Christian Aid: Poverty Challenge Game + Lesson Resources

The Poverty Challenge simulation game is one of the popular and highly interactive games for classroom use created by Christian Aid. It can be used as a key part in a series of lessons, or at pupil conferences to get people thinking about poverty and their responses to it.

In the game young people take on the role of families from six countries (Bangladesh; Bolivia; Kenya; Malawi; Nicaragua; Tajikistan) and experience hands-on learning on how sustainable development training can improve their livelihoods.

Playing the game, young people are made aware of our divided world and the importance of finding lasting solutions to help poor countries develop and work their way out of poverty.

The Poverty Challenge enables the class to meet multiple curriculum requirements as they play and provides:

– kinaesthetic learning for a memorable experience
– flexibility – play in one session or several
– cross-curricular links
– minimal preparation time – photocopy material and re-use resources included.

There are downloadable real-life case studies about people in the featured countries, factsheets on Christian Aid partners, and accompanying photo gallery stories for whiteboard introductions.

The Game is designed to be flexible and adaptable. It may be used as part of a topic in Social Studies/Geography/Modern Studies or RME or some forms of Social Education. Equally, it is suitable for as part of an interdisciplinary learning experience. There are no specific links to CfE Experiences and Outcomes, but these can be readily made. Teachers’ notes include information sheets for pupils and full instructions on how the game may be used in the classroom.