English Level:
Intermediate
Content Warning:
poverty, homelessness, cancer, death, 20-minute runtime
I have chosen not to include the definitions here to give you the opportunity to find the information yourself. The information you find this way will stay with you longer. Please take the time to find out the meaning of the vocabulary.
Founded
The long road
Bankrupt
Devastating
Prestigious
It went South
Foreclosure
Walk away from (his house)
It fell through
Shipyard
Put out on the street
Eviction
Slumlord
Voucher
Sandwiched between
Dumping ground
Respite
Sanctioned
Set up shop
Living on the streets
Get off the streets
It’s a pleasure
These warmup questions are intended to introduce you to the topic
- What is a tent city? Why do they exist?
- America is one of the richest countries in the world. What percentage of the population is in poverty?
- What was the 2008 Crash?
- Where is the Bay Area?
- What is sofa surfing?
- If you started a self-sufficient community, what chores / roles / responsibilities would people need to take care of?
- What is a container home?
- How important is shelter?
- What are some common stereotypes about homeless people?
As you listen, try to answer these questions.
You may need to listen more than once.
- How did he become homeless?
- What was his job?
- At what age did he retire?
- What happened to his father?
- When did he move into the shelter? What is its name? How long did he stay there?
- Why can’t he give up his dogs?
- Why didn’t the slumlord relationship work? How long did he live there?
- Before he got a tent, where did he sleep? How long did he stay there?
- What is stealth camping?
Reflect on what you have learned.
- What would you do if you suddenly lost all of your money? Who would help you?
- Do you have a backup plan?
- “When I first hit the economic crash, they weren’t yet saying the R-word…” What do you think the R-word is?
- Is there a problem with the American Healthcare system?
- Is it ok for a homeless person to keep pets?
- Derrick mentioned that a lot of the people in the tent city have jobs, but they are still homeless? Why do you think they are homeless?
- Would you vote for Derrick?
- What do you think about Derrick’s plan? How would you fix the homelessness issue?
- “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.” Is this phrase applicable to Derrick’s situation?
- What are your three wishes?
- Identify at least one key issue from this video that you could research more.