Learning Objective: People have experienced homelessness in the United States since the nation's first days. This activity guides students through the major factors, contributors, and events that impacted homelessness during each time period. The activity allows students to put themselves into the context of homelessness issues of their assigned time period.  

 

Outcome: By the completion of this activity, students will: 

a) Have a better understanding of the events that shaped homelessness in the United States

b) Have additional resources to more deeply explore historical and current day homelessness. 

c) Have created a first-person narrative as a person or a family experiencing homelessness during their assigned time.

d) Create insight and deepen empathy for those who have experienced homelessness. 

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Instructions: 

• Divide into five small groups, one for each time period.

• Review the provided timeline with your group.

• Using the information and sources as context, create a first-person narrative of a person or family experiencing homelessness during this time. 

• Make sure to include:

  • Who is speaking (An adult, a child, a person within a family, a person who is alone, etc.)

  • The precise date when the person is speaking and the context around that date

  • A creative presentation (for example, a diary entry, a skit, an illustrated short story, etc.) 

• Present to the class.