Exploring Catholic Social Teaching

LESSON PLAN
DAY THREE
Warm-Up
A. Remind students that the purpose of government is to work for the common good. With that in
mind, ask students to brainstorm a list of all the ways a government can do that. Keep a list on
the board. Make sure to have a variety of actions, including very important tasks (protecting life,
avoiding war), and less important ones (providing snow removal, or checking parking meters).
B. After the list begins to take up most of the board, ask students how we can know which of these
things are more important. The answer is that, along with knowing them through our own
reason, we can turn to the Church for guidance about what those most important things are.
Activity
A. Distribute and have students read Handout B: A Just Hierarchy of Values and answer the
question at the end of Part I. Clarify any misunderstandings before proceeding to Part II.
B. Have students work to complete Part II with a partner, and go over responses as a class.
DAY FOUR
Warm-Up
A. Begin by recalling the question from the previous day’s reading: what happens when a manmade
law conflicts with the natural law?
B. Have students read the information at the top of Handout C: What Is Right vs. What Is Legal
and have them complete the chart for their assigned individual(s).
Activity
A. After students have filled in their information, spend time comparing and contrasting the types
of unjust laws each person faced, as well as the risk each person took in refusing to obey.
B. As a class, discuss the question of whether people today seem to understand the real meaning
of justice:
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What unjust laws in history can you recall? The Indian Removal Act (1830) forcing Native
Americans from their land, the Fugitive Slave Act (1850) which required Northerners to return
escaped slaves to their masters, Executive Order 9066 signed by FDR in 1942 forcing Japanese
Americans into internment camps, and so forth.
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