champions of life and dignity

Students may choose from among "champions" of life and dignity, such as Dorothy Day. Archbishop Oscar Romero, or Caesar Chavez and present to the class how these individuals "lived" Catholic social teaching by promoting respect for life and dignity and addressing social problems of their day. Students may choose to create posters or banners that are then hung around the school. These posters will connect the "champion" with contemporary issues in light of Catholic social teaching and the Bishop's statement.

Outcomes

• To identify and understand Catholic social teaching as it relates to civic engagement to promote the life and dignity of the human person;
• To understand and personally appropriate the call to enter the public forum;
• To realize responsible citizenship is a virtue and recognize participation in the political process as a moral obligation.
• To connect the witness of the great champions of civic engagement for human life and dignity in Church history to contemporary issues.

Assignment

1. Choose from among a list of significant witnesses of Catholic social movements in the last century, such as Dorothy Day, Caesar Chavez, Archbishop Romero, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, Sr. Helen Prejean, and others.
2. Research their lives and the stand they took in response to contemporary political thought of their time in light of the call to promoting human life and dignity.
3. Determine two or three major arguments they raised and identify the basis in Catholic social thought used to advance their position.
4. Conduct an analysis of one or more contemporary public policy issues and offer how you think they might respond. Justify your position using evidence from their writings and life.
5. Create a poster that presents your ideas in an attractive and creative manner that promotes what stand they might take on a major contemporary public policy issue.