The documentary Will Work for Free discusses the current system and programs

for unemployment. It questions what level of unemployment is sustainable and what

would happen if all jobs suddenly disappeared. Along with this, it investigates the
possibility of complete automation in every sector of employment and the resulting
implications. Additionally, it addresses that the recent trends of unemployment have
slowed down. However, the increase of part-time employment is almost equal to the
decrease in full-time employment. Therefore, more people are technically unemployed, the
amount of available work is shrinking, and the economy is getting worse.
The article Population and Feeding the World by Anup Shah addresses the
common misconception that food is scarce because the population is growing too fast. It
explains that, instead, people are hungry because they cannot afford food. Food shortage is
a political problem, not necessarily a shortage problem. It also stated that most hungry
people live in countries that have food surpluses rather than deficits. According to the
article, one cause of hunger is land ownership and who controls the land. The article
provides links to additional articles with more information on related topics.
The article Seeking Ways to Help the Poor and Childless by Eduardo Porter
examines the lives of several people struggling to make ends meet and gives them a chance
to participate in an antipoverty experiment. This experiment was proposed by Mayor
Michael R. Bloomberg and started by the citys Center for Economic Opportunity to test
what would happen if the government financially supported struggling adults without
children. The participants chosen were 6,000 low-income single adults with no direct
responsibility over children. The experiment is currently underway, but half of the group

will receive a yearly bonus payment to mimic the earned-income tax credit. The other half
will be the control group. The purpose of this experiment is to disprove the American
belief that the job market alone can provide for the needs of all workers.
This continual education component informed my thinking about my unit by making
me more educated on the topic. Watching a documentary and reading articles related to
my essential and guiding questions helped improve my understanding of what I will be
teaching my students. Before doing this extra research, I had an understanding of poverty
and inequality, but didnt realize the effects it has on our economic system. It was
interesting to learn more about the programs designed to help the poor, and to consider
the possibilities of a job market that is almost entirely automated. It was helpful to explore
the concepts deeper and strengthen my knowledge of the topics. I now feel more informed
and have a stronger background knowledge to bring with me when I teach my lessons.