Different charts on world inequalities and on the evolution of inequalities over time are presented to students.

In Portugal, with older students, the teacher mentioned Portugal's position in the first chart and how the richest 20% in Portugal were eight times richer than the poorest 20%. The teacher asked, "Is that fair?". One student stressed that it was not fair, because “people were already rich and already had enough money”. Another student said that the difference was too large and that “the richest probably don’t even use all the money.” Regarding Portugal's position, one student pointed out “I thought Portugal was fairer”, another student said that she already had this perception of inequalities in Portugal. Then, we discussed the position of the United States. Students mentioned "no wonder, there are people with lots of money and people with very little money”; “when I think of the United States, I think of everything big and wealth, but also people who work and do not get as much”. A student pointed out that "people are selfish". The teacher provoked: if selfishness was the cause of inequalities how did some countries achieve half the inequalities (“are people in these countries less selfish?”)? One student responded that it was due to differences in "political and social action". More specifically, he referred to "laws that protect workers". In this way, students discussed the “minimum wage” as one of these laws, with one student referring it was important “to avoid companies paying less to workers”. Overall, all students agreed with this measure.

Then, students analyzed the second chart on the evolution of inequalities over time in different world regions. Again, one student read the title, another explained what the chart was about. The students referred that inequalities were increasing at the global level, but also pointed out that in Europe they were more stable. A student highlighted the case of Russia and the peak observed around 1990. The teacher asked if the students knew to what period or historical event that time corresponded and, as they didn’t know, he suggested that they researched it. He pointed out that inequalities are changing over time and are dependent on historical and political events. Finally, the teacher asked whether it is fair for the richest 10% to own 40% of the country's revenue (in the case of Russia in 2015). We gave the example of whether it would be fair for 2 students in the class to have 40% of the profits if students cooperatively made a sale. The students' response was clear: "no". Then we saw the case of Western Europe (one chart) and the United States (another chart) to highlight the fluctuation in levels of inequality and the United States case.

Finally, we discussed the chart on social mobility. The professor explained the case of Portugal and asked what could promote social mobility. Students spoke about compulsory schooling, mentioning that currently in Portugal school attendance is mandatory until the 12^th grade or until students are 18 years old and that social security protects children if they are not in school or are working. The teacher asked the students' opinion about this. One student said that she wished that it was not compulsory. She mentioned how she would like to work (as a cook) at the end of 9^th grade. A debate began among the students and most thought 12^th grade was an advantage. They also talked about the importance of specializing in one area and going to university. The teacher linked this discussion to the choices they will have to make soon (especially the older students, who are in 9^th grade). Then, the teacher asked how students thought schools were in the United States and whether the social and economic inequalities of the country would be reflected in schools. One student said that schools, as represented in movies, were very good, with “huge soccer fields”; another student stressed that there were also schools with “little security”, in which “students carry weapons”. The teacher said that both of them could be right and that those examples actually represent the inequalities in education. Then, students were questioned about inequalities in education in Portugal and if the school that students attend could determine their future. One student said that, at their school, for example, the relationships established with teachers were very close and that this helped all students succeed. Other students said that in education in Portugal there were “some inequalities, but not many”.

Links with the curriculum:

• Geography: countries and continents, globalization;
• Mathematics: reading and interpreting charts, awareness of numbers and percentages on inequalities;
• Citizenship education: human rights, interculturality, social justice.