Whakataukī | Proverb
"Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi"
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.
This whakataukī teaches that when we all contribute and share resources, everyone prospers. But what happens when some baskets overflow while others are empty? This simulation helps us see the reality of wealth inequality in Aotearoa - and ask critical questions about fairness, justice, and alternative systems.
💰 Wealth Inequality Simulation
Unit 4: Economic Justice | Aotearoa New Zealand Edition
📋 Learning Objectives:
- Understand wealth distribution in NZ
- Visualize economic inequality through simulation
- Analyze impacts on different communities
- Question current economic systems
- Imagine more equitable alternatives
📊 The Simulation: 10 People, 100 Cookies
Imagine 10 people in a room representing ALL of Aotearoa. There are 100 cookies (representing all the wealth in NZ). How would they be distributed if it matched our ACTUAL wealth inequality?
🍪 Activity: Cut out 100 circles (cookies) from paper, or use real cookies/counters. Distribute them according to the chart below!
| Person | Represents | Cookies (Wealth) | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Person 1 (Top 10%) | Wealthiest NZers | 59 cookies 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪... | 59% |
| Person 2 | Upper-middle class | 15 cookies 🍪🍪🍪 | 15% |
| Person 3 | Middle class | 10 cookies 🍪🍪 | 10% |
| Person 4 | Lower-middle class | 7 cookies 🍪 | 7% |
| Person 5 | Working class | 4 cookies 🍪 | 4% |
| Person 6 | Working class | 2 cookies | 2% |
| Person 7 | Struggling families | 1 cookie | 1% |
| Person 8 | Living in poverty | 1 cookie | 1% |
| Person 9 | Experiencing hardship | 1 cookie | 1% |
| Person 10 (Bottom 10%) | Extreme poverty | 0 cookies 😢 | 0% |
📌 Key Fact:
The top 10% of NZers own nearly 60% of all wealth. The bottom 50% own just 2%!
📊 Visual Wealth Distribution
💭 Critical Thinking Questions
1. Is this distribution fair? Why or why not?
2. How would your life be different if you were Person 1 vs Person 10?
3. Māori and Pasifika families are overrepresented in the bottom 50%. Why do you think this is?
4. What would a MORE EQUAL distribution look like? Draw it!
🌟 Imagine Different Systems
How could we redistribute wealth more fairly? Consider these alternatives:
Everyone gets a baseline amount. How would this change the distribution?
Tax extreme wealth and redistribute to public services. What could this fund?
Focus on collective wealth, environmental sustainability, and intergenerational wellbeing rather than individual profit.
🌟 Extension Challenge
Design Your Ideal System: If you had 100 cookies to distribute among 10 people, how would YOU do it? Why? What values guide your decision?
My distribution:
Why I chose this: