Lesson Plan 
Environmental Curriculum and Religious Education 
 

Summary 
1. Topic or Unit of Study: Visual Arts 
2. Grade/Level: Intermediate (7-8) 
3. Objective: D.1 Creating and Presenting: create art works, using a variety of traditional 
forms and current media technologies that express feelings, ideas and issues including 
opposing points of view (struggle between humankind and nature). 
4. Catholic Church’s Social Teaching: The Principle of Preferential Protection for the Poor 
and Vulnerable, The Principle of the Common Good.  
5. Time Allotment: 3-4 periods 

Implementation 
Prompt 
Explore the depths of poverty on a nationwide scale. What does struggle look like in this context? 
What are the various forms of poverty (think beyond money)? How will your artwork convey 
opposing perspectives on an issue that you have chosen to explore? How does your installation 
communicate the benefits and challenges of environmental stewardship?  

Procedure 
a. Anticipatory Set 
➢ Introduce students to the theme of poverty—> what is their idea of poverty? What types of 
poverty have they been exposed to?  
➢ Dive deep through Canadian Organizations that alleviate poverty: 

https://charityvillage.com/cms/organizations/poverty-social-justice 

➢ Organizations offer different basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter 

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b. Direct Instruction 
➢ After exploring these organizations students should have a more tangible definition of 
what poverty looks like.  

c. Independent Practice 
➢ Students will create an art piece of their own discretion. It may look like a drawing, 
collage, painting etc.  
➢ The art piece must depict the power struggle of poverty.  

d. Check for Understanding 

➢ Students will consolidate their art with a written component that expresses the injustices 
of poverty by referring to “The 10 Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching” By William 
J. Byron (1998). 
➢ The written component should address how poverty could be overcome if we were to live 
by the Catholic Social Teachings.  

Materials & Resources 

“The 10 Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching” By William J. Byron (1998).  

https://raiseyou-moodle22.remote-learner.net/pluginfile.php/478003/mod_assign/intro/The%201
0%20Building%20Blocks%20of%20Catholic%20Social%20Teaching%20%20America%20Magazi
ne.pdf 

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