Gapminder
Gapminder is data visualization tool.
Yes, it sounds a little dull when you put it that way, but when coupled with a mountain of socio-economic and demographic data, it is an unbelievable picture of our world. It is an excellent resource for charting and comparing data on countries around the world and looking at the relationship between those data.
Compare life expectancy, number of doctors, internet use, infant mortality rates, phone use, boy:girl ratios in schools, and a big handful of other indicators.
This is a great tool for helping your student visualize the discrepancies (i.e., gaps) between their lifestyles and that of others worldwide and could spark some incredible discussions.
Find it online at http://tools.google.com/gapminder.
