Language & Religion Overview

Language & Religion Unit

Unit Title: Poverty

Summary & Background Information:

This unit focuses on the Catholic Social Teaching of the common good, namely the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable. Students will be introduced to the topic through a series of 60 minute lessons. They will explore the various levels and causes of poverty, and why it is defined differently by organizations and individuals. Also, the cycle of poverty will be explored as well as the impact poverty has on marginalized people and children. Students will also learn the difference between charity and justice in hopes that they will see the need to advocate for systemic change. Students will explore scripture and Catholic teachings regarding our responsibility to all of our brothers and sisters - especially to the poor and vulnerable.

At the end of this unit students will demonstrate their understanding of the community issues caused by poverty through a larger class-selected project aimed at raising awareness about poverty and a call to action.

Curriculum Links:

Language - Reading for Meaning

1.1 read a wide variety of texts from diverse cultures, including literary texts, graphic texts and informational texts.

1.2 identify a variety of purposes for reading and choose reading materials appropriate for those purposes.

1.3 identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand increasingly complex texts.

1.5 develop interpretations about texts using stated and implied ideas to support their interpretations.

1.6 extend understanding of texts by connecting, comparing, and contrasting the ideas in them to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them.

1.7 analyse increasingly complex texts and explain how the different elements in them contribute to meaning.

1.8 make judgements and draw conclusions about ideas in texts and cite stated or implied evidence from the text to support their views.

1.9 identify the point of view presented in texts; determine whether they can agree with the view, in whole or in part; and suggest some other possible perspectives.

Religious Education:

Grade 6:

LS2.3: Identify situations of injustice in society, our country and the world which oppose the virtue of human dignity and fundamental human rights and use examples to describe social justice which reflect the principle that “everyone should look upon his neighbour (without any exception) as another self.”

Grade 7:

LS2.2: Describe the forms of solidarity which can effectively address socio-economic problems and explain through example how these forms of solidarity can promote social change and respect for the common good.

Grade 8:

LS2.3: Define the Church’s social teaching with respect to personal responsibility and participation in public life and give examples of how each promotes the good of individuals and the common good of society.

Catholic Graduate Expectations:

3. REFLECTIVE, CREATIVE AND HOLISTIC THINKER who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good.

6. A CARING FAMILY MEMBER who attends to family, school, parish and the wider community.

Guiding Questions:

1. What is poverty? How do different individuals and groups define it?

2. What are the causes of poverty?

3. What is the impact of poverty on marginalized people and children? Are they affected differently?

4. As Catholic Christians, how can we make a positive contribution to society and the world?

5. How can we work for the common good of all people and be the change we want to see?

6. How do we ensure we are acting charitably and also seeking justice?

7. How can using a variety of reading comprehension strategies aid in understanding texts?

8. How can identifying and understanding an author's points of view help in understanding texts?

9. How can connecting, comparing, and contrasting the ideas in texts to our own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around us help to extend understanding?

Learning Goals:

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

• understand the definition of poverty in relation to various perspectives.

• identify and understand the causes of poverty and assess our individual and societal responsibilities and how these impact our communities.

• use a variety of forms (e.g., oral, written, graphic, multimedia) to communicate learning and ideas to a variety of audiences and for a variety of purposes.

• employ a variety of comprehension strategies to make inferences and extend understanding on a variety of texts.

• identify and understand various points of views held by authors of texts examined.

• connect, compare, and contrast the ideas in texts to their own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them to help extend understanding.

• develop attitudes and values founded on the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and act to promote social responsibility, human solidarity and the common good.

• become models of Christian living for all those we encounter in our daily lives.

• understand the difference between justice and charity and the need for both.

Success Criteria:

I can…

• understand what poverty means to different people/organizations.

• identify and understand the causes of poverty and how societal and individual actions affect my community.

• communicate my learning in a variety of ways (speaking, writing, drawing, recording).

• use comprehension strategies to make inferences and extend my understanding of texts.

• identify points of view in the texts I examine.

• connect, compare, and contrast the ideas in texts to my own knowledge, experience, and insights, to other familiar texts, and to the world around me to help extend understanding.

• better understand the Catholic social teachings and act to promote responsibility and solidarity for the common good.

• become a model for Christian living for my school and local community.

• demonstrate I understand the difference between justice and charity.