Peace, Justice and Service

Instructor: Shawn Storer

This semester-long Senior elective is an examination of peace, justice, and service in the Catholic and Lakota Traditions.

Much of this course is an exercise in social analysis and action. Students will be challenged to embody the change they want to see in the world and to realize that a spiritual person, a person of faith, is called to work for peace and justice.

Wolakota and the practice of the Works of Mercy are the basis of this course.

Course Objectives
The purpose of this class is to learn and pass on the values and practices of the Catholic and Lakota Traditions particularly in the areas of peacemaking and social justice. This course is meant to call students to respond to suffering in the world with Waunsila (Compassion) and to live for Wakan Tanka (God) by living for others.

Course Outline
Topics studied in this semester course include: Good and Evil; Suffering in the World; Responses to Suffering; Culture of Fear & Violence; Power & Privilege; Justice; Peacemaking; Personalism; Social Change, Living out Prayer – Spiritual Activism (Sacramental or Ritual Life in Practice).

Teaching Strategies and Materials
Experiential learning, reading, discussions, comprehension and reflection questions, projects, art, music, and multimedia presentations are frequently used in this course. Assignments challenge students to read, write, and speak in different ways.

Evaluation
Participation in the planning and carrying out of class projects at school and in local communities (both during and after school), class participation, daily assignments, and long-term multimedia projects, journalistic efforts, and research papers all factor into a student’s final grade. (Students also have the opportunity to reflect and assess their own effort and participation in the course).