USING YOUR SEVEN SOCIAL TEACHINGS COLLECTION
Building Literacy While Shaping Compassionate, Engaged Citizens
USING YOUR SEVEN SOCIAL TEACHINGS COLLECTION
Building Literacy While Shaping Compassionate, Engaged Citizens
THE SEVEN THEMES IN ACTION
Below are suggested classroom activities and discussion prompts to help students connect the books in the collection to the seven themes.
THEME
SUGGESTED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
READ-ALOUD & DISCUSSION Encourage students to share a moment when they felt proud of who they are. PARTNER READING Have students discuss how they can affirm each other’s unique traits. CREATIVE EXPRESSION Ask students to draw or write about what makes them special, emphasizing each person’s worth. CLASSROOM READ-ALOUD Start a conversation about what it means to be a supportive friend or family member. COMMUNITY MAP PROJECT Have students create a map of their own community (school, neighborhood) and discuss ways they can contribute to their community. BOOK CLUB/LITERATURE CIRCLES Small group discussions on how family and community shape us and how we can give back. PARTNER READ & REFLECT After reading, let students brainstorm ways to show kindness or encourage others’ rights to learn. WRITING PROMPTS Ask students to write about a time they stood up for someone’s rights or fulfilled a responsibility. ROLE-PLAYING Practice scenarios where students show kindness or help each other succeed. READING STATIONS Encourage students to discuss how small acts of kindness can create big changes. SERVICE PROJECT BRAINSTORM Invite students to propose simple service ideas that aid the poor or vulnerable in their school or local area. STORY REENACTMENT In groups, retell a story to highlight the perseverance and compassion of characters or subjects.
LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND PARTCIPATION
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
20 Using Your Seven Social Teachings Collection
EXPLORING THE SEVEN THEMES OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
The Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching are core values meant to highlight and inspire to put faith into action. Where literacy is concerned, these themes provide foundations for reading and discussion, allowing students to connect to concepts that resonate with their lives and their faith. The themes provide a lens for reading both the books in this classroom library collection as well as other books students may encounter in the classroom. On the following pages, read more about the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching and how to discuss them with students.
LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON God made each person, so every life is important and should be protected. How can we show we care for other people? How can our actions respect another person’s dignity?
CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND PARTICIPATION God made us to be part of communities, families and countries, so all people can share and help each other. As members of families and communities, how can we participate in our faith together?
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
God wants us to help make sure everyone is safe and healthy and can have a good life. How can we help to protect the health and safety of people in our community and around the world?
16 Using Your Seven Social Teachings Collection
READING AS A DAILY PRACTICE
As a Catholic school educator, it is your privilege and responsibility to curate your classroom library with a passion for academic learning, spiritual growth, and dedication to child development. By making available and teaching texts that are age- and theme-appropriate for your students, you will help them become engaged and capable readers. Consider these best practices. ESTABLISH READING TIME BLOCKS Create a space where reading is the priority. Set aside other classroom responsibilities and remove distractions. Establish a specific timeframe just for reading that will help students focus on the content and objectives. SHARE LEARNING GOALS Verify that your students understand learning expectations and targeted takeaways from reading. If students anticipate a reflection after the reading session, they will focus more to ensure they can participate with their classmates. STAY ON TRACK While questions are always encouraged, keep the class working through the text and towards the achievable principles. PROMOTE READING AS A DAILY ACTIVITY Reading as a daily activity contributes to healthier behaviors, stronger emotional development, and vigorous survival skills. As we encourage reading in the classroom as a positive shared experience, students will bring this excitement home to their families. As a result, the positive outcomes from reading will spread.
“The read-aloud is a must do, want to do, should do, get to do, have to do, and essential in building
students’ language comprehension across elementary and secondary classrooms.”
– DR. MOLLY NESS
8 Using Your Seven Social Teachings Collection
THE SEVEN SOCIAL TEACHINGS
LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
CALL TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND PARTICIPATION
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
OPTION FOR THE POOR AND VULNERABLE
DIGNITY OF WORK AND THE RIGHTS OF WORKERS
SOLIDARITY
CARE FOR GOD’S CREATION
For more information, call toll-free 1-800-SCHOLASTIC or visit Scholastic.com.
scholastic.com
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