Toward Social Justice: Curriculum Lessons for High School and College Students to Accompany the Film, American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver

These lessons are all designed to be taught after viewing the film, American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver. Where a specific segment of the film is important to the lesson, this is mentioned in the first step of the lesson's procedure. Each lesson can be taught independent of the others but students will benefit more if at least several lessons are included in the curriculum. The first lesson, What is Social Justice? is an appropriate introduction for any of the rest of the lessons. Most of the lessons can be taught in the classroom in one class session. The last three lessons give students direct experience with service and social action and involve more time both in and out of class. Each lesson is followed by several extension ideas that could be completed as a class or offered to individual students as opportunities for further learning or extra credit. The film can be found in the NSLC library catalog here: http://www.servicelearning.org/library/resource/6854