HRE 4OI – Unit 2 Summative Project
Building a Culture of Life: Capital Punishment
With the crime rate increasing in some areas, crimes becoming more heinous and society’s killers becoming
younger and younger, some countries that once outlawed capital punishment have brought it back. Some
argue that it is justified. Some argue that, due to the flaws in the criminal justice system, the death penalty is
not the answer. The Church and pro-life activists argue that all life has dignity and that the poorest and most
vulnerable among us need our support. What do you say? What does the Church say? What message do you
think the film “Dead Man Walking” sends?
THE TASKS – Please choose one:
a) Write a reflection on the issue of capital punishment. If you agree with the Church teachings, support it
with quotations. If you find the teachings challenging, be prepared to support it, while still presenting the
Church’s views. Use full sentences and paragraphs, double space it and be sure it is edited. Your reflection
should be about 350 words. Support using the experiences of Matthew Poncelet’s case in Dead Man
Walking and what Sister Helen Prejean learned from her experiences as a death row spiritual advisor. Be
sure to provide support using at least 3 of the following:
 The Bible
 the Catechism of the Catholic Church
 the 7 themes of Catholic social teachings
 The consistent life ethic/seamless garment
 The both-and approach
THIS OPTION DOES NOT NEED TO INCLUDE ANY RESEARCH OTHER THAN QUOTATIONS FROM THE
BIBLE, THE CATECHISM OR THE TEXTBOOK.
b) Write a one page letter to a government official defending the Church’s position on capital punishment.
Use full sentences and paragraphs, double space it and be sure it is edited. Your reflection should be
about 350 words. Support using the experiences of Matthew Poncelet’s case in Dead Man Walking and
what Sister Helen Prejean learned from her experiences as a death row spiritual advisor. Be sure to
provide support from
 The Bible
 the Catechism of the Catholic Church
 the 7 themes of Catholic social teachings
 The consistent life ethic/seamless garment
 The both-and approach
THIS OPTION DOES NOT NEED TO INCLUDE ANY RESEARCH OTHER THAN QUOTATIONS FROM THE
BIBLE, THE CATECHISM OR THE TEXTBOOK.
c) Create a powerpoint presentation explaining the Church’s position on capital punishment. Use point form
and find statistics and to support the Church’s position. Find statistics to support Sister Helen Prejean’s
observation that the penalty is applied more often to minorities and the poor. Use support from
 The Bible
 the Catechism of the Catholic Church
 the 7 themes of Catholic social teachings
 The consistent life ethic/seamless garment
 The both-and approach
YOUR FINAL SLIDE WILL BE A LIST OF YOUR SOURCES (including pictures).
Success Criteria:
You will show that you understand the unit concepts (use all concepts from the bulleted lists on the other side
of this sheet) by connecting them to the film “Dead Man Walking”
You will use evidence from the film to connect to the unit
You will use at least 1 quotation from the Bible, the Catechism or Evangelium Vitae
Thoroughly and
completely
Thoroughly and
completely
Thoroughly and
completely
Thoroughly and
completely
Considerably
Considerably
Considerably
Considerably
Sometimes
Sometimes
Sometimes
In a limited way
Sometimes
Level 4
In a limited
way
In a limited
way
Level 3
In a limited way
Does not
Level 2
Does not
Communication
-Clear expression and organization of ideas and information
(use of rough notes/organizer)
-Effective use of spelling and grammar conventions (editing
and corrections)
-Proper paragraph structure (all 5 paragraphs are clearly laid
according to instructions)
Level 1
Does not
Knowledge and Understanding
-Demonstrates knowledge of the film’s message
-Demonstrates understanding of the unit’s concepts (e.g.
dignity of life, culture of life/death, both/and, restorative
/retributive justice)
-Uses terminology appropriate to the Unit of study
Thinking and Inquiry
-Use of processing skills (ideas/choices) – uses an outline or
other graphic organizer to prepare
-Analysis of events (opinion)
-Appropriate detail is provided and examples given – uses at
least one Bible quotation and/or a statement from a Church
document (e.g. Evangelium Vitae)
Application
-Demonstrates the ability to connect and explain relevance of
events in the movie to concepts in the unit to present day
-Reflects on the ways that our own actions and beliefs could
have an impact on the world
R/I
Does not
Expectations