Social justice

Resources for Social justice added within the last month:

All resources for Social justice:

In this article from the April 2002 Connect, Patrick Lannan encourages teachers to integrate current events into the classroom and offers strategies for doing this. Recognizing that the goal is to form responsible and faith-filled Catholics, the writer delves into what it means to be American and Catholic. A timely article for both ideas and reflection!

This reflection from My Dear Young Friends: Pope John Paul II Speaks to Teens on Life, Love, and Courage is about peacemaking.

This outreach activity invites young people to build holiday meals and memories for families that might not be able to afford a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

This article with accompanying discussion questions, adapted from Living Justice and Peace, examines what it means to follow Jesus' command to love our enemies. The spiral of violence, grace, and restorative versus retributive justice are discussed, and the courageous example of one woman who sought God's help to love her enemy is offered.

This article with accompanying discussion questions, adapted from Living Justice and Peace, examines pacifism, just-war theory, and conscientious objection in light of the East Coast terrorist attacks.

This article from the August-September 1997 issue of Momentum contends that service hours done solely within a course in the religious studies program may not be the most effective way to educate students in their faith or in the ways of justice. John Hoffman suggests an integrated model that allows students to have more time with the poor and marginalized so that students will rise to a higher level of thinking, recognizing that works of charity are necessary but insufficient solutions.

How can you integrate curriculum from many different content areas into the service program at your school? Here are some guiding principles from a school that has worked in this direction for over ten years!

Integrating dance with method and content can be quite a challenge, but in this article from Momentum, Jeanette Sawaya Lamb and Rick Wagoner describe a powerful learning experience that culminates in a dance performance entitled Awakenings. Using the theme of human rights and injustices in the world, the English department participates through reading and writing poetry on that theme. This activity serves as an excellent example of a bodily-kinesthetic activity that embraces a spiritual dimension. Students research the content and choreograph the performance. The article also describes the dance curriculum of Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Utah.

Considering the polls that show 75% of U.S. citizens favor the death penalty, Fr. Overberg looks at scripture, church teaching, the teaching of the bishops, and a real life story of a mother whose daughter was murdered. Compelling and relevant, this article could serve as a good prompt for discussion in the classroom.

One of the most evident ways in which Our Lady of Guadalupe is an icon of justice is the care and sensitivity with which she reached out to the marginalized members of 16th century Mexican society.

This sidebar from the Living Justice and Peace textbook gives a brief theological analysis of the Babylonian creation myth, The Enuma Elish. The text of the myth is provided as well.

Catholic ethicist Russell B. Connors Jr. explores the ethics of cloning in this article from St. Anthony Messenger. A brief review of the research involving cloning provides a clear focus for the discussion and application of Christian morality. Using a poignant story from Henri Nouwen, the author makes the point that morality is about the way we see ourselves in relationship to others and the world. Called to be stewards and instruments of God's creation, we must reverence the gift of life, which is deeply rooted in Scripture and our Catholic Tradition. The article closes with the application of the Vatican's 1987 Instruction on Respect for Human Life in Its Origin and on the Dignity of Procreation to the issue of cloning.

"Whatever you do to the least of these, that you do unto me." This passage from Matthew 25:31-40 provides the framework for the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Many times people think of these works directed to strangers, but this article challenges us to look at how these good works are lived in our family and workplace.

This combination game and service project is played in relay style by teams of young people with cans of soup that they bring as donations for the local food pantry.

This inspirational story from Clare vanBrandwijk will speak to any teacher or campus minister who has been called on to do some type of service experience for an agency in the community. Clare outlines the project itself (landscaping for a house that cares for AIDS patients) with implementation strategies and the occasional reference to the prophet Jeremiah. This is an inspirational and bright story that is guaranteed to resonate with those involved with service programs.

The article from The Michigan Catholic, a publication from the Archdiocese of Detroit, describes how Holy Cross Children's Services uses the Lifecoach program. The Lifecoach program was created by Jerry Goebel, author of The Deepest Longing of Young People.

In this article Pamela Reidy looks at service from a spiritual perspective and calls religious educators to teach students the difference between "merely doing good and being a disciple." Starting with the Gospel of Luke as a "primer" on discipleship, the author states that the seventy-two who were sent out in the tenth chapter of Luke possessed the virtues of simplicity, wisdom, intuition, resilience, and compassion. Examples and stories highlight each of these virtues and provide much food for thought.

This PDF sumarizes many of the key points from Church documents addressing the social teachings of the Catholic Church.

Created as a resource for a girls' celebration of the International Jubilee Day for Women in March 2000, this resource contains ideas for holding an intergenerational baby shower. Detailed plans and many options are given. This would be a great class or service club activity.

This poem, written by a high school student, is a reflection on the sanctity of life and tragedy of abortion as seen through the eyes of some of our great presidents.

This activity, taken from the Voices series, helps young women reflect on the sanctity of life, the consequences of a crisis pregnancy and Mary as a role model for womanhood.

This reflective article by Sr. Marie Chin, RSM explores God's transformative power in scripture and our lives. A spirituality of reflection is discussed as having three major parts: telling our story, restorative listening, and going "up into the gaps." The theme of interdependence and reconciliation is woven throughout this reflection that is written for the year of Jubilee!

Through this hands-on project, the young people help spread the Lenten message of conversion to justice. They also become familiar with the message of the prophet Micah and the traditional spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

As many people called for a violent response to the terrorist attacks, Rick Stahmann urged us to think deeply about the message we send to our children and others before we lash out in anger and revenge.

This prayer by a young teenager is about how "love is not for the lovely along, love is for those who need it."

The LISTEN process is a decision making model that students can use in real life. This article outlines the six components and accompanying questions which can lead students into a deeper understanding of informed conscience.

This reflection was written after taking a trip of students to work in Appalachia over spring break. Filled with stories of the people served, and emphasizing the themes of thanksgiving and grace, these thoughts can give students a look inside the true meaning of service.

Catholic Relief Services sponsors a program for teachers called "Frontiers of Justice." Diana Turney is a teacher from Houston, Texas, who participated in a trip to Ghana. Her reflections in this article are challenging and timely. We are all called to live in solidarity with our brothers and sisters all over the world.

Suzie Knapp describes an immersion into the lives of the homeless that serves as a retreat experience (and potentially a heart-opening one) for students studying social justice. The prayer, music, activities, and reflection opportunities are described in detail.

This is a thorough lesson plan based on Catholic Relief Service's Operation Rice Bowl from the October 2001 issue of Connect.

From the pope's homily before more than 30,000 people, the majority of whom were Muslims, during his visit to Kazakhstan on 23 September 2001.

Patch Adams is a great movie to use with students who are involved in service experiences or learning about social justice. Reflection questions are included in this resource that works well with students!

An activity and prayer service for encouraging peace and becoming peacemakers.

From the February-March 1995 issue of Momentum, this article suggests that schools need to provide strong peace education programming to counteract the acceptance of violence as normal behavior. The article offers a model for implementing a peace education program that involves all constituents of the school community. Planning and implementation for the program start with definition and draw on two basic concepts: the beatitude "Blessed are the peacemakers" and Pope Paul VI's saying "If you want peace, work for justice. A model of assessment is given that examines instruction, curriculum, faculty modeling, and parent-community involvement.

Looking for some good ideas for processing service experiences with your students? This resource includes four "tried and true" classroom ideas.

This adaptation of Psalm 72 by David Haas' book Prayers Before an Awesome Gode covers fairness, justice, peace, and compassion.

This adaptation of Psalm 94 by David Haas' book Prayers Before an Awesome Gode asks God to help us become better, more peaceful people.

Written for the five hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus's landing in the West Indies, Sr. Cheryl Erb, along with the U.S. Catholic bishops, encourages us to view our history with humility and new perspectives. We are called to look honestly at the injustices that occurred in our history as part of the "colonial and Christianizing process." The article covers some historical background and explores the concept of evangelization as a way to find God in people of many different cultures. The second part of the article focuses on Native American spiritual themes that can enrich our experience of Christianity. Finding God in nature, the medicine wheel, and painting faces are rituals that are explored in some depth.

In this article, the author shares some personal reflections on her experiences in Mexico. Filled with insight, this piece encourages global awareness and compassion. Good for student and teacher background.

Horror haunts my heart,
And tears and fears crawl daily . . .

As we remember the attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember that our world is both troubled and filled with heroes. We offer the following suggestions to bring peace to the world and to honor heroes. . . .

In this reflective article, Connie Fourre Zimney looks at social-justice education and identifies five steps on the continuum between charity and justice. She sees these as a "natural growth pattern" for individuals and schools. The first three stages—collections, direct service, and empowering activities such as tutoring or coaching—provide a valid foundation for social-justice work. Potential challenges, such as compassion fatigue and personality styles, are discussed in a matter-of-fact style. Stage four attempts to move students to a justice perspective in which structural issues are addressed and Catholic social teaching serves as a foundation for examining injustice. A need to teach students how to analyze, and working toward an integrated approach in curriculum is emphasized. Stage five has students taking action for structural change. This is a must-read for anyone involved in service-learning programs because it calls us to so much more than charity!

Catholic spirituality is more than various pious practices. This article points out that it refers to "all of the ways in which we seek and respond to God's presence. Spirituality is the awareness with which we orient ourselves to God." Using this basic definition, the author presents a spirituality of work for those in the classroom. The article goes on to state that once teachers have this framework, students are more likely to understand the concepts of vocation and social justice that are critical in Catholic social teaching.

Al Puntrel describes an interesting approach to church history in which he ties the themes of sacramental theology and development and promotion of peace and justice teachings to the past and present life of the church. By being selective in the material taught and focusing on those themes, teachers can help students understand events as they occur throughout the students' lifetime. The author notes at the end of the article the need to integrate unique contributions of women in studying church history.

If you are looking for a great social justice project using technology, Patrick Daniels has one here that includes different levels for student (and teacher) mastery of technology. Students explore Catholic Social Teaching online. Questions for reflection are provided.

Although this article from St. Anthony Messenger was written in 1997, it is still timely as legislation on the state and national levels deals with the issue of physician-assisted suicide. John Bookser Feister calls the church a moral teacher and advocate of justice through institutional and lay efforts. The article defines basic terms and looks at Oregon, the first state to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Bookser Feister also interviews a doctor, an attorney, and a policy advisor involved in this issue. Reverence for life and recognizing God as the author of all life is the bottom line when examining euthanasia.

From the pope's address to students at Eurasia University in Kazakhstan on 23 September 2001.

Integrating media literacy into the curriculum is the focus of this August-September 1998 article from Momentum. Because the media do shape our students' worldview, the author suggests that the media can offer an effective way to call them to re-examine behaviors and values. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the University of Dayton propose a four-stage model for integrating media literacy into religion and language arts curriculum. The article includes many helpful examples from teachers in the field.

Moved by what she saw firsthand in El Salvador, Katie Murphy encouraged students in the planning and implementation of a service project that would raise funds for a poor school in rural El Salvador. The experience is discussed, along with lingering questions over the fund-raising project.

An outdoor prayer activity for youth from Prayer Ideas for Ministry with Young Teens, by Joseph Grant, pp. 97-101