Middle School
October 15, 2016 - Second Class
Zootopia and the Catechism Night
4:00 Attend Mass
5:15 Downstairs for Dinner
Table Discussion Questions
5:45 Review Table Questions
Introduce Movie and Activity
Distribute Question Sheet
6:00 Begin Movie
7:00 Break
7:15 Resume Movie
8:00 Movie Ends
Small Group Activity
8:40 Final Prayer
8:45 Dismissal
Worksheet
Directions: While watching Zootopia, answer the following questions.
How many brothers and sisters does Judy Hopps have?
Judy was the first what to become a cop?
Where is Judy Hopps from?
Why do you think Judy Hopps followed Nick Wilde into the ice-cream store?
Why was the elephant being mean to Nick Wilde?
What is the plate number Judy wants Flash to run?
What do you call a 3-hump camel?
Can bunnies go savage?
What was causing the animals to go savage?
Why is Mayor Bellweather wanting the predators to return to their nature?
Who framed Lionheart?
What job does Nick Wilde get?
Zootopia Small Group Activity
Group Leader: Lead a Discussion (3-5 Minutes)
Based on what they have heard on the large group session, lead the group to define the
meaning of the words “Stereotypes” and “Bias”.
With your guidance, once the group has agreed upon the definitions, write them down
and post them in the classroom.
Part 1: Zootopia Brainstorm (5-10 Minutes)
It is going to be the easiest and most comfortable for students to begin the discussion
on stereotypes and biases by listing the examples of each they saw in Zootopia.
Activity: Have them create as long as a list as possible and record the answers on
a large sheet. Post this in the classroom as well.
Part 2: Sticky Notes (5-10 Minutes)
Activity: Ask your group to list examples of stereotypes and biases in society.
Use the sticky notes provided to your group and record each new idea on a sticky
note.
As each stereotype or bias is listed on sticky notes, place them on the whiteboard or
wall. Group similar examples together.
Part 3: Discussion (10-20 minutes)
Once the sticky notes have all been placed, ask the group to look over their work on the
wall/whiteboard. Then ask the following questions for group discussion:
•
What do you think are the differences between bias and stereotypes?
•
“Just because he is a sloth, are you saying he can’t be fast?” This is an
example of bias or stereotype?
•
What biases and stereotypes do you feel are the most harmful to society?
•
Can good people hold biases?
•
If you can get rid of any stereotype in the world what would it be and why?
Spend a few minutes discussing these questions. Be sure everyone gets a chance to
speak.
Group Leader: After this discussion, explain that “Prejudice is when we use
stereotypes to treat people differently.”
“There are many scenes in the move where prejudice happens. For example,
prejudice, or pre-judging someone, forces Judy to do meter-maid work instead of
the job she trained for.”
“Or when Nick worked hard to join the scouting club but instead of welcoming
him, the others teased him, tell him he will never be allowed in, and then muzzle
him. He was excluded because of prejudice.”
•
Have you ever felt the way Nick did? Have you ever been excluded because
of a stereotype someone had about you?
•
Have you ever excluded someone from your group or seen it happen at
school because of stereotypes and prejudice?
Have you ever wondered what our faith and Church tell us about these issues?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the complete guide to our faith – what
we believe, why we believe it and how to live our faith.
Look over these sections that talk about our duty to others.
Distribute the page and read through them together. Discuss what each section means
and how your group believes the Catechism can help direct them with regards to
stereotypes, bias and prejudice. See if you can match sections of the Catechism to the
sticky notes on the wall – what section of the catechism addresses the stereotype or a
solution to it.
Ask the group if knowing what our faith asks of us helps them make better decisions.
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1931 Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that
“everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as ‘another self,’ above all
bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity.” No legislation could
by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which
obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies. Such behavior will cease only through
the charity that finds in every man a “neighbor,” a brother.
KEY POINTS: No Exceptions as to who is my neighbor. No laws can do away with prejudices –
it starts with us.
1932 The duty of making oneself a neighbor to others and actively serving them becomes even
more urgent when it involves the disadvantaged, in whatever area this may be. “As you did it to
one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
KEY POINTS: Name some disadvantaged groups in our world today. As a nation, are we
following this teaching?
1933 This same duty extends to those who think or act differently from us. The teaching of
Christ goes so far as to require the forgiveness of offenses. He extends the commandment of
love, which is that of the New Law, to all enemies. Liberation in the spirit of the Gospel is
incompatible with hatred of one’s enemy as a person, but not with hatred of the evil that he
does as an enemy.
KEY POINT: We can have hatred for the evil act someone does, but we cannot have hatred for
the person who commits it.
1934 Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men
have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to
participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity.
KEY POINT: All humans are created in God’s image, were saved by Christ’s sacrifice, and have
equal dignity.
1935 The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow
from it: Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the
grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and
eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.
KEY POINT: We are called to eliminate all forms of discrimination, bias, stereotype and
prejudice because these are against God’s plan. We are called to rise above our human
nature.
GROUP LEADER VERSION
From the Catechism of the Catholic Church
1936 On coming into the world, man is not equipped with everything he needs for developing
his bodily and spiritual life. He needs others. Differences appear tied to age, physical abilities,
intellectual or moral aptitudes, the benefits derived from social commerce, and the distribution
of wealth. The “talents” are not distributed equally.
KEY POINT: We all need others to obtain our full human and spiritual potential – to fully be
what God has created and called us to be. We need others because of our differences;
because God has given us all different talents and abilities, we need each other to be fully
complete.
1937 These differences belong to God’s plan, who wills that each receive what he needs from
others, and that those endowed with particular “talents” share the benefits with those who
need them. These differences encourage and often oblige persons to practice generosity,
kindness, and sharing of goods; they foster the mutual enrichment of cultures:
I distribute the virtues quite diversely; I do not give all of them to each person, but some to one,
some to others. . . . I shall give principally charity to one; justice to another; humility to this one,
a living faith to that one. . . . And so I have given many gifts and graces, both spiritual and
temporal, with such diversity that I have not given everything to one single person, so that you
may be constrained to practice charity towards one another. . . . I have willed that one should
need another and that all should be my ministers in distributing the graces and gifts they have
received from me.
KEY POINT: Our differences are part of God’s plan and to those who have received much from
God, much is expected. We are expected to be generous and kind. It is not optional.
1938 There exist also sinful inequalities that affect millions of men and women. These are in
open contradiction of the Gospel: Their equal dignity as persons demands that we strive for
fairer and more humane conditions. Excessive economic and social disparity between
individuals and peoples of the one human race is a source of scandal and militates against
(discourages) social justice, equity, human dignity, as well as social and international peace.
KEY POINT: Do you see a wide gap between rich and poor in this country? Between rich and
poor nations in the world? Because of our equal dignity such wide gaps should not exist –
they are not part of God’s plan. These gaps prevent real justice, dignity and peace. What do
you think we can do as individuals and as nations to reduce these gaps?
GROUP LEADER VERSION