While not a commonly taught course, learning about social justice or Catholic social teaching is a priority for the USCCB and many parishes and schools. In my experience, students love it too. Teaching about the many issues regarding justice and mercy appeals to the hearts of young people and motivates them to want to create change…
Social Justice
Catholic Social Teaching Crossword Puzzle and Word Search
It must not be supposed that the Church so concentrates her energies on caring for souls as to overlook things which pertain to mortal and earthly life. Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 45 As catechists and religion teachers, we should be educating our students in Catholic Social Teaching for two reasons: It resonates with them. Students tend…
Video: The Common Good | Catholic Social Teaching
This video is a part of The Religion Teacher’s Catholic Social Teaching Activity Pack. To get the graphic organizer to accompany this video as well as more than a dozen other worksheets, login to The Religion Teacher, buy the activity pack, or become a premium member. The Common Good At the foundation of Catholic Social…
Video: Subsidiarity | Catholic Social Teaching
This video is a part of The Religion Teacher’s Catholic Social Teaching Activity Pack. To get the graphic organizer to accompany this video as well as more than a dozen other worksheets, login to The Religion Teacher, buy the activity pack, or become a premium member. Subsidiarity What if the highest or at least the…
Video: The Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
This video is a part of The Religion Teacher’s Catholic Social Teaching Activity Pack. To get the graphic organizer to accompany this video as well as more than a dozen other worksheets, login to The Religion Teacher, buy the activity pack, or become a premium member. The Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching Video The…
Jubilee Year of Mercy Activities and Worksheets
From Advent 2015 to the end of the liturgical year in 2016, the Catholic Church is celebrating a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis is encouraging the entire Church to meditate on God’s mercy in their lives and to share that mercy with others. The following resources may help you in planning your Year of…
If You Can’t Change What They Think, Change What They Feel
When I was a high school theology teacher, there were two incredibly intelligent students that, I have to admit, were a challenge to teach. Ben and Jerry (not their real names) were smarter than me and they liked to show it. Any chance they got, they would question what I was teaching with counter-arguments and…
Nickel and Dimed Discussion Questions
A popular book used in social justice courses is Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. For schools who have assigned this book on the summer reading list or for an assignment during the year, consider integrating the Nickel and Dimed discussion questions that are offered below. For those who…
A Class Divided: An Attention Grabbing Lesson on Prejudice and Racism
Teaching about prejudice and racism calls for more than just direct instruction and lecture. Using inductive teaching strategies is crucial to grabbing students’ attention. Some of the most memorable lessons that I have taught incorporated some authentic role-playing on my part. The best example of authentic role-playing by a teachers is featured in the PBS…
USCCB on US Economic Life
The USCCB has a great new resource on their website titled “Catholic Teaching on Economic Life.” They have made it the clearing house for information on Catholic Social teaching. If you teach social justice, bookmark it now and refer back to it later this year. You will find resources and information on the Church’s Catholic…
