Homelessness: A Primary Source Set
The first source below includes recent images of what homelessness looks like today, and the second two links include pictures from the Great Depression, many of which include pictures of intense poverty. Students can use these images to compare homelessness and poverty in modern times to homelessness during the Great Depression era. They can use these sources to look for similarities and differences and make comparisons to modern and historical events.
The Times Machine provides access to New York Times articles as they appeared when they were first written. This learning tool gives students the opportunity to find articles about homelessness (or any topic) in different times throughout history. They can find out what was written in the news about homelessness at different times and then examine how things have changed over time.
The “Mapping Inequality” website gives students access to the various living conditions in Milwaukee’s past. This allows for teachers and students to explore the various neighborhoods in Milwaukee and compare how they have developed over the years. This relates to the issue of homelessness because it can help us better understand where there were issues of poverty and whether they have changed.
The next online tool is a database to find non-profit organizations, many of which are involved in helping the homeless community. Teachers could use this online source to help students pick a non-profit organization to research or even to visit as a class. I believe that a key part of engaging in social studies includes getting involved in the community. Being engaged promotes learning about topics such as homelessness as well as helping the greater community.
The following article includes pictures of homeless individuals along with messages that they wrote below the picture. These messages convey what members of the homeless community want people to know about them. I think this is a valuable source for young students because it shows the different types of people who are a part of the homeless community and dispels some common stereo types connected with them.
This link to the U.S. Department of Housing includes a map that shows different places around Milwaukee where there is affordable housing available. This tool serves as a visual to see where people living in poverty might look to find affordable housing.
The final two sources are links to articles that demonstrate two different ways that people are helping to combat homelessness. They might serve as inspiration for students to come up with their own ideas on how to help improve the epidemic of homelessness. Students can use historical thinking skills to discuss if they think these types of solutions are effective.
