Justice Education in Catholic Schools

6 Weeks (@ 20 Lessons)
Related Guidelines (Melbourne) Unit 6

AIMS

• Examine issues of social justice in the world today (both inside and outside Australia).
• Understand the Church's teachings and practice in response to injustice.
• Develop skills in service and action in response to these issues.

OUTCOMES

In this unit it is intended that students will:

• increase awareness of injustice in the world
• examine ways in which they could participate in or support the work of justice organisations
• participate in service or action activities
• understand the principles of Catholic Social Teaching which are intended to promote the development of just social change
• identify groups within the Church community [especially Caritas Australia] which help disadvantaged groups in society

ASSESSMENT TASKS

CARITAS AUSTRALIA: Write a profile of the organisation and its work (as described).

TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES.

Examining the nature of justice

1. Students brainstorm the idea of "justice". In small groups they list ten areas of injustice in the world (outside Australia) today. After examining their list, they develop a definition of justice and injustice.
2. Students identify times when they have experienced either a sense of being treated with dignity and fairness or the reverse.
   • A journal activity allows students to reflect on a personal memory of injustice in their own lives.
   • Small group discussion of the types of occurrences that students remembered.
   • Small groups develop role plays depicting an fictional incident of justice / injustice, based on this discussion.
   • After discussing what was presented in the role plays the class could refine their working definition of justice.
3. SHORT RESEARCH ACTIVITY Using the lists developed in Activity 1, students work in small groups to choose one international issue of injustice that they would like to research.
   Students have two research periods to use available library resources to:
   1. Research the issue - who, what where, how, why is it unjust?
   2. Research ways of doing something about the issue.
   General class discussion on the ways that we can become involved and make a difference, even in large international issues.
   Each group chooses one thing to do about the issue they have researched. Discuss the Cardijn idea of "see, judge and act" as a possible theoretical approach to working for social justice.
4. Distribute a handout of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
   Students choose one article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
   • Explain the meaning of the article in your own words.
   • Describe an issue of injustice in the school or local community, and explain how the article is relevant to this issue. List some possible remedies to the situation.
   • Describe an issue of injustice in Australia, and explain how the article is relevant to this issue. List some possible remedies to the situation.
   • Describe an issue of injustice in the world outside Australia, and explain how the article is relevant to this issue. List some possible remedies to the situation.

• Teacher input, student resource search, videos, guest speakers and/or other appropriate activities can be used to gather material.
• Students then focus on what can be done to right the injustice.
• General group discussion on the types of things that students could do.
• Students work in small groups to join in or develop some form of action regarding the injustice.

• A range of material is available on the Caritas wesite - www.caritas.org.au
• The Story of Caritas Australia video is also a valuable resource.
• The Project Compassion Schools Kit available from Caritas provides information and class activities (particularly if the unit coincides with Lent, but still valuable otherwise)