Preferential Option for the Poor
Upper Primary
What is preferential option for the poor?
Ronita (22) smiles as she holds her sons, Egzy Grey (3) and Clark (5), in their small home in Quezon City, Philippines. Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia
Inquiry Question: What is preferential option for the poor?
By the end of this unit, students will understand that some people need more help than others to live a full life, why we should place the needs of the poorest first and how Caritas Australia works hand in hand with the most marginalised communities in Australia and overseas, to confront the challenges of poverty.
Before you start:
- Watch the Catholic Social Teaching (CST) film, ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’, for your own background and familiarise yourself with the Preferential Option for the Poor Comic.
- Download the various resources referenced at the bottom of this page (worksheets, slides etc.) Print worksheets and have weblinks ready to go on your computer/interactive whiteboard.
- Familiarise and decide on the use of online or app technologies.
- Read/watch the stories and videos linked in this learning sequence to determine if they are appropriate for your class.
- Locate any Scriptures and copies of Church texts hyperlinked within the learning sequence below.
- Read Scripture commentaries (hyperlinked within the learning sequence below).
A note on talking about “the poor”: At Caritas Australia, we aim to communicate in an inspiring and respectful tone. Even though we are talking about people in difficult situations, it is important to emphasise human dignity and people’s strengths, their resilience and perseverance. It is more challenging to communicate such nuances to a younger audience, so at this level, we suggest starting to use language such as ‘’people living in poverty’ or ‘people experiencing poverty’ rather than ‘the poor’ or ‘poor people’ where possible, so as not to reduce people to the conditions they may be experiencing at the time.
See-Judge-Act-Pray Process
This learning sequence has been created using the ‘See, Judge and Act’ model.
This reflection–action process was first used by a Belgian Catholic priest, Joseph Cardijn (who later became a Cardinal) with Young Christian workers prior to the first World War. T
his approach was also recommended in the 1961 encyclical letter written by Pope John XXIII called Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher).
What is ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’?
- the act of prioritising the needs of the poor over the desires of the rich, the rights of workers over profits and the preservation of the environment over its exploitation
- a way of responding in love to the unjust circumstances in which millions of people live.
Student-friendly explanation:
- The Bible teaches us to take extra special care of the most vulnerable people in society.
- We should try to create a fairer world.
Learning intention
We are learning:
- understand what poverty is
- listen to, identify and understand the teachings of Jesus
- apply the teachings of Jesus in our lives to demonstrate a preferential option for the poor.
SEE
What is Poverty?
Create a word wall with the heading Poverty. Have students share key words or phrases to demonstrate their understanding about poverty. Over the course of the unit, have students contribute to the word wall to display their learning.
As a class or individually, complete the Poverty Quiz to raise awareness about the scale of poverty around the world. There are 2 versions available: Interactive PowerPoint and a Kahoot
Preferential Option for the Poor
Read through the full Preferential Option for the Poor comic without stopping. Then re-read the comic and stop to discuss the following components:
For the 1st and 3rd panel, allow students time to Think, Pair, Share their own personal responses to the questions:
- Who are the poor?
- What is Preferential Option for the Poor?
Discuss the meaning of ‘preferential’ in relation to those living in poverty. See definition above.
After reading the 4th panel, ask students when they have ‘stopped and acted with love’ towards their neighbour.
Optional Activity: Read the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10: 25-37) and discuss Jesus’s meaning of the term ‘neighbour’. Ask students how they can become neighbours to all.
While reviewing the 5th panel, engage students in a discussion about what some of the symbols represent underneath their corresponding heading.
Read the final panel. Teacher’s note: We will return to the final panel in the ‘Judge’ section of this lesson sequence.
Case Study – Leaia from Samoa
In groups, have students read a short story about Leaia and her family.
Ask student to individually create a Venn Diagram. Explain that the left circle represents things that are unique to Leaia and her family. The right circle represents things that are unique to your family. The common area in the middle are things that Leaia’s family and your family have in common.
Students share their lists with a partner or in small groups. Together as a class allow students to share their answers and draw connections between other students and the story.
Introduction to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Watch this introduction video to introduce students to the sustainable development goals.
Discuss the following questions with the class:
- Who has heard of these goals before today?
- Why do you think the United Nations created these goals?
Additional Activity: allow students time to explore the SDG website to look at the overview statistics and targets and indicators for the various goals. They could choose one statistic that surprised them to share with the class.
Add any new words or ideas to the Word Wall.
JUDGE
The Corporal Works of Mercy
Read Matthew 25:35-45. Highlight the different Corporal Works of Mercy identified in this passage. Discuss how we are all made in the image of God and therefore how we treat others is a reflection on how we treat God. How do the Corporal Works of Mercy encourage us to respond to people in need?
Making connections between the SDGs and the Corporal Works of Mercy
Using the match set provided in the Student Handout, students are to work in groups of 3 or 4 to match up the Corporal Works of Mercy with the relevant SDG’s. Have a class discussion on the different matches groups made. Encourage students to justify their decision and enable other students to present their own points of view.
Based on their current groups, assign each group one Corporal Works of Mercy. Students research and discuss:
- How does their assigned Corporal Work of Mercy relate to the specific SDGs?
- What practical actions can address the needs associated with the work of mercy? Keep a record of these ideas as we will return to this in the action component of the lesson sequence.
Teacher Background: Worlds of Text, Justice and Peace resource, and Catholic Central resource
Fratelli Tutti
Watch this video explaining the encyclical, Fratelli Tutti
Discuss with the class:
- What they believe is the overall message of Fratelli Tutti.
- The video describes ‘fraternal love’ as ‘caring for every man and women, young and old, with the same care as the Good Samaritan.’ Provide students with two different coloured sticky notes and ask them to answer the following question:
- Colour 1: How can we show ‘fraternal love’ in our everyday lives?
- Colour 2: How can we show ‘fraternal love’ to those who are experiencing poverty?
Once students have answered the question, create a wall display of their responses with the heading ‘fraternal love’.
Return to Preferential Option for the Poor Comic
Read the St Ambrose quote to the students.
Ask students to Think, Pair, Share the meaning of this quote in their own words and explain how this quote relates to the Catholic Social Teaching principal, ‘Preferential Option for the Poor’. Assist students in understanding that Earth’s resources are meant for everyone, regardless of social status. When we prioritise helping the poor, we are fulfilling our duty to restore justice and equity in a world meant for all.
Teacher’s Note: The quote from St Ambrose can be found in Populorum Progressio (“On the Development of Peoples”), Pope Paul VI, 1967, #23. You may wish to read the encyclical to obtain context for the quote.
Add any new words or ideas to the Word Wall.
Act
Unfair Races Game
Instructions
Set the class up into two or three different races. Explain at the beginning that the races won’t be like others that they have run before. Students who are not running are to watch the races they see.
Race 1: 10 different starting points, give the same finish line. Run the race. Listen to the comments.
Race 2: 10 different starting points, give the same finish line. Give individual students at the furthest starting points additional challenges. For example – run backwards, hopping, wearing a heavy coat etc.
Race 3: the same starting and finishing line, however half the students will have the challenges from the previous race.
Debrief
- I wonder how fair each of the races were?
- I wonder how it could be made fairer?
- I wonder should it be about winning and losing?
Task
In 10 minutes, students need to come up with a fairer way to run races, where the outcome is not about winning, however they will still need to complete the race as quickly as possible.
Discuss
In life, not everyone starts at the same point- how can we make up for this/ help with this as a society?
Action
Using the Jigsaw Collaborative Discussion model, break students back into the Corporal Works of Mercy groups (see Judge section) to create their “home groups”. This group is to revisit their ideas and discuss ways that we can participate on a local, national, and global level to support the Sustainable Development Goals relevant to their works of mercy. Provide students poster paper to record at least 4 ideas. They may decide to include ideas they thought of earlier or brand new ideas.
Organise students into their “expert groups” to share the ideas the “home group” was able to establish.
Return as a whole class, requesting “home groups” to share their top 2 ideas.
Optional Task: As a class carry out one or more ideas. Our Student Action Planner can assist in the co-ordination of the activity.
Add any new words or ideas to the Word Wall.
Pray
Complete one of the prayer experiences listed.
Class Prayer Experience:
- Teacher begins with explaining that we are gathering today to think about what we now understand as to why people are living in poverty. Ask students to take a moment to think and write a prayer for a learning that surprised them, or they found challenging to hear. (For example: they may have found it challenging to know that some people in our community are treated unfairly. They would then write a prayer for those who are treated unfairly.) Students may write these on brightly coloured paper to then be displayed in the classroom.
- Invite students to share their prayers with the class. Ask them to place their prayers in the prayer space quietly before the next person reads their prayer.
- Teacher to conclude the prayer with ‘God, we ask that you hear our prayers. Amen’
Conclude with a song. Here are some suggestions for you:
- Do Something – Matthew West
- These Hands - Andrew Chinn
Alternative: use Caritas Australia’s Poverty Prayer Service. Encourage students to take on different roles, and perhaps invite another class or parents to join you.
