Catholic Social Teaching Syllabus
Course
Description
This course combines the teachings of
the Catholic Church on issues of social justice with a minimum service
requirement. The purpose of
this course, therefore is threefold:
a)
To introduce you to specific
Church teachings on social justice
b)
To assist you in applying these
teachings to past and current social issues
c)
To live out these teachings in
service to others
By raising your awareness of these
social and justice issues, we hope that you will begin to see yourself as
a member of a global community and begin to accept the responsibilities
that go with that membership. Furthermore,
we hope that as you grow in an awareness of the various social issues that
affect our world, you will also experience the Christian call to be a
person for others in living out the social teachings of the Catholic
Church.
Classroom
Rules
In this
class, all of the policies outlined in the Student Handbook will be
enforced. It is important that
you show respect for yourself and others and make positive contributions
to the learning environment. To
accomplish this, you will be expected to:
1.
Be on time to class.
You will receive one demerit if you are not seated in your desk
when the bell rings.
2.
You need to bring your book,
notebook, and other materials to class every day.
If you are unprepared, you will receive one demerit.
Backpacks are not permitted in the classroom.
3.
Request permission to speak by
raising your hand and do not interrupt when others are speaking.
If you are talking out of line, you will be asked to place your
card on your desk—this is your warning.
If you continue to talk, you will earn 2-5 demerits.
If you are asked to place your demerit card on your desk and you do
not have it, you will receive a JUG.
4.
You should be in dress code
everyday. I will ask you once
to be in dress code—if I have to ask twice, your card will be taken and
you will receive demerits.
5.
You need to stay on task during
class. This means that you
should stay focused on our daily activities during class—you should not
put your head down at any time during class and you should not be studying
something from another course during class.
Any work that you are doing that is not appropriate for class will
be taken away.
Required
Texts and Materials
 | Living
Justice and Peace: Catholic Social Teaching in Practice, Jerry
Windley-Daoust. |
| The
Street Lawyer, John Grisham |
|
Expectations
and Grading Policies
| Homework
will be assigned on a regular basis.
Your assignments will be available on the course website.
|
| There
will be 2-3 tests each quarter in addition to a quarter and final
exam. Tests and exams will
be objective and short answer. There
will be no exemptions on the semester exam.
|
| We
will be reading The Street
Lawyer, by John Grisham and Mountains
Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder.
After each reading assignment, be prepared for a short answer
quiz. You will also be
required to write a paper on the Street Lawyer and |
| There
will be NO extra credit offered in this course.
|
| Catholic
Social Teaching is a service-learning course.
Therefore, you will be required to complete 14 service hours in
order to complete this course—this adds up to about 1 hour per week
or 2 hours every other week. Additionally,
you will be required to complete a project and presentation on your
service experience at the end of the semester.
IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE THE REQUIRED AMOUNT OF SERVICE HOURS,
YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY FAIL THIS COURSE.
|
Policies
Regarding Homework, Quizzes, Exams, SOAR Reports, and Planned Absence
Forms
If you are absent, it is your responsibility to get notes and assignments. You can check the website to get your assignments. If you miss a test, you will have one day (after your return) to make it up. You will need to make up any missed tests on your own time—before or after school, during your lunch period or free period. You may not make up tests during class. If you miss a quiz, you will have to complete the review questions and turn those into me in order to receive credit for the quiz.
Additionally, SOAR reports or planned absence forms must be turned into me on your own time—before or after school, during your lunch period or free period. I will NOT fill out these forms during class.