The Children Left Behind

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: In what ways is the economy of a nation linked to the safety and health of its people?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article (see right). Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• phenomenon
• displacement
• seized
• authoritarian
• exodus
• normalcy

3. Engage
Ask: What is an economic collapse? What might be some of the effects of an economic collapse? What might cause an economic collapse in an oil-rich country?

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Children Left Behind, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the facing page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.).

•  Based on the article, summarize the events that led to economic collapse in Venezuela. (Summarize, central idea)
• (In 1998, socialist Hugo Chávez became the president of Venezuela. He nationalized parts of the economy and seized the assets of foreign businesses, but oil sales offset any negative effects his actions had on the economy. However, when oil prices dropped in 2014, the lack of oil revenue revealed the damaging effects of Chávez’s actions. Now, Venezuela—which used to be an economically successful country—suffers from hyperinflation, high unemployment, and an extremely high rate of poverty.)

• In the first section, Abel Saraiba says “This is a phenomenon that is going to change the face of our society.” What phenomenon is he referring to? Does his statement have a negative or positive connotation? How do you know? (Word meaning, tone)
   (Saraiba is referring to the mass exodus of parents leaving Venezuela to find work to support their families. His statement has a negative connotation. He is a psychologist who is seeing first-hand how the family separations are adversely affecting children in Venezuela.)

• How does the section “From Rich to Poor” build on the opening section? Is this order of information effective for conveying the topic? Explain. (Text structure, author’s purpose)
  (The opening section discusses some of the effects of the economic collapse—parents leaving Venezuela to find work and the damage it’s causing children. The next section, “From Rich to Poor,” builds on the opening section by explaining why Venezuela’s economy collapsed. Evaluations of the text structure will vary.)

• What does the sidebar “The U.S. & Venezuela” on page 14 add to your understanding of the article? (Integrate sources)
  (The sidebar adds to the article by explaining how Chávez’s actions and the economic collapse they created affected Venezuela’s relationship with the U.S. The sidebar also provides information about some steps the U.S. is taking to try to bring about a change in regime, which potentially could help Venezuela’s economy.)

• What does the author contrast at the beginning of the section “Rolling Blackouts & Hunger”? Which words signal that the author is making a contrast? What does this contrast help you understand about the rest of the section? (Compare & Contrast, text structure)
  (The author contrasts the economic success the Venezuelan state of Zulia once enjoyed with the economic devastation it now faces. The phrase It was once and the word Today signal that the author is making a contrast. Having this background information on what happened in Zulia helps you understand why Aura Fernández left Venezuela to find work to support her children—which is what the rest of the section discusses.)

•  What problems has the economic collapse created for the children of Venezuela? (Problem & solution, key details)
   (The economic collapse has created many problems for the children of Venezuela. Children are separated from their parents and crowded into the homes of relatives, forced into the streets to work, or put in crowded shelters. Without proper adult care, they are vulnerable to abuse. They often have very little to eat, have little access to clean water for drinking and bathing, and lack proper medical care.)

• What do the map and graph on pages 14 and 15 add to your understanding of the section “An Enormous Challenge”? (Integrate sources)
  (The section “An Enormous Challenge” discusses how Covid-19 and social distancing measures have made campaigning a challenge and may lead to low voter turnout. The map and graph show additional challenges to winning the election—winning enough battleground states and getting young people to vote.) 

• What does the phrase “defining issue” in the last section head mean? Why do you think the author ended the heading with a question mark?  (Word meaning, make inferences)
  (The phrase “defining issue” means the most important issue or factor that critically affects something. The author explains that, in the past, the defining issue for sitting presidents has been the economy—when the economy is bad, sitting presidents are usually not re-elected. The author most likely ends the heading with a question mark because so many things could happen before Election Day that we don’t yet know if the current bad economy will play a role in how voters cast their votes in this election or if another factor will be the defining issue.)   

6. Writing Prompt
Based on the article and additional research, what do you think would fix Venezuela’s collapsed economy? Write a four- or five-paragraph opinion essay explaining your thoughts.

7. Video
Watch the video about Venezuela. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Should Venezuela open its borders to allow parents to retrieve their children?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension and Organizing Ideas to review outlining skills.