Educate, Celebrate, Serve!
Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Cesar E. Chavez Resources For Educators And Community Members
March 31st is C esar E. Chavez Day !
March 31st is a day of service and learning, a day to Educate, Celebrate, and Serve the legacy of
one of America’s great heroes. Please use this biographical and curricular information to teach
and learn about the life and legacy of Cesar E. Chavez. This Chavez Day Toolkit includes a
biography, reading lists, classroom activities and assignments, Chavez service- learning project
ideas, and much more, to not only facilitate learning about Cesar E. Chavez, but to encourage
people to honor him by conducting service in their communities. Follow our suggestions on how
to Educate, Celebrate, and Serve in honor of Cesar E. Chavez.
Cesar Estrada Chavez was “one of the heroic figures of our time.” In learning about Cesar E.
Chavez’s life and values, students will learn about history, self determination, help for the needy,
and actions that promote equity and justice. They will develop a sense of what it means to
contribute to society and how they may make a difference. Students will also identify ways in
which they can incorporate these characteristics into their own lives and become leaders in their
community.
The Cesar E. Chavez Foundation has identified service- learning as an excellent vehicle for
engaging students both in and out of the classroom. This toolkit includes information about
Chavez service- learning with the hopes that educators involve their students in a Chavez servicelearning project. By doing so, students will not only have an understanding of who Cesar E.
Chavez was, but they will experience what it means to follow his example by volunteering time
to address local issues in their community. Service-learning allows young people to actively live
out the legacy of Cesar E. Chavez, rather than just learn about it. For more information about
service- learning and the Chavez Foundation’s National Youth Leadership Initiative please visit
our website. And, as you celebrate the life and work of Cesar E. Chavez remember that “The
end of all education should surely be service to others.” –Cesar E. Chavez
Thank you for celebrating Chavez Day 2005!
¡Sí Se Puede!
CESAR E. CHAVEZ FOUNDATION
500 NORTH BRAND BLVD. SUITE 1650 GLENDALE, CA 91203
PHONE: 818 265 0300 FAX: 818 265 0312
www.cesarechavezfoundation.org [email protected]
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Cesar E. Chavez Day Of Service And Learning
On March 31, 2005, countless numbers of Americans across the country will celebrate the
holiday honoring the life, work, and values of Cesar E. Chavez by serving in their communities,
making the holiday a day on, not a day off.
Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning, an official holiday in six states and dozens of cities
and counties throughout the nation, provides students, teachers, business and community
members with the unique opportunity to learn about Cesar and advance his values and principles
by participating in volunteer, educational and cultural activities in their communities.
Service-learning is a teaching and learning approach that integrates community service with
academic study to enrich learning, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. This
methodology allows students the opportunity to learn and develop through experience and active
participation. Service- learning is characterized by the following elements:
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Academic Learning – The service performed helps students
acquire values, skills, and/or knowledge.
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Civic Responsibility – The service helps meet a need in the
community, as defined by the community. Participation helps
students see a place for themselves in community and society.
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Collaboration – Teachers and students work with community
members or outside agencies in the planning, implementation, and
evaluation of the project.
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Youth Voice – Students are given ample opportunity to express
their thoughts, make choices, and play an active role in the
learning process and project planning.
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Reflection – Thoughtful reflection is incorporated into activities
before (to prepare), during (to troubleshoot), and after (to process
and extend learning from) the project.
Evaluation – Information is collected and analyzed on the effectiveness of the project.
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In 2003, through a partnership with the State of California, the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation
worked with the Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism (GO SERV) to identify and
fund 64 Chavez related service- learning projects. The projects included school beautifications,
initiatives to improve the environment, literacy campaigns, community empowerment projects,
and youth development programs. The State of California estimated that more than a half
million students participated in programs that promoted Cesar's values and principles, including
non-violence, justice, equality, tolerance, environmental stewardship and respect for humanity
The active involvement of people from all walks of life in Chavez Day of Service and Learning
reflects the significance of Cesar's legacy and his special place in American history. Nearly
eleven years after his passing, Cesar's philosophy of service to others continues to thrive. He
once said, "We can choose to use our lives for others to bring about a better world for our
children...in giving of yourself you will discover a whole new life full of meaning." You too can
become part of this great day by celebrating Cesar E. Chavez in your community.
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RESEARCH BASE
The research on service-learning in K-12 schools shows that positive outcomes can accrue for students,
teachers, and community members. Student impacts have been documented in four areas:
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Personal/Social Development – In various studies, students have been shown to have significant
gains on measures of efficacy (“I can make a difference”), self-confidence, resilience (avoidance of
risk behaviors such as smoking or unprotected sexual relations), and feelings of competence. Students
participating in service-learning have also demonstrated greater respect for diverse populations, more
empathy or ability to see things from multiple perspectives, and better relationships with more adults.
Academic Achievement – Studies have shown that when the service-learning is linked closely with
school curricula and content standards, students score higher on state assessments, show particular
gains in higher order thinking skills, such as analysis and inference, and score higher on measures on
cognitive complexity.
Civic Responsibility/Engagement – Research provides evidence that participation in servicelearning is associated with increases in students’ feelings of connectedness with the community;
willingness to take action to solve community problems; and understanding of economic, political,
and social conditions. These outcomes are maximized when service-learning makes the civic linkages
more explicit by the teachers.
Career Exploration – By exposing students to multiple new careers and helping them feel a sense of
efficacy as they provide service, young people have been shown to increase their knowledge of career
possibilities and their own aspirations.
Teachers also derive benefits from their participation in service-learning. Research shows that while
service-learning takes more time for planning than other methods of instruction, it is more strongly
aligned to the ways most teachers believe students learn best. Service-learning stimulates energy in a
school and positive engagement in the teaching and learning process. It is associated with greater faculty
coherence and collaboration.
Community members also benefit beyond the actual service provided. Many come to see
young people as positive assets and resources rather than problems.
Service-learning outcomes are maximized when students have a stronger role and more
responsibility for planning, implementation, and assessment of the service-learning
experience. The design of the reflection activity also influences outcomes: the more
connected to curriculum, the more students are asked to think deeply about their experiences into
learning. This can be accomplished by using devices like discoveries of
similarities/differences; summarization of experience; understanding multiple perspectives or points of
view; and portraying experiences through visual or literary techniques, such as art, poetry, storyboards,
and/or letters to parents or officials.
Research on service-learning can be found by contacting the National Service-Learning
Clearinghouse by phone at 1-866-245-7378 or via the Internet at
http://www.servicelearning.org
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Table o f Content s
Educate, Celebrate, Serve
Educate
Cesar E. Chavez Biography ……………………………………………………………………....7
Cesar E. Chavez and UFW Coloring Book………………...……………………………………10
Cesar E. Chavez Core Values and Quotes……………………………….………………………25
Timeline of Cesar E. Chavez’s Life and Work …………………...……………...…………...…27
Recommended Readings …………………………………...……………………………………31
Classroom Lesson ……………………………………………………………………………….33
Additional Pre-service Activities ………………………………………………………………..51
Curriculum and Educational Resources………………………………………………………….52
Celebrate
Short Handled Hoe vs. Long Handled Hoe ……...…………………………………...…………54
Teatro—Screenplay Writing …………………………………………………………………….55
A Symbolic Alter……………………………………………………...…………………………56
Farm Worker Poem ………...……………………………………………………………………57
Serve
Sample Serve Activities………………………………………………………………………….59
Resource Guides ………………………………………………………………………………...60
Sample Press Release ……………………………………………………………………………61
Sample Certificate of Participation………………………………………………………………63
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Educate
Connec t to Cesar’s core values
Lear n abo ut the life of Cesar E. C have z
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An American Hero
The Biography o f César E. Chá ve z
Photo copyright © Jocelyn Sherman
César E. Chávez was a good man who dedicated his life to helping others.
César was born to parents who taught him important ideas about hard work, the importance
of education, and respect.
As a young boy, César worked on his family’s farm feeding and watering the animals,
collecting eggs, and bringing water to the house.
César’s parents thought school was important. School was hard for César because the teachers
only spoke English and César did not understand English. César thought some teachers were
mean because they would punish him when he spoke Spanish. César learned to read English in
school and he learned to read Spanish from his uncles.
César’s parents were very strict and taught him and his sisters and brothers to show respect to
others.
His parents also taught him that it was important to help others. César and his family often
helped his uncles, aunts, and cousins by giving them food when they had little to eat.
César’s grandmother, Mama Tella, taught him about the importance of their religious faith
and to have a strong belief in God. When César grew up, he would remember and practice
what his grandmother had taught him. For César, religion was a most beautiful thing.
When César was ten years old, his family’s home was taken away from them because they did
not have enough money.
César’s family moved to California to find work. They began working on farms picking fruits
and vegetables. César’s family would move from farm to farm looking for work, just like many
other families who also lost their homes.
César’s family moved often. Moving did not bother César, or his sisters and brothers too much
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because their parents loved them and because they were always happy to be together as a
family.
Working on the farms was very difficult. Farm workers like the Chávez family would very
long hours. They often had few bathrooms and little clean water to drink. Farm workers
suffered a lot and they were not treated with respect or dignity.
César’s family worked very hard on the farms, but they made very little money. Everyone in
the family had to work, even the children. To make things worse, sometimes the men in charge
of the farm workers would cheat and steal money from the farm workers, including César’s
family. These men would often run away so they would not get caught.
César’s family had very little money and many times they did not have enough food to eat.
César and his family never thought of themselves as being poor. César’s mother would often
tell César and his brother Richard to find homeless and hungry men so she could cook them a
meal.
When César was a teenager, he and his older sister Rita would help othe r farm workers and
neighbors by driving them to the hospital to see a doctor. Without César’s and his sister’s help,
these people would have had a very difficult time getting a doctor’s hel..
The people César helped often wanted to give him a little bit of money to pay for gas and for
his hel.. César never took any of their money because his mother would have been mad at him.
She used to say, “You always have to help the needy, and God will help you.”
A few years later, César volunteered to serve in the United States Navy. César, like many
American men and women, served in the military to fight for freedom and to protect the
people of the United States.
After two years in the Navy, César returned home and married his girlfriend, Helen. After a
short time, they moved to San Jose, California and began a family.
Life changed for César when he met a man named Fred Ross. Fred Ross believed that if people
worked together they could make their community better. Fred Ross hired César to work for
him in the Community Service Organization.
The Community Service Organization worked to help people. César now worked to bring
people together to identify problems and find ways to solve their problems. Many problems
were not solved because community leaders did not respect all people.
César, Fred Ross, and the Community Service Organization helped people in the community
learn how to vote. They also taught people that community leaders respected voters.
Community leaders worked harder to solve the problems of voters. César worked in many
communities in California to help people gain the respect they deserved.
After helping many people gain the respect of community leaders, César left the Community
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Service Organization to help farm workers gain the respect and dignity they deserved.
César started the National Farm Worker Association to help improve the working conditions
of farm workers. African Americans, Filipinos, white Americans, Mexican Americans and
Mexicans, and men and women of all backgrounds joined César.
César and the farm workers wanted the companies and growers that owned the farms to
respect farm workers by providing them with fresh water to drink, bathrooms in the fields,
and fair pay for a day’s work.
The companies and growers refused to treat the farm workers with respect and dignity. The
growers did everything they could to stop César and the farm workers. They even turned to
violence and hurt many farm workers and people who helped the farm workers. This made
César very upset.
César did not believe in violence. Like Martin Luther King, César wanted to bring change in a
nonviolent way. Many people came to help César. Many people supported César because he
believed in nonviolence. Like César, they also believed that farm workers deserved better
treatment, respect, dignity, justice, and fairness.
César worked hard. He suffered and sacrificed a lot to make farm workers’ lives better
After five years, some growers in California agreed with César and started to provide farm
workers with fresh water to drink, bathrooms, and better pay. César, the farm workers, and
their friends won, making farm worker’s lives better.
César dedicated the rest of his life to making the world a better place and to serving others. He
continued to work to bring respect, dignity, justice, and fair treatment to the poor, to farm
workers, and to people everywhere.
César died on April 23, 1993. He was sixty-six years old. People all over the world remember
César E. Chávez as a man of courage who fought to improve the lives of all people.
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Cesar E. Cha ve z Core Values
1. Service to Others – Service that is predicated on empowering others; engendering self-help, selfdetermination, and self-sufficiency versus charity.
“When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit that our lives are all that really belong
to us. So, it is how we use our lives, that determines what kind of [people] we are. It is my
deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life.”
2. Sacrifice – Sacrifice that is spiritual; that is courageous and steadfast in its willingness to endure
great hardship for others.
“I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice
ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice. To be [human] is to suffer for
others. God help us to be human.”
3. A Preference to Help the Most Needy – A concerted effort to support programs that reach the
most needy, the most dispossessed, the most forgotten people in society no matter how difficult
the challenge that choice may bring.
“We are tired of words, of betrayals, of indifference …the years are gone when the farm worker
said nothing and did nothing to help himself…Now we have new faith. Through our strong will,
our movement is changing these conditions…We shall be heard.”
4. Determination – Determination that is characterized by an attitude that with faith, steadfast
commitment, patience, and optimism, human beings can prevail against all odds.
“We draw our strength from the very despair in which we have been forced to live. We shall
endure.”
5. Non-Violence – Invoking non-violence as the most powerful tool for achieving social/economic
justice and equality; action that requires boldness and courage versus meekness and passivity.
“Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion. It is not for the timid or weak … Nonviolence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win.”
6. Acceptance of all People – An essential ingredient for success in organizing diverse forces to
achieve social change, create community, and actualize democracy is the acceptance of all
people; an absolutely indispensable necessity to the well-being of this country.
“We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that
nourishes and strengthens … this nation.”
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7. Respect for Life – Respect that holds as sacred the land, the people, and all other forms of life.
“However important the struggle is and however much misery and poverty and degradation exists
we know that it cannot be more important than one human life.”
8. Celebrating Community - Sharing the joyous and respectful expression of cultural diversity
through the reinforcement of the values of equity and responsibility to and for one another.
“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our
community … Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of
others, for their sakes and for our own.”
9. Knowledge - The pursuit of self-directed learning and the development of critical thinking and
constructive problem solving skills; overcoming ignorance through education.
“Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and
act for themselves and be free.”
10. Innovation – A creative capacity to find pragmatic strategies and tactics to resolve problems and
situations that often seen insurmountable to others.
“A lasting organization is one in which people will continue to build, develop and move when
you are not there.”
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CESAR E. CHAVE Z TIMELINE
"Once social change begins it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducated the person who has learned
to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people that are not
afraid anymore."
1927, March 31 – Cesario Estrada Chavez was born on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona.
1937 – Cesar’s family moved to California and became migrant farm workers after they lost their farm
during the depression.
1942 – Cesar left school after the eighth grade to work in the fields full-time to help support his family.
1946 – He joined the U.S. Navy at the end of World War II, where he served in the Western Pacific.
1948 – After serving in the Navy, Cesar returned to the United States where he met and married Helen
Fabela. They had eight children together.
Late 1940s – Cesar begins studying the social teachings of the Catholic Church, better known as
Liberation Theology.
1952 – Fred Ross, an organizer with the Community Service Organization (CSO), met and recruited
Cesar to register voters in the barrio of “Sal Si Puedes” (get out if you can). The CSO was a civil rights
organization that battled racial and economic discrimination primarily in urban areas.
1952-1962 – In the next ten years, Cesar and Fred Ross established 22 CSO chapters across California.
They fought against police brutality, organized voter registration drives, advocated for neighborhood
improvements and workers rights. Under Cesar's leadership the CSO became one of the most effective
Latino civil rights groups.
1958 – Cesar and the CSO got involved in a farm worker dispute in Oxnard, California to challenge
negative hiring practices employed by local growers. Although minor successes were made, Cesar’s
experiences in Oxnard helped him realize the necessity for a farm worker organization.
1962, March 31 – On his 35th birthday, Cesar resigned from the CSO and moved to Delano, California
with his family, where he, alongside others, began the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), later
known as the United Farm Workers (UFW), devoting himself to organizing farm workers full-time.
1962-1965 – Cesar spent the next three years traveling throughout California conducting what he called
the Farm Worker Census to begin talking to workers about their needs and concerns. Cesar’s organizing
techniques were extremely unique since he realized early on that in order to effectively organize farm
workers the NFWA could not solely focus on workplace issues but instead it needed to build community
amongst the workers.
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1965, September– The Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO (AWOC), a FilipinoAmerican farm worker organization, begins the Delano grape strike to combat the unjust treatment of the
Delano grape growers.
1965, September 16 – On Mexican Independence Day, the NFWA with a 1,200-person membership
voted to join AWOC and the strike against Delano grape growers, forming the United Farm Workers
Organizing Committee (UFWOC). The strike lasted for five years.
1966, March - April – Cesar and dozens of strikers embarked upon a 340-mile Peregrinación (or
Pilgrimage) from Delano to the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento to draw national attention to the
unjust treatment of farm workers.
1966, April – During the Peregrinación and after a four-month boycott, Schenley Vineyards negotiated a
contract with UFWOC, establishing the first successful contract between a grower and farm workers in
United States history. The contract also included a provision prohibiting the use of DDT, prior to the
Federal Government’s ban.
1966, Spring-Summer – As a result of unresponsiveness from other major grape growers the UFWOC
mounts a boycott against DiGiorgio Fruit Corporation forcing the giant grape grower to agree to an
election among its workers. The company brings in the Teamsters Union to oppose the UFWOC.
DiGiorgio workers vote for the UFWOC.
1967 – The UFWOC mounts a boycott against the Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, California's largest
table grape grower. In response to a UFWOC boycott, other grape growers allow Giumarra to use their
labels. The UFWOC, in turn begins a boycott of all California table grapes. Meanwhile, strikes continue
against grape growers throughout the state.
1967-1970 –Hundreds of grape strikers fan out across North America to organize an international grape
boycott. Millions of Americans rally to La Causa, the farm workers' cause.
1968, February-March – To call attention to the plight of farm workers and to reaffirm the Farm Worker
Movement's commitment to non-violence, Cesar conducted a 25 day public fast in Delano, California.
U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy joined 8,000 farm workers and supporters at a mass, where Cesar broke
his fast. Senator Kennedy said Cesar was "one of the heroic figures of our time."
1970, Spring-Summer – As the boycott continues picking up steam, most California table grape growers
sign UFW contracts.
1970, Summer– Cesar called for a nationwide boycott of lettuce when growers in the Salinas Valley
signed sweetheart deals with the Teamsters Union to block the UFWOC's organizing efforts in the region.
More than 10,000 farm workers walked out on strike demonstrating their support of the UFWOC.
1970, December 10 -24 – Cesar was jailed in Salinas, California for refusing to obey a court order to stop
the boycott against one of the major lettuce growers in the area. Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., and Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert F. Kennedy, visited Cesar in jail to offer their
support for his non-violent struggle for social justice.
1971 – The UFW moved from Delano to its current headquarters at Nuestra Señora Reina de La Paz (Our
Lady of the Peace) in Keene, California, just 30 miles southeast of Bakersfield, with a membership of
80,000 farm workers.
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1972 – The UFW was chartered as an independent affiliate by the AFLCIO; it became the United Farm
Workers of America, AFL-CIO.
1972, May 11-June 4 – Cesar began his second public fast, which lasted 25 days, in Phoenix, Arizona to
protest a law that banned and denied farm workers the right to strike or boycott.
1973, Spring-Summer – When the UFW's three-year table grape contracts came up for renewal, the
growers signed contracts with the Teamsters without an election or any representation procedure. The
result was a bitter three-month strike by grape workers in California's Coachella and San Joaquin valleys.
Thousands of strikers were arrested for violating anti-picketing injunctions, hundreds were beaten, dozens
were shot and two were murdered. In response to the violence, Cesar calls off the strike and begins a
second grape boycott.
1973-1975 – According to a nationwide 1975 Louis Harris poll, 17 million Americans are boycotting
grapes. Many are also boycotting lettuce and Gallo wine after winery workers strike the mammoth
Modesto, California -based producer.
1975, June – After Jerry Brown becomes governor, the boycott convinces growers to agree to a state law
guaranteeing California farm workers the right to organize and bargain with their employers. Cesar gets
the landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act through the state Legislature.
Mid-to-late 1970s – The UFW continues winning elections and signing contracts with growers. In 1977,
the Teamsters Union signs a "jurisdictional" agreement with the UFW and agrees to leave the fields. In
1978, the UFW calls off its boycotts of grapes, lettuce and Gallo wine.
1979, September – After a strike and boycott, the UFW wins its demands for a significant pay raise and
other contract improvements from SunHarvest, the nation's largest lettuce producer. Other growers also
soon settle.
1982 – Republican George Deukmejian is elected California governor with $1 million in grower
campaign contributions.
1983-1990 – Governor Deukmejian begins shutting down enforcement of the state's historic farm labor
law. Thousands of farm workers lose their UFW contracts. Many are fired and blacklisted. Fresno-area
dairy worker Rene Lopez, 19, is shot to death by grower agents after voting in a 1983 union election.
Cesar declares a third grape boycott in 1984.
1986 – Cesar began the "Wrath of Grapes" campaign to draw attention to the harmful effects of pesticides
on farm workers, their children, consumers and communities surrounded by agricultural fields. The
campaign targeted 5 cancer-causing pesticides used by the California Table Grape Industry, captan,
dinoseb, methyl-bromide, parathion, and phosdrin. With the exception of methyl-bromide these
pesticides are no longer used in the United States.
1988 – At age 61, Chavez engaged in his last and longest public fast for 36 days in Delano, California to
draw attention to the numerous cancer clusters that developed in and around agricultural communities.
1980's - Early 1990's – Cesar continued to empower farm workers and other individuals working for
social and economic justice, by providing them with useful organizing tools and techniques. He forged
a diverse and extraordinary national coalition of students, religious figures and minorities, including
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Latinos, Filipinos, Jews, Native Americans, African Americans, and gays and lesbians to continue the
fight for justice and equality.
1993, April 23 – Cesar passed away in his sleep on April 23, 1993, in San Luis, Arizona, only miles from
the farm where he was born 66 years earlier.
1993, April 29 – 50,000 mourners marched behind Cesar's simple pine casket during funeral services in
Delano, California. The world mourned Cesar recognizing his accomplishments as a great American civil
rights leader.
1993 – The Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization (501(c)(3)), was established
by Cesar’s family and friends to educate people about the life and work of this American hero and to
engage all, particularly youth, in carrying on his values and timeless vision for a better world.
2000, August – Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning, California’s official state holiday, was signed
into law by Governor Gray Davis to ensure that the life, work, and values of Cesar E. Chavez continue to
inspire all Californians.
2001, March 30 – The first ever Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning was celebrated in California
on March 30. Sixty-six service-learning projects were funded by the Cesar Chavez Day Grants statewide,
engaging K-12 youth in meaningful servic e activities that correspond to Cesar’s 10 core values.
2002 – California is now one of five states to celebrate Cesar’s birthday, March 31, as an official holiday.
Other states include Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
2002 – California’s second annual Cesar Chavez Day of Service and Learning will be celebrated on
Monday, April 1. Sixty-four service-learning projects statewide will receive funding from this year’s
Cesar Chavez Day Grants.
For additional chronology information about Cesar and the Farm Worker Movement, please visit
http://www.ufw.org/cecchron.htm.
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Books For Children
La Causa: the Migrant Farmworkers' Story
By De Ruiz, Dana Catharine, c1993, 92 pages
Describes the efforts of César E. Chávez and Dolores Huerta in the 1960's to organize migrant workers in
California into a union which became the United Farm Workers. Grades 3-5
Cesar E. Chavez
By Franchere, Ruth, c1970, 42 pages
The leader in the cause of the Mexican-American migrant worker, who led the nationwide boycott of
grapes as part of his movement to organize and help farm laborers in the United States. Grades 4-6
Cesar E. Chavez
By Jacobs, Linda, c1996, 111 pages
The life and historical significance of the Mexican American labor organizer who demanded rights for
migrant farm workers. Grades 7-9
Cesar E. Chavez
By Rodriguez, Consuelo, c1991, 111 pages
Biography of the Mexican-American labor activist who organized and led the braceros, or migrant farm
workers, in their struggle for better working conditions. Grades 5-8
Cesar E. Chavez and La Causa
By Roberts, Naurice, c1986, 31 pages
Presents an account of the life of the Mexican American who helped organize farm workers into a
powerful union. Grades 2-4
Cesar E. Chavez: Labor Leader
By Cedeno, Maria E., c1993, 32 pages
Traces the accomplishments of the labor leader who fought to improve the lives of Mexican American
farm workers in California. Grades 3-5
Cesar E. Chavez: Leader for Migrant Farm Workers
By Gonzales, Doreen, c1996, 128 pages
Examines the life of the Mexican American labor organizer who demanded rights for migrant farm
workers. Grades 5-8
Cesar E. Chavez, Man of Courage
By White, Florence Meiman, c1973, 96 pages
An easy-to-read biography of the Mexican American who organized the agricultural laborers' struggles
for better pay and working conditions. Grades 2-4
Cesar E. Chavez: una Biografia Ilustrada con Fotografias
By Davis, Lucile, c1999, 24 pages
Simple Spanish text presents the life story of the Mexican American labor leader who achieved justice for
migrant farm workers by creating a union to protect their rights. Grades 5-7
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Elegy on the Death of Cesar E. Chavez∗
By Anaya, Rudolfo A., c2000, 26 pages
A poem eulogizing the Mexican American labor activist César E. Chávez and his work helping organize
migrant farm workers. Grades 4-7
Learning about Justice from the Life of Cesar E. Chavez
By Strazzabosco, Jeanne, c1996, 24 pages
Examines the life of César E. Chávez, the Mexican American labor leader who achieved justice for
migrant farm workers by creating a union to protect their rights. Grades 2-4
Mighty Hard Road
By Terzian, James .., c1970, 136 pages
A biography of vineyard worker César E. Chávez who organized the California grape pickers so they
could bargain more effectively for better wages and working conditions. Grades 5-7
∗
Please note that you can purchase these books by visiting http://www.chavezfoundation.org.
32
César E. Chá ve z: An American Hero
Grade Level:
Grade Three Lesson 2
Unit of Study :
Our Nation’s History: Meeting People, Ordinary and Extraordinary, Through Biography, Story,
Folktale, and Legend
History- Social Science Standard:
3.4.6 Describe the lives of American heroes who took risks to secure our freedoms (e.g., Anne Hutchinson,
Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King,
Jr.).
Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks:
Harcourt Brace: Communities. Unit 3: Communities Grow and Change. Lesson 5. Unit 6: The
Many People of a Community.
McGraw-Hill: Communities. Unit 3: Building a Government. Chapters 6 and 7. Unit 4: Communities on the Move.
Chapter 9. Building new lives.
Setting the Context:
As a boy growing up in Arizona and California, César Estrada Chávez knew the difficult life of a
migrant farm worker. Most of the families, like his own grandfather, were immigrants from
Mexico and Central America. They had to move frequently to be where the crops were when
they were ready for harvest. Some farm owners housed their workers in miserable migrant
camps, paid very low wages, and treated them unfairly.
César E. Chávez devoted his life to improving conditions for the farm workers, the poor, and the
disenfranchised. He worked to bring dignity, respect, and justice to those that harvest our food
and those that society forgets. He formed a union, the Farm Workers Association that later
became the United Farm Workers (UFW). In 1968, he led a nationwide boycott against
California grape owners, urging people not to buy grapes as a protest against unfair treatment of
workers. Chávez also led strikes and peaceful marches to demand laws to protect the farm
workers. César used nonviolent methods to bring about social change and economic justice and,
as a result, captured nationwide attention. The largest and most powerful grape growers finally
agreed to settle with the union, and growers of other crops slowly followed. Through 30 years of
dedicated work, César E. Chávez did help to improve wages and living conditions for farm
workers everywhere, helped them gain social and economic justice, and taught them how to
organize in order to solve problems, many of which continue to confront them
Focus Questions:
What life experiences shaped César E. Chávez’s personality and character?
33
What were the reasons that César E. Chávez wanted to help farm workers?
How did César E. Chávez make the world a better place?
How does his work continue to inspire others?
Expected Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to create and interpret a time line of César’s life.
Students will be able to state and analyze several causes and effects of César’s actions to help
migrant farm workers.
Students will be able to compare and contrast conditions of migrant workers now and in the past.
Assessment:
Time lines on the life and work of César E. Chávez
Role-play or write from the perspective of César E. Chávez
Electronic quiz on major events in Chávez’s life
Cause and effect sentences regarding Chávez and actions
Paragraphs comparing and contrasting migrant farm workers now and in the past
Key Concepts:
Culture, Diversity, Interdependence
Human-environment interaction/human- land relationships, Work
Essential Vocabulary:
protest
boycott
fasting
strike
huelga
union
Primary Sources:
Photographs, first-hand accounts, interviews
Visuals:
Illustration, maps, graphic organizers
Procedure
34
Motivation:
Review the four natural regions of California using the student made- maps from the “We
Depend on the Land” lesson (Lesson 1). Discuss that the Central Valley is home to the largest
farms in the State. Today, you are going to share a book that takes place in the Central Valley.
It is an alphabet book in Spanish and English depicting the lives of migrant farm workers.
Conduct a read aloud of Gathering the Sun by Alma Flor Ada (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books,
New York).
At the conclusion of the read aloud, go through the book a second time showing the illustrations
and discussing the details of the illustrations. Then go to the front of the book and read the
inscription, “To the Living Memory of César Chávez.” Ask students what they know about this
man. Turn to the C/Ch page of the book and reread the page:
César Chávez
Your steps no longer cross the dusty fields
where your strong voice once shone
yet your example
and your words
sprout anew in the field rows
as seedlings of quiet hope.
Tell students that César E. Chávez was a man who worked hard during his lifetime to bring
justice, dignity, and respect to farmworkers. He wanted the world to be fair to everyone. He
helped people work together to make changes. Tell students they are going to study the life and
work of this American hero.
Making Connections:
Return to the primary source photo used in Lesson 1 of the migrant worker using a short-handled hoe ( picture).
Ask students to recall what they discussed in regards to this photo. What region of California did this photo
probably come from? With students in pairs, provide each group with a small bag of confetti or other small object.
Instruct one student to spread the confetti on the floor. Instruct the other student to bend over like the man in the
photo and pick up the confetti without standing up or kneeling. Repeat the simulation with the other partner. Hold a
discussion about the simulation: How did it feel to be in that position? Could you do that for an hour? A morning?
A whole day? That type of work is called “stoop labor.” The man in the photo, as well as thousands of others
including César E. Chávez, worked like that all day long in the fields. The short-handled hoe is no longer legal to
use in the fields of California. That was one working condition that César E. Chávez worked hard to change.
Vocabulary Activities:
1.
Use primary source photos and samples like the following sentences and definitions:
Protest – César and the farm workers did not like the working conditions and the way
they were treated by farm owners. César talked to farm workers about protesting these
conditions. (workers with La Desgracia de los Pesticidas sign or other protest photo)
Definition – to say or to show that you do not like something
Strike and Boycott – César started strikes and boycotts to help grape pickers. He asked
everyone to stop buying grapes. (picket signs and marchers)
Definitions - strike- when a group of workers stop working until conditions are
changed
boycott- to refuse to buy things from a company until conditions are changed
35
Huelga – “Huelga! Huelga!” was the farm workers’ cry. Huelga is the Spanish word for
strike. (strike signs held by workers)
Definition – pronounced “hweal-ga”, it is the Spanish word for strike - when a group of workers
stop working until conditions are changed.
Fasting – César used fasting as a nonviolent way of bring attention to the problems and
poor living conditions of the migrant farm workers. Once he did not eat food for 25 days.
When he broke the fast, he was with his wife, Helen, and Robert F. Kennedy. This fast
got the attention of the world. (breaking fast with R. Kennedy)
Definition – a peaceful way to protest by not eating food
Union – César started a union to help farm workers receive better treatment and better
pay. (César speaking with union sign in background)
Definition – a group of workers who join together to seek fair treatment and better pay
2.
Click on “Vocabulary Activities” to play a matching game. (Students match definition to word to uncover a
photo of César E. Chávez)
3.
Print out the vocabulary word cards and display in the classroom for future reference and environmental print
(Appendix A).
4.
To further develop the concepts associated with each vocabulary word, print out the Word Square activity sheet
and provide students time to complete one for each word. Word Square has the advantage of being an excellent
developmental exercise or an assessment component. It demands the student to recall a definition, visualize the
definition, and describe what the word is not. The exercise may be done cooperatively, in pairs, or on an
individual basis. Students are to draw a square and fill in the details of writing, visualizing, and describing the
definition of the word or concept. Allow students time to share their word squares with a small group or the
whole class. Staple word squares together to form a class book. (Appendix B)
Guided Instruction:
1) Read the Biography of César E. Chávez (click here for biography). Lead a discussion around the following
questions or have students work in pairs to answer the questions on the “Biography Discussion” sheet (click
option)
Biography Discussion Sheet
a. What did César learn from his family? (knowledge)
b. Why do you think it was personally important for César to fight against prejudice and injustice?
(comprehension)
c. César met people and read books that changed his life forever. Which people have you met or books have
you read that have changed your life? (application)
d. Explain how forming a union helped farm workers. (analysis)
e. Create a new flag for the UFW. What three colors would you use? Explain what each color represents.
(synthesis)
f. Which nonviolent method of protest - boycotts, strikes, marches, or fasts - do you think was most effective?
Why? (evaluation)
2)
Click on “Time Line” activity. Students will see the major events of César’s life and can click and drag them to
the correct chronological order. Students can then print out the time line and add illustrations.
Time line sentences:
a. César E. Chávez was born to Juana Estrada and Librado Chávez
b. César’s father loses his farm and the family becomes migrant farm workers.
c. César’s father is injured in a car accident and César quits school to support his family.
d. César joins the United States Navy.
e. César marries Helen Fabela.
f. César meets Father McDonald.
36
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
César meets Fred Ross and joins the Community Service Organization.
César and Delores Huerta form the United Farm Workers Union.
César and the Farm Workers Association join the Delano Grape Strike.
César calls for a nationwide boycott of grapes.
César organizes a march from Delano to Sacramento, California.
Grape growers sign contracts with the UFW.
The short-handled hoe is outlawed.
California revises its use of pesticides.
César dies in San Luis, Arizona.
3)
Using the program “Timeliner™ ” by Tom Snyder Productions, Watertown, MA (or something similar that we
create for our site), have students create their own time line for the life and work of César E. Chávez.
4)
Begin a class t-chart at this time. Title one side of the chart “Events that influenced César’s Life” and title the
other side of the chart “People who influenced César’s Life.” Have the class brainstorm the events and people
they have read about so far. Tell them they will add to this chart as they continue learning about César. Invite
them to gather resources on their own and bring information back to the class. (Appendix C)
5)
As a shared reading, read the primary source article or portions of the article entitled, “Huelga – The First
Hundred Days of the Great Delano Grape Strike.” Eugene Nelson: Farm Worker Press, 1966 (Appendix D).
Show students on their time lines when this article was written and briefly explain the context of the article.
The article begins with a childhood memory of César. Ask students to listen for the events in his life that
molded his personality and character. Also listen for the names of people who influenced César’s life. After
the reading, hold a discussion about the article and add information to both sides of the class chart.
6)
Begin another class chart entitled “Voices.” (Appendix E). This chart will be used to keep track of the different
perspectives concerning migrant farm workers. As students listen to and read primary source documents, keep
class notes on the different perspectives of the people involved. You may need to develop the concept of
“perspectives” prior to this portion of the lesson. Use a playground incident to explain the many perspectives
involved in any one incident. A role-play of all the perspectives involved is helpful.
Listen to quotes and speeches from individuals involved. Read prima ry source accounts, newspaper articles,
and view photographs. (Have menu of options being sure all perspectives are covered)
When the graphic organizer is complete, have students write position papers using the information on the
graphic organizer or write editorials expressing a particular point of view.
7)
Click on the “Creating Change” icon or use Appendix F. Here students will complete a cause and effect graphic
organizer highlighting why and how César helped create change through nonviolent methods.
Practice/Assessment Opportunities:
Students write “because” sentences. Conduct a mini-lesson on the two main ways to use “because” in a sentence. A
lesson on comma usage is appropriate. Use a topic such as school lunch for a model. I am buying my lunch today
because they are serving pizza. Because there is pizza for lunch, I am going to buy it. Allow students time to
practice writing “because” sentences with familiar topics. Then ask them to write “because” sentences about César
E. Chávez. Allow students time to share their sentences. It is helpful to have students write their sentences on
sentence strips. Sentences can then be grouped in outline form and the class can write individual, small group, or
whole class paragraphs.
8)
Write individual, small group, or a whole class e-mail or letter to the César E. Chávez Foundation. Ask
students to express how César helped the condition of farm workers today and include their opinion of his work.
9)
Invite a migrant farm worker to visit the class. Compare his or her experiences with experiences of migrant
workers past.
37
10) Complete a class “I Am a Farm Worker” graphic organizer (Appendix G) and then have the students write “I
Am a Farm Worker” Poem (Appendix H). The poem is an effective way to assess students ’ knowledge,
historical empathy, and higher lever thinking skills. To provide the needed structure and vocabulary for some
students, complete a class graphic organizer first. It will provide the class with review and spark ideas for more
meaningful poems . Print out poems and have students illustrate a border. Make a class book or poster for
others to enjoy.
11) Students write a Bio-Poem on César E. Chávez. (Appendix I)
12) Read “Prayer of the Farm Worker’s Struggle” (Appendix J). Discuss the meaning as necessary. Assign a line
of the poem to a student or pair of students so they can illustrate it. Create a poster with the illustrations.
Integrating Language:
Note-taking on graphic organizers
Using notes to write position papers
Cause and effect sentence writing
Mini-lesson on comma use in sentence writing
Friendly letter writing
Poetry
Enrichment:
Read and discuss books such as Elegy on the Death of César Chávez by Rudolfo Anaya (Cinco Puntos Press, El
Paso, Texas)
Study your local community and see if César Chávez has been memorialized with streets, schools, buildings, and so
forth.
38
Appendix A
protest
boycott
fasting
strike
huelga
union
Appendix B
Word Square
The Word
A Picture or Diagram
Definition
A Picture or Diagram of
What the Word is Not
Page 40
Appendix C
Events That Influenced César’s Life
People Who Influenced César’s Life
Page 41
Appendix D
Source: Heulga – The First Hundred Days of the Great Delano Grape Strike
Eugene Nelson
Delano: Farm Worker Press, 1966
Who Is César Chávez?
It is the year 1943 in the city of Delano. A young man in his late teens is home visiting his family after working in a
distant part of the State, and he decided to see a movie show. He walks to a local movie house, buys his ticket, and
enters the crowded theater. As he stands at the rear of the aisle and his eyes become accustomed to the dark, he
observes that the people on one side of the aisle are mostly dark-skinned, Mexican-Americans like himself, while all
the people on the other side of the aisle are white, Anglos.
He starts down the aisle. Of course he had known before he went away from home that the theater was segregated,
one side for white people and one side for people of color. Now after having traveled to different parts of the world,
he recognizes how unjustly some people are treated in America. He wonders, why this condition exists as he
continues walking down the aisle, looking for a seat. Was he not an American citizen who deserved equal
treatment? Didn’t he deserve to receive the same respect as most Americans? Was he not living in a country where
all men were supposed to be equal? Had he not paid the same price to enter the theater as everyone else? Why then
should he be told he could not sit in a certain part of the theater where others were allowed to sit?
He finds a seat and sits down.
It is only a minute before a movie attendant taps his arm. “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to sit on the other side of the
aisle.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” the young man asks.
“I’m sorry, but Mexican people have to sit on the other side of the aisle.”
“Why?”
“I’m sorry, but those are the rules.”
“I’m not bothering anybody, why can’t I sit where I want to sit?”
Several people are turning to look now at this young Mexican American who apparently thinks he deserves equal
treatment, dignity, and respect in the same manner as other Americans.
“Look, if you don’t move, I’ll have to call the manager.” The young man says nothing, and continues to look at the
movie.
The manager comes: his pleadings are of no avail. He in turn calls the police.
The young man feels a rough hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see two large and strong policemen standing
over him in the darkness.
“All right, buddy, let’s get going.”
“What’s wrong? I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t break any law.”
“You broke the law of this theater, now let’s get moving.”
“But I didn’t—“
“Look, are you coming with us, or do we have to use a little persuasion?”
Page 42
The young man suddenly finds himself yanked up out of his seat, pushed toward the entrance and on out to the
sidewalk, and then taken to the local police station – and all because he accepted literally the proclamation that in
America, all people are created equal.
It is 22 years later, September 23, 1965. The fourth day of the strike. We drive along busy Glenwood Street, César
and I. The centerline of the street is like the center of no-man’s-land on a battlefield. On one side of the street are
the little Filipino and Mexican cafes filled with strikers. On the other side the railroad and the packing sheds, not
very busy now that we have almost emptied the fields of workers, and a few company men give us scathing looks as
we drive past.
As I drive along, César seems deep in thought. I wonder what he is thinking, what the hundred problems are that are
on his mind, no doubt tricky and involved legal processes involving unions that I not even faintly understand—the
pressure he must be under!
“Look,” he says with a sudden grin, “that little girl.”
I turn to see a six-year-old Mexican girl bobbing away from us along the sidewalk, her pigtail swinging from side to
side like a clock pendulum gone berserk; as she hurries onward on her unknown mission it seems almost to lift her
skyward like the whirling blades of a helicopter. So these were the momentous thoughts!
He’s always noticing little things along the road that escape me—and writers are supposed to be observant. Is this a
great man’s way of relaxing? Perhaps it is one test of intelligence to be able to throw one’s self wholeheartedly into
a cause, and yet still have another part of the mind free to live a normal life with all its concerns and sensations.
Other times he surprises me during moments of high import by discussing a multitude of things that have no bearing
on the strike: women, the duties and necessities of marriage, child-rearing, the passing scenery. Or when problems
are pressing, he takes time off to practice zany judo chops with his young sons, “Birdie” and “Babo.”
(http://www.sfsu.edu/~cecipp/César_Chávez/whoisCésar.htm)
The whole article is seven pages long.
Page 43
Appendix E
Voices
Migrant farm workers
César Chávez,
Delores Huerta, Union
Farm
Workers
Growers
Government
Page 44
Appendix F
Cut out the cards. Match each cause with its effect. Make an illustration for each.
CAUSE
César works on farms
EFFECT
He organizes the workers in marches and strikes
César joins the CSO
He knows how difficult the work is and
experiences poor working conditions on the farms
César continues to be unhappy about he working
conditions of farm workers
CSO helps people register to vote, set up meetings
where farm workers can discuss problems
Farm workers strike demanding fair wages
California honors César E. Chávez with a holiday
as we remember this American hero
César devotes his life to helping others
César asks for a nationwide boycott on grapes and
he fasts as a peaceful protest to gain sympathy
from the nation. New laws are made to help farm
workers.
Page 45
Cause and Effect Answer Key
César works on farms ----He knows how difficult the work is and experiences poor working conditions on the farms
César joins the CSO----CSO helps farmers register to vote, sets up meetings where farm workers can discuss
problems
César continues to be unhappy about the working conditions of farm workers----He organizes the workers in
marches and strikes
Farm workers strike demanding fair wages----César asks for a nationwide boycott on grapes and he fasts as a
peaceful protest to gain sympathy from the nation. New laws are made to help farm workers.
César devotes his life to helping others----California honors César E. Chávez with a holiday as we remember this
American hero.
Page 46
Appendix G
What Farm
Workers May Have
Seen
What Farm
Workers May Have
Heard
What Farm
Workers May Have
Thought
What Farm
Workers May Have
Touched
What Farm
Workers May Have
Said
Page 47
Appendix H
I Am a Farm Worker Poem
By_______________
I am ____________________________________________
I wonder_________________________________________
I hear ___________________________________________
I see____________________________________________
I want___________________________________________
I am_____________________________________________
I pretend_________________________________________
I feel____________________________________________
I touch___________________________________________
I worry___________________________________________
I cry_____________________________________________
I am_____________________________________________
I understand______________________________________
I say____________________________________________
I dream__________________________________________
Page 48
Appendix J
Bio-poem frame
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
(First) Name
4 words that describe person
Friend (or relative) of _____________
Lover of _____________(3 things or people)
Who learned from ___________(3 ideas)
Famous for __________(3 items)
Who used to dream of __________(3 items)
Who feared _____________(3 items)
Who would never (seldom) _____________
Who needed ___________(3 items)
Who felt ______________(3 items)
Who wished ________________(for the world) (3 items)
Resident of or last name
Page 49
Appendix K
Prayer of the Farm Workers’ Struggle
Written by César E. Chávez
Copyright César E. Chávez Foundation
Show me the suffering of the most miserable;
So I will know my people’s plight.
Free me to pray for others;
For you are present in every person.
Help me take responsibility for my own life;
So that I can be free at last.
Grant me courage to serve others;
For in service there is true life.
Give me honesty and patience:
So that I can work with other workers
Bring forth song and celebration.
So that the Spirit will be alive among us.
Let the Spirit flourish and grow;
So that we will never tire of the struggle.
Let us remember those who have died for justice;
For they have given us life.
Help us love even those who hate us;
So we can change the world.
Amen.
Page 50
Additional Preservice Activities Menu
•
Read another story about the life and work of César E. Chávez.
•
Define values such as respect, courage, determination, sacrifice, and sense of community.
•
Create a timeline of significant events in the life of César E. Chávez.
•
Draw a map of the places where Chávez grew up and where he lived as an adult.
•
Discuss some of the influences on Chávez’s life that affected his work.
•
Discuss what a value is.
•
Using a dictionary, look up the definition to each of the 10 values associated with
Chávez.
•
Create your own definition for each of these values or share a time when you or someone
else practiced one of these values.
•
Discuss the qualities of a leader. Are leaders different than heroes? Discuss examples of
heroic acts. Brainstorm some of César E. Chávez’s heroic acts. Can you be a hero without
doing a heroic act? Can you do a heroic act without being a hero?
•
Compare the life and work of Chávez to other historical figures (focus on the similar
values and characteristics).
•
Look up Web sites for educational programs related to heroes.
•
Arrange to visit another classroom in your school and solicit their views on heroes and
what characteristics heroes share.
•
Arrange to visit another classroom in your school and present your information on César
E. Chávez. Have students lead a discussion with that class on heroes.
Page 51
CESAR E. CHAVE Z CURRICULUM
AND EDUCATIONAL RE SOURCES
CURRICULUM COMPONENTS
A standards-based Cesar Chavez model curriculum is provided on the California Department of Education’s (CDE)
Website, www.cde.ca.gov/cesarchavez. The curriculum is for grades K-12 and includes biographies, audio clips,
video clips and additional resources to assist teacher preparation. Currently, only the biographies are available for
review. Additional resources will be added in the coming weeks.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The Cesar E. Chavez Foundation encourages all educates and community members to continue to develop additional
curricular materials, activities, service projects and events specific for your schools, organizations and/or
communities. Below are additional resources to assist you in the process.
Cesar E. Chavez Foundation
www.cesarchavezfoundation.org
Cesar Chavez Day Information and Resources for Educators- San Diego County Office of Education
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/chavez/welcome.html
Cesar E. Chavez Curriculum- County of Los Angeles Public Library
www.colapublib.org/chavez/
Cesar E. Chavez Curriculum- Woodburn School District
http://www.woodburn.k12.or.us/Curriculum/FarmWorker.htm
Cesar E. Chavez Curriculum- Lesson Plans Page for Teachers
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSArtLACesarChavezQuiltStories36.htm
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSLAMDCesarChavez24.htm
Cesar E. Chavez Curriculum Guide- Apple Seeds Magazine
http://www.cobblestonepub.com/pages/appchavez.html
Cesar E. Chavez Educational Video- Film Ideas Inc.
http://www.filmideas.com/dgfamouspeople.html
Cesar E. Chavez Educational Video- Public Broadcasting Service
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/fightfields/
Cesar E. Chavez Institute for Public Policy- San Francisco State University
http://www.sfsu.edu/%7Ececipp/cesar_chavez/chavezhome.htm
Cesar E. Chavez Webquest- San Diego City Schools
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/chavez/ccquestforsocialjustice/t-index.htm
United Farm Workers Curriculum- Oakland Unified School District
http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/calheritage/UFW
Glenn D. Brown, President/ Creative Director- Browntown Media
P.O. Box 6332, Torrance, CA 90504, (323) 756-8155 [email protected]
Page 52
Celebrate
The following activities are excellent activities to do with s tudents as part of
a Cesar E. Chave z Da y asse mbly. T he y are creative ways to involve stude nts
and get the m e xcited the m abo ut the life a nd legac y of Cesar.
Outside of a n asse mbly, celebrate Cesar by:
Sharing with others wha t Cesar C havez mea ns toda y.
Recogni zing the people and good deeds in yo ur co mmuni ty.
Dedicating yo ur ti me to creating a jus t a nd no nviolent world.
Page 53
“The Short Handle Hoe Vs. The Long Handle Hoe”
Introduction:
Many elder farm workers can remember the harsh working conditions in the fields before Cesar E.
Chavez and the United Farm Workers of America brought about many improvements, including dignity
and respect, fair wages, medical coverage, pension benefits, humane living conditions, and countless
other rights and protections. One of the worst experiences for farm workers was the use of the “short
handle hoe.” Many disabilities and pains can still be directly connected to bending down to weed the
fields with the short handle hoe.
Objective:
Students will be able to understand one aspect of the harsh working conditions existing for farm workers
in terms of both physical pain and being made to feel sub-human. Students will be able to get a sense of
the injustice of exploitative treatment towards workers. Students will be able to understand the role of
Cesar E. Chavez and the United Farm Workers in changing the stark physical conditions of workers and
obtaining human dignity and respect for workers.
Materials:
Masking tape, yard or meter sticks, 12” rulers, box of “Cheerios” or other small flat objects – i.e. beans.
Procedure:
1. Mark off two taped lines about 15 to 20 feet long. Place another parallel line about 3 feet away
from the first lines.
2. Discuss the practice of the short handle hoe in the fields of years past:
a. Why was the short handle hoe used?
b. Why would the short handle hoe physically hurt the workers?
c. Why was standing up or talking forbidden by field supervisors?
d. What simple alternative could have been used?
3. Split up the class into two groups. Explain that they will be “weeding” in the field. The group
that completes the job the best will “win.”
4. Sprinkle half of the objects on one side of both lines. The students will have to use their “hoes”
to push the “weeds” across the line 3 feet away. One team will be given the yardsticks and the
other the 12” rulers. Time the groups and look for efficiency. The teacher may ask the students
to switch “hoes” later on.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Discuss the results:
Which group did a better job?
Were there any physical pains?
Could the students with the “short handle hoes” stand up fast after a few minutes of work?
How did the “short handle hoe” work different than the “long hoe?”
What other practices have been changed or should be changed?
Follow up:
Create a mini-dramatization with the children where they would act out this lesson for other classes.
Invite a person who had worked in the fields years ago to talk about the working conditions.
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TEATRO
Screenplay Writing
Introduction:
El Teatro Campesino, The Farmworker’s Theatre, was started in 1965 when Luis Valdez joined
farm workers in Delano during the Great Delano Grape Strike. Valdez structured the workers
into El Teatro Campesino “in an effort to popularize and raise funds for the grape boycott and
farmworker strike.” For further resources visit www.elteatrocampesino.com.
Objective:
Students will learn creative ways to address community concerns. Students will understand
different outlets of expressions to combat injustices. Students will be able to better communicate
about issues.
Procedure:
Divide students into 3 – 5 groups. Have students write a skit about any aspect of Cesar’s life.
Have students present their skits to the entire class.
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A SYMBOLIC AL TE R
Using a Day of the Dead – Día de los Muertos – book, make an alter to remember and celebrate
the legacy of Cesar E. Chavez. An alter can include items and photographs associated with
Cesar E. Chavez, civil rights, the environment, the struggle for social and economic justice and
one or more of Cesar’s core values:
11. Service to Others – Service that is focused on empowering others.
12. Sacrifice – Sacrifice to endure great hardship for others.
13. A Preference to Help the Most Needy – A concerted effort to help the most needy, the
most dispossessed, the most forgotten people in society.
14. Determination – Determination that human beings can prevail against all odds.
15. Non-Violence – Invoking non- violence as the most powerful tool for achieving
social/economic justice and equality.
16. Acceptance of all People – Create community, and actualize democracy.
17. Respect for Life – Respect for the land, all people, and all other forms of life.
18. Celebrating Community – Valuing equity and responsibility to and for one another.
19. Knowledge - The development of critical thinking and constructive problem solving
skills.
20. Innovation – Creativity to solve problems.
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Poem of the Farm Workers’ Struggle
Oración del Campesino en la Lucha
Show me the suffering of the most miserable;
So I will know my people’s plight.
Enséñame el sufrimiento de los más desafurtunados;
Así conoceré el dolor de mi pueblo.
Free me to pray for others;
For you are present in every person.
Líbrame a orar por los demás;
Porque estás presente en cada persona.
Help me to take responsibility for my own life;
So that I can be free at last.
Ayúdame a tomar responsabilidad de mi propia
vida;
Sólo así sere libre al fin.
Grant me courage to serve others;
For in service there is true life.
Give me honesty and patience;
So that I can work with other workers.
Bring forth song and celebration;
So that the spirit will be alive among us.
Let the spirit flourish and grow;
So we will never tire of the struggle.
Concédeme valentía para servir al prójimo;
Porque en la entrega hay vida verdadera.
Concédeme honoradezy paciencia;
Para que yo pueda trabajar junto con otros
trabajadores.
Alúmbranos con el canto y la celebración;
Para que levanten el Espíritu entre nosotros.
Que el Espíritu florezca y crezca;
Para que no nos cansemos entre la lucha.
Let us remember those who have died for
justice;
For they have given us life.
Nos acordamos de los que han caído por la justicia;
Porque a nosotros han entregado la vida.
Help us love even those who hate us;
So we can change the world.
Ayúdanos a amar aún a los que nos odian;
Así podremos cambiar el mundo.
Written by Cesar E. Chavez, UFW Founder (1927-1993)
Escrito por César E. Chávez, Fundador de la UFW (1927-1993)
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Serve
Ide ntify a nd address local issues.
Involve co mmunity me mbers to ma ke a real difference.
Teach others abo ut w hat is mea ns to ho nor the le gac y of Cesar E.
Chave z.
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Sample Service Activities for Elementary Student s
Community or School Beautification
Students can beautify their neighborhood by cleaning up a local park or planting
trees and flowers.
Plan a Cesar Chavez Assembly
Students can read poems, perform skits, and educate their school and
neighborhood about Cesar E. Chavez.
Food and Clothing Drive
Hold a food and/or clothing drive to benefit a local homeless shelter or migrant
farm worker center. Students can be involved in the advertising, collection, and
distribution of goods.
Send Chavez Day cards to a local nursing home
Using the information they have gathered in class about Cesar E. Chavez students
can design and send “Happy Cesar E Chavez Day” cards to a local nursing home
or hospital.
Educational Poster Drive
Students can create information posters about Cesar or doing service and place
them around school, inspiring others to learn more.
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Ce sar E. C have z Se rv ic e -Le arning Re sourc e Guide s
The Chavez service-learning resource guides are aimed at engaging K-12 youth in high-quality servicelearning programs based on Cesar’s ten core values by providing a step-by-step project module while
allowing for individual creativity. From teachers to community agencies and students to professors, people
have found the guides to be extremely user friendly and amazingly comprehensive. Current resource
guides are available in downloadable format on the Foundation’s Web site at
http://www.cesarechavezfoundation.org/ccd.htm.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Educating the Heart”
4th grade guide that provides students with a unique hands-on perspective of California
history by teaching them about migrant farm worker conditions, the history and values of
Cesar and engaging them in addressing community concerns such as hunger and poverty.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Individual Action: Fluff and Fold Project”
3rd-5th grade guide that provides students with a unique hands-on perspective to
community concerns of homelessness by teaching them about Cesar’s values of respect in
service to others and engaging them in letter writing activities as a means of advocacy.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Service Fair of Values”
5th -8th grade guide that provides students with a vehicle for identifying and utilizing
community organizations that address real community needs by engaging them in
organizing a service fair to provide service opportunities for young people.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Where are Today’s Heroes”
6th – 8th grade guide that provides students with an understanding of what it means to be a
true hero by engaging them in oral interviews with local community members to identify
everyday heroes that emulate Cesar’s efforts to promote equity and justice throughout the
community.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Can’t We All Get Along?”: A Peer Mediation and Awareness Campaign
Project
6th – 8th grade guide that provides students with an understanding of Cesar’s values of
non-violence and service to others by engaging them in addressing incidents of violence
in and around the school including, bullying, discrimination, and racism through peer
mediation and conflict resolution at their school site.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Health Issues of Migrant Workers”
9th – 12th grade guide that provides students with an understanding of local health
concerns by engaging them in researching and analyzing health risks associated with
migrant farm work and planning and implementing a local health fair to address the
health concerns identified in their local community.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “How to Become a Community Organizer”
9th – 12th grade guide that provides students with an understanding of Cesar’s tactics and
strategies for effective community organizing and how young people can begin to employ
these strategies to continue to address social and economic injustice in their communities.
•
Cesar E. Chavez “Civic Engagement through Voter Registration and Education”
9th – 12th grade guide that provides students with an understanding of the value of civic
engagement by empowering them to organize a local voter registration and education
drive as a powerful vehicle to effecting change in their community.
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Sample Press Release
Community celebrations are excellent opportunities for garnering media attention. Local television stations, newspapers, and
radio stations are often eager to highlight community events, particularly on and around Chavez Day. Through the media
you can expand the educational component of your event by informing others about the importance of Cesar Chavez Day.
Use this sample press release as a guide when reaching out to local media sources. Make sure that your press release is
concise and contains all relevant information about when and where the event will take place. No event is too small to
warrant media attention so whatever you are doing to celebrate the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez, invite the media to
become involved.
How To Write A Press Release
For press releases to be effective, they should be used sparingly. Use them to announce an event, a rally, a protest, or some
other tactic your group is going to use.
Most media outlets are deluged with press releases. Therefore, it's worth considering alternatives to the press release format.
Alternatives to Press Releases:
•
•
•
Fact sheets: who, what, when, where, and why.
Position statements: containing a brief explanation of the issue and why your group really cares about it.
"Pitch letter": addressed to your campaign targets (should be sent both to the campaign target and the appropriate
reporters/editors).
Your release should be:
•
•
•
•
•
Concise - editors receive hundreds of releases a week (perhaps more) and appreciate releases that are brief and to
the point.
Well-written - a good way to ensure your release a place in the waste basket is poor copy: bad spelling, poor
grammar, and illogical or unsubstantiated claims.
Factual - stick to logical and substantiated claims, avoiding statements of belief: we're the best, the cheapest, etc.
Honest - avoid the padded quotes by company officers; even if they are experts, they come across as biased. If used,
stick to the facts.
Timely - if your release isn't topical, consider incorporating it with a recent news event -- but don't stretch it.
Questions to consider before you write:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Who is your preferred audience?
What do you want readers to take away from your release?
What does your release provide: invaluable information or just another offer?
What is the support or justification for the information in your release?
What is the tone of your release?
What do you want to accomplish with your release: increase business, disseminate information, or both?
Does the release's lead (opening) address or answer the basic tenets of journalism:
•
•
•
•
•
•
who
what
when
where
why
how
Page 61
SAMPLE Media Advisory
Contacts: [NAME/PHONENUMBER&
AFTER HOURS PHONE NUMBER IF
DIFFERENT]
[DATE]_________________________________________________
[YOUR SCHOOL] Holds Cesar E. Chavez Day of Service and Learning
WHAT:
[YOUR SCHOOL] will participation in a day of service and learning to
honor the legacy of civil rights leader, Cesar E. Chavez. The service
project is open to all members of the community.
WHO:
[LIST OF KEY SPEAKERS] and civil rights activists from across the
[CITY/STATE] will speak about their work wit Cesar Chavez and the
importance of community service and involvement.
WHEN:
[DAY OF WEEK, DATE, and TIME]
WHERE:
[LOCATION with ROOM NUMBER AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS]
The community want to highlight Cesar’s belief that education must not
only promote knowledge but that it must touch the heart of humanity. He said, "The end
of all education should be service to others." Cesar was a great humanitarian who
proved, once the heart is educated, there is no limit to the lasting and positive social
change individuals can achieve. It is in this spirit that friends and supporters will come
together to honor him and those who carry on his legacy by serving their community.
WHY:
[OUR SCHOOL] will be conducting a service project. [DESCRIBE SERVIE PROJECT]
Cesar was born on March 31, 1927, near his family’s farm in Yuma, Arizona. He spent
his youth working with his family in agricultural fields throughout the Southwest. In
1952, he became a community organizer for the most prominent Latino civil rights
organization of that time, the Community Service Organization, before founding the
United Farm Workers of America. He passed away in his sleep on April 23, 1993, a few
miles from the farm where he was born.
HIGHLIGHTS :
• LIST YOUR SPEAKERS HERE, AND WHERE THEY’RE FROM
For more information, or to schedule an interview, call [YOUR MEDIA CONTACT] (THE MEDIA
CONTACT NUMBER, E-MAIL ADDRESS and CELL NUMBER).
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C ERTIFICATE OF
P ARTICIPATION
Presented this 31st day of March Two Thousand and Four to
Student Name
For your participation in the Cesar E. Chavez Day of Service and Learning Project
" The end of all education should surely be service to others."
-Cesar E. Chavez
____________________________________
Principal/Teacher’s Signature
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