Exploring Catholic Social Teaching

LESSON PLAN
Activity
A. Remind your students how you have been talking a lot about human dignity over the past few
days, and how every person is made in the image and likeness of God. God loves all people; He
wants us all to live as His children, and to go to Heaven. Draw students into conversation with
the following questions.
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Do you think everybody feels as if he or she is a part of the human family?
Who might feel excluded or alone? Possible answers: people without a family, people alone
at nursing homes, homeless people, and so forth. If they struggle to come up with responses,
suggest some of those possible answers yourself.
Think about your own family. Are you allowed to go into your room and ignore everybody,
or do you have responsibilities? Draw out the idea that their immediate family does some
things together; they have some responsibilities to one another.
B. Explain that a family means we are responsible for each other. Bring up the idea of solidarity:
we are all one in Christ. Not only do we recognize that we are one family, but we work toward
the good of others.
C. Tell your students that for this lesson, you wanted to give them an opportunity to show
solidarity with people who might feel excluded from God’s family. Each student will make
a “thinking of you” card for someone at a local organization. If possible, pull up the website
for the organization, such as a nursing home, a hospital, or a homeless shelter that you have
previously selected. Explain the basics of the mission of the organization and show students
some photos.
D. Distribute to each student a piece of construction or drawing paper and make markers and/
or colored pencils available. After you have distributed the supplies, circulate around the
room. As students work, ask questions to determine their exposure to people in need (“Have
you ever volunteered at a place like this?” “Do you know anyone who is lonely?”). Encourage
students to put care and effort into the cards. If students aren’t sure what to write, have a list of
encouraging quotes on hand to get them started.
EXPLORING CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING, lesson 8 89