than that and, I say that because I used to think like that myself. Being homeless does not only have to mean you live on the streets, but it can be you living from minimum things. It means you are moving from house to house because you have nowhere to go. Being homeless is much more than you laying outside on the ground with no home. Teaching a lesson about youth homelessness can really open your students' minds to the real world. They can connect to these young people and see that not everybody has an advantage to so many things. They even get to learn about the government and how they really treat certain people/groups when it comes to this topic and make very engaging discussions throughout your lesson.
Introduction and Overview of Topic ( 10 mins )
I will enter the classroom, prepare my materials and my presentation
After preparing my presentation I will start my lesson by introducing myself and who I am. Then, I will jump into my lesson
When I stary my lesson, I will start it off with a “hook”; a question relating to some statistics of youth homelessness… “What percentage of the U.S is experiencing homelessness?”
Students will respond with 3-4 answers and after that I will inform them and give them exact answers to the question.
Once we have completed this hook we will jump into the definition of youth homelessness. I will ask the students what they think the term means and they will participate.
After this I will give the definition of youth homelessness on the slide after and start addressing how people also have different terms for the word “homeless”. I will address the most common terms which are “homeless” and “housing insecure” and what they mean exactly.
By completing this activity, students will learn… What percentage of the U.S is experiencing homelessness at this moment. The different terms that can be used to describe homelessness and the different ways it can happen. The difference between homeless and housing insecure.
Activity One: Case study ( 10 mins )
I will introduce a case study of homeless youth
This 3–4-minute clip will include a small heartfelt story of what a member of the LGBTQ community has experienced while being homeless
After they students have watched the video clip, I will ask 3 questions about the video and the way being part of the LGBTQ community can connect to youth homelessness
By completing this activity, students will learn… that experiencing youth homelessness doesn’t mean that you were just born into poverty and that the problem of youth homelessness around the U.S is way deeper than we thought.
Activity Two: Essential Question ( 6 mins)
I will ask the class my main essential question “What are some causes of youth homelessness”? ….
The question will be up on the board and students will take out a pen and paper to write the answer to the questions with a partner.
After this activity is over, I will have a slide after this activity with multiple causes and effects for youth homelessness to discuss with the students…
By completing this activity, students will learn… the different causes and effects youth homelessness have. They may think of some but may learn new possible causes or effects that they never really thought about before.
Activity Three & Four, as needed ( 15 min)
I will start to introduce other people and what they do to help with youth homelessness
I will mention nonprofit organizations in my slides and include a short story/video about someone that works with youth homelessness. They will discuss what they do and the changes they want to see amongst the homeless. …
After I will include a short video/story about a homeless young person that talks about who they are and what they want from others as help for them …
By completing this activity, students will learn… the ways some people are helping the homeless community and what young homeless people wish we offered to help them out and give them more useful resources.
Conclusion and Wrap Up
We will discuss ways we can help out homeless people
We will all think of 3 logical ways to be able to help and be there for those in needs
I will provide a slide with 2-3 resources they can use and search themselves for to help.
At the end of my lesson, I will accept all questions from students
(optional)
Book:
Brandon Andrew Robinson, “Coming out to the streets : LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness”, 2020
This book is about the LGBTQ community and their experiences, especially with homelessness. I do not have the e-book. But, I did read the description and am going to place a hold for the book because it seems like an essential book to get great information from. I can add information from this book to my lesson relating to the LGBTQ community and what they went through coming out to their parents. As well as the exact causes that led them to homelessness.
Video:
DeVaughn Barden, YO-TV, Educational Video Center. “Losing Ground: The New Face of Homelessness”, 2007
https://video-alexanderstreet-com.ezproxy.montclair.edu/watch/losing-ground-the-new-face-of-homelessness
This video highlights true experiences about young people that are facing homelessness themselves. The people in this video are showing the audience their real stories and the different lives they all had before which had led them to being homeless and looking for helpful resources in the U.S. As you get deeper into the video they describe and show how it is to be homeless describing everything as if you were hearing the story being told in front of you. I picked this video because I wanted to show a small part of it in my lesson. Quotes from articles and journals aren't the same as visually watching something and connecting with it in some way, while grasping a very good understanding of it. Which is what I want my classroom to feel. I truly feel like adding a part of this video to my lesson will grasp my class's attention and help them engage in the lesson in a different way.
Elizabeth A. Schoenfeld; Kate Bennett; Katy Manganella and Gage Kemp. “More than just a seat at the table: the power of youth voice in ending youth homelessness in the United States”, 2019
This article discussed the process of attempting to end youth homelessness in the United States. It discussed a clear overview of the development and contributions of youth homelessness, showing that the youth are empowered to make decisions about issues impacting their lives. Including their programmatic recommendations and advocacy work as well as key recommendations for communities looking to hold youth voice at the system level. There are also organizations and communities that integrate youth voice reporting with greater clarity of purpose, as well as developing programs that are better aligned with youth needs.
Database:
Era Banner. “360°kids cooks up employment opportunities in culinary program for young people at new Newmarket Youth Hub: Non-profit agency committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness”, 11 Dec. 2023
https://www.proquest.com/central/docview/2900728461/217595E680144137PQ/6?accountid=12536&sourcetype=Newspapers
This newspaper really piqued my interest because of its very fascinating title. This newspaper was about a non-profit agency committed to prevent and end youth homelessness by providing a range of programs and services that address root causes, break down barriers, and create opportunities for them. In the course they learn about employment skills such as resume writing, interviewing skills and conflict resolution and culinary abilities. Which is something they haven’t had the chance to learn due to their situation. Overall, you can sense that this was a very incredible experience for them due to some of the comments they left and everything they gained after this program. Which was leaving with certificates for their accomplishments, more knowledge, and self-improvement. This would be an amazing factual piece of information to add to my lesson because the students will be able to see that there are amazing organizations out there ready to lend a helping hand to young homeless people and that do more than just providing shelter and food. But, instead worrying about their mental health and attempting to spike at a different area of their brain with knowledge they can take with them for the future. As they are young people overall.
Book:
Jamie Rife Donald W. Burnes, “ Journeys out of homelessness”, 15 Oct. 2019. Pg 1-18
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/montclair/reader.action?docID=619148
This book talks about others journeys and the process of what they went through when they were homeless. When using this resource I would like to focus on the start of the book. Which would be chapter 1 pages 1-18. In the first chapter they introduce homelessness, what it is, the extent of homelessness, the personal causes of it, and people’s public opinion. Which I truly feel will be very beneficial information to add to the start of my lesson so that my class has a clear knowledge of what youth homelessness really is.
Database:
Article in a Website:
Timothy Scalona. “I was a homeless high school student. America’s laws don’t do enough to help kids like me.”, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2021
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/09/07/i-was-homeless-high-school-student-americas-laws-dont-do-enough-help-kids-like-me/
This was my favorite journalism article thus far. It really tells us this young girl's story, her struggles and what she went through after the pandemic as well as the cause it had on her. It made me see a different point of view, especially this being a person that is around the same age as me, and the same age that some of the students in the classroom I will be teaching my lesson to will be. In this journal she discusses the advantages you get when being homeless as well as all the disadvantages you face. She mentions how the government helps her and her siblings with small necessities such as transportation. But, then proceeds to tell us that not every person in need receives the same amount of help from the government…
Valerie Polakow and Syprose Owiti. “ Child Poverty, Rightss, and well-being”, 21 July, 2021
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199791231/obo-9780199791231-0134.xml?rskey=O2tIjw&result=10&q=Youth+homelessness#firstMatch
This resource is an introduction to youth homelessness which describes the real-life struggles young people go through mentally and physically when they are homeless. It simply highlights how being homeless as a child is a global crisis and that you are at such a disadvantage because you lack many basic necessities you need to grow. It makes you question what it means to be fully human due to the fact that being homeless as a younger person makes you lack basic human rights as well.