Teaching the Uneven Distribution of Wealth to the Children of the Great Recession

"What is the phrase to describe the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer?"  I asked in review of concepts related to the collapse of the '29 economy and causes of the Great Depression.

"Life." he mumbled from the front row, sarcastic if not somewhat defeated.

I found myself simultaneously depressed and impressed with his analysis of current economic conditions.

I smiled at his answer, decided then that there was little I could teach these kids about an economic downturn that they didn't already know.  I was now in the practice of providing them with a new vocabulary with which to describe their lives.