Melanie Trzeciak

SED 224

Catholic Social Teaching Assignment

CST Principle 4: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: We need to think about how people who

are poor in our community live. People who have enough need to share with people who do not

have enough. We should put the needs of people who are poor and vulnerable first.

Age: 4th grade

Activity: Collect items for a homeless shelter

Summary: The teacher will lead the class in a discussion about socioeconomic statuses. She will

ask them what SES means and how it is seen everyday. The students will brainstorm ways to

help people with low socioeconomic statues, particularly homeless people. The students will plan

out the details for collecting items for a homeless shelter, determine the shelter that the items

would go to, and determine the type of item to collect. The students will reflect on the project in

a journal throughout the process. The teacher will stress the importance of the students knowing

that they are not better than homeless people, but rather they just live different lives.

The procedures are as follows:

Discussion
Brainstorm
Action project
Execution
Reflection

The assessment for this project is the meaningful completion of the reflection journal.

This activity relates to social studies education by embracing the basic fact that all humans are

different. By forming a better understanding of the people in the community, students will be

able to better understand the people of the world.

CST Principle 2: Call to Family, Community, and Participation: People are social. The way we
make our rules is important. We need to remember our whole community when we make rules.
Loving families are good. Law and money rules should be fair for everyone. We need to help
people who are poor.

Age: 3rd grade

Activity: Students will relate the rules of the government to create rules for the classroom, and

describe why each rule is in place.

Summary: Students will discuss the importance of rules in a civil society. They will then list

rules and laws that have an impact on the community. After creating the list, the students will

collaboratively create fair rules for the classroom. The students will need to be considerate to

their peers, ensuring that all rules are fair to everyone.

The procedures are as follows:

Discussion
List making
Evaluation of rules and laws
Creation of classroom rules
Evaluation of classroom rules

The assessment for this project is based off of communication, collaboration, and team work.

The students will successfully make a fair list of classroom rules by working together to evaluate

laws within the community in order to make their own rules within the classroom.

This activity relates to social studies education by evaluating the laws that are currently in

place in the students community and having student demonstrate the democratic process of

creating fair and just laws within the classroom.