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Subtask 5 - What Is Fair?
(PDF File)
Description | CGEs | Expectations | Teaching/Learning | Resources
Teacher Background Notes | Relevant Scripture Passages
Relevant Excerpts from Church Documents | Summary Box
Description
Students begin the work of this subtask by reflecting on what they have learned about trade up to this point. In particular they focus on some of the inequities and unjust labour practices involved within the conventional system of international trade. Students discuss and explore their thoughts and feelings on this matter as well as any possible solutions. Using a rating scale, students then explore the concept of fairness in relation to trading relationships. Their goal is to determine ‘What is fair?’ As a conclusion to the subtask, students work together to create a class list of ‘fair’ working and trading conditions.
| Catholic School Graduate Expectations |
| CGE1d |
Develops attitudes and values founded on Catholic social teaching and acts to promote social responsibility, human solidarity and the common good.
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| CGE4a |
Demonstrates a confident and positive sense of self and respect for the dignity and welfare of others. |
| CGE7e |
Witnesses Catholic social teaching by promoting equality, democracy, and solidarity for a just, peaceful and compassionate society. |
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| Expectations |
| 6z24 |
identify and describe Canada’s economic, political, social, and physical links with the United States and other regions of the world
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| 6z41 |
use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., technology, culture, immigration, tourism, physical features, indigenous peoples, export, import, parallels, meridians, Pacific Rim, economics, media) to describe their inquiries and observations |
| 6z49 |
describe some ways in which Canada has influenced other countries (e.g., through the arts, technology, sports, literature, media, telecommunications, satellites) |
| 6e48 |
ask and answer questions to obtain and clarify information |
| 6e50 |
express and respond to a range of ideas and opinions concisely, clearly, and appropriately |
| 6e62 |
follow up on others’ ideas, and recognize the validity of different points of view in group discussions or problem-solving activities |
| 6r29 |
to examine issues of justice |
| 6r32 |
to hear Jesus call us to generosity |
| 6fl35 |
reflect on their membership in human society |
| 6fl37 |
reflect on the meaning of values |
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Summary Box
Groupings
Students work in a whole group
Students work independently
Teaching/ Learning Strategies
Discussion
Worksheet
Assessment
This assessment is diagnostic and no assessment data is to be collected for evaluation. The teacher makes anecdotal observations of class discussions that follow, and decides if any further teaching/learning needs to take place. Students may also extend their personal reflection from Subtask 1.
Assessment Strategies
Observation
Assessment Recording Devices
Anecdotal Record
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| Teaching/Learning |
- Students begin this subtask by reviewing the fact sheets from Subtask 4 (BLM 4.9 to 4.21) and their personal reflection from Subtask 1. They are also asked to recall their experience as a Peruvian shoe maker in the simulation game played in Subtask 4. Then, as part of a whole class discussion, students re-identify, analyse, and reflect on the problems that they encountered in these activities. Students are given some time to brainstorm and discuss possible solutions to the problems of poverty and unfair working/living conditions presented in the fact sheets and simulation game. The teacher should allow a significant amount of time for this introductory activity to ensure students fully explore their thoughts and feelings on the key issues of unjust trading and working conditions.
- Next, students are given a worksheet (BLM 5.1) with several statements that relate to trading relationships, working conditions for those in developing countries, and buying practices of consumers in wealthy countries. Students are asked to rate on a scale from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) how much they agree or disagree with each statement. Students work independently to respond to various statements and record their level of agreement or disagreement using the rating scale. Before having the students begin work on the rating scale, the teacher should review the numeric values and relate them to the levels of agreement and disagreement, making sure students are clear in their understanding of how the scale works. The teacher may also choose to read each statement aloud to ensure that students understand the terminology used. When all students have completed the worksheet (BLM 5.1), they return to a whole class discussion of their opinions on the statements included in the rating scale.
- The teacher can have students share their opinions from the scale in a variety of different ways. One creative suggestion is to create a number line across the floor of the classroom upon which students can stand to show where their opinion falls. As the teacher reads each statement, the students move and stand on the number related to their level of agreement or disagreement. This is a very visual and physical way for students to demonstrate their opinions. In this way students can clearly see where most students’ opinions lie, if there is a consensus of opinion, or if there is little agreement on a statement. The teacher can record where the consensus of opinion lies for each statement as this demonstration occurs.
- Finally, students use the statements in BLM 5.1 and their related opinions as a guide when responding to the fundamental underlying question of this subtask and unit - “What is fair?” The students share their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a whole class discussion and record their ideas on chart paper. Through this process the class should arrive at a list of fair trading, working and buying principles. The teacher should keep in mind the 7 key Principles of Fair Trade, found in Subtask 6 (BLM 6.2), when guiding students through this discussion. This activity leads students directly into the following subtask which focuses on these key principles of the Fair Trade system. The hope is that the class will create a ‘What is fair?’ list that looks very similar to the Principles of Fair Trade presented in Subtask 6.
Teachers might also find the ‘What’s Fair?’ resource at Transfair Canada’s website (http://www.transfair.ca/en/education/primary/whatsfair/) useful during the concluding class discussion of this subtask. This example uses cocoa farmers to demonstrate the difference between fair and unfair trading relationships. It provides a more concrete example of what’s fair and unfair if students are struggling to understand this idea and the related class discussion.
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Resources
BLM 5.1- Rating Scale
Fact sheets from Subtask 4
Personal Reflection from Subtask 1
Transfair Canada website - http://www.transfair.ca/en/education/primary/whatsfair/
Cyberschoolbus website - http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
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Teacher Background Notes
The teacher may want to take some time, within the context of this discussion of what is fair, to have students look at the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights and/or the U.N. Declaration of the Rights of the Child. There is a wide variety of resources available to support teachers in helping students work through these documents. Once again the most up to date and helpful material can be found at the United Nations educational website ‘Cyberschoolbus’ at the ‘Human Rights in Action’ page (http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp). The ‘Resources and Links’ section is particularly useful and has plain language versions of both documents.
Relevant Scripture Passages
Teachers may find the following scriptures passages useful for student journal reflections, guiding class faith discussions, or for making connections to the faith dimension of this subtask. The passages chosen for this subtask focus on giving generously even to the point of significant self-sacrifice. It is important to keep this call of Christ to be generous to the extreme in mind during any discussion of what is fair and just. The full text of these passages can be found in Appendix C.
Acts 2: 44-45; Luke 21: 1-4; Mark 10: 17-23; Matthew 19:16-22
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Relevant Excerpts from Church Documents
26 Every day human interdependence grows more tightly drawn and spreads by degrees over the whole world. As a result the common good, that is, the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment, today takes on an increasingly universal complexion and consequently involves rights and duties with respect to the whole human race. Every social group must take account of the needs and legitimate aspiration of other groups, and even of the general welfare of the entire human family.
Gaudium et Spes, (The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World)
47 But neither all this nor the private and public funds that have been invested, nor the gifts and loans that have been made, can suffice. It is not just a matter of eliminating hunger, nor even of reducing poverty. The struggle against destitution, though urgent and necessary, is not enough. It is a question, rather, of building a world where every man, no matter what his race, religion or nationality, can live a fully human life, freed from the servitude imposed on him by other men or by natural forces over which he has not sufficient control; a world where freedom is not an empty word and where the poor man Lazarus can sit down a the same table with the rich man. This demands great generosity, much sacrifice and unceasing effort on the part of the rich man. Let each one examine his conscience, a conscience that conveys a new message for our times. Is he prepared to support out of his own pocket works and undertakings organized in favour of the most destitute? Is he ready to pay higher taxes so that the public authorities can intensify their efforts in favour of development? Is he ready to pay a higher price for imported goods so that the producer may be more justly rewarded? Or to leave this country, if necessary and if he is young, in order to assist in this development of the young nations?
Populorum Progressio, (On the Development of Peoples), Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI, 1967
The Catechism of the Catholic Church
1941 Socio-economic problems can be resolved only with the help of all the forms of solidarity: solidarity of the poor among themselves, between rich and poor, of workers among themselves, between employers and employees in a business, solidarity among nations and peoples. International solidarity is a requirement of the moral order; world peace depends in part upon this.
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