Answer Close-Reading Questions
Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.
• What is the Social Progress Index? What does it measure? (Central Ideas)
The Social Progress Index is a measure of how well countries meet their people’s needs. It compares 163 countries on 50 indicators of well-being, including health, safety, education, individual rights, and environmental quality.
• According to the map, what are 10 countries that scored 82 or more on the index? (Text Features)
Responses may include Canada, the United States, Costa Rica, Chile, Uruguay, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Malta, Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.
• According to the article, map, and charts, how did the United States do on the Social Progress Index? (Integrating Information)
The U.S. came in 28th overall, with a score of 85.71 out of 100. It ranked first in access to advanced education, 35th in individual rights, 41st in health and wellness, and 100th in environmental quality. The U.S. was one of only three countries that scored lower overall in 2020 than in 2010.
• What information in the article, map, or charts did you find most surprising? Why? (Responding to Text)
Responses will vary.