There are varying degrees of impact that a lesson can have on a child. Some lessons are taught easily using a textbook in a classroom setting, while others are taught using real-life examples. Rather than learning valuable life lessons in the classroom, the children in Toni Cade Bambara's "The Lesson" learn about the harsh economic inequalities of their society. Led by Miss Moore, the children discover how they are personally affected by economic inequality. By using the "show, don't tell" teaching method, the children's naivety diminishes and the narrator explains the progress by illustrating how the children are affected by the lesson. Miss Moore's lesson goes beyond simple economics. It teaches children a valuable lesson about the economic inequality they are blind to. Instead of constantly telling the children that they are poor and that, as the narrator says, "[Since money is not distributed properly in this country" (np), she shows them how by taking them to the FAO Schwarz. Interestingly, instead of going into the toy store, the children and Miss Moore window shop briefly. This arrangement suggests the socio-economic gap between rich and poor. Additionally, children huddle around the window and observe an unfamiliar device. Again, this suggests the gap between the rich and the poor since the children are unfamiliar with microscopes and have never been exposed to high-end products. Miss Moore asks the children about the prices of the microscope. She doesn't tell them the price, but guides them by making them look at the prices and asking why the toys are expensive. Additionally, Miss Moore asks the children if they will be able to afford the expensive microscope using their allowances, to which of them respond that it would... middle of paper... changing. Instead of making jokes or having fun in the store, they are negatively fascinated by the prices of toys. Towards the end of the story, the children do not engage in jokes or games. On the contrary, they speak very little. Again, Miss Moore's lesson was so powerful that it impacted the children to the point where one could argue it was a "tiring day." Although most of the children are stunned by the events of the trip and have not offered their interpretations, Sugar does evoke economic inequality by comparing the very little money the group's family has to the price of the expensive sailboat. She then adds that their society is “[N]entirely a democracy… An equal opportunity to pursue happiness means an equal share of the dough, right? » Sugar spoke for everyone and thus learned the overall lesson that Miss Moore was trying to teach them...