CBC Archives

As a class, brainstorm and list several social justice issues. Have students look at the list and describe any areas of social justice in which they have been involved or any things they have done to contribute to the community, such as volunteering at a charitable organization, helping a neighbour with groceries or snow shovelling, reading to younger children, and so on.

Direct students to the topic June Callwood: Canada’s Conscience on the CBC Digital Archives website. Have them read and view Where there's a cause, there's Callwood. As a class, identify Callwood’s involvement in social justice and describe what motivated her. Record their responses.

Ask students to look at the lists of issues generated so far and to choose one area that they are interested in exploring further. Each student will prepare an action plan for contributing five hours of service to that activity. Students should find a contact name and phone number (person who will supervise their work), explain the reason they selected this activity or organization, and record the number of hours engaged in this project. As students complete their hours, they will record the tasks they accomplished. They can record all of their work on the download sheet Social Action Plan.

Ask each student to write a summary of their tasks and the challenges and rewards of their work. Hold a class discussion in which students share their experiences and reflect on what it means to contribute to society.

Students can write two to three paragraphs that explain how they think their work may have made a difference and what impact their work had on their lives.