Lesson Title:
The Struggle for Freedom

Grade Level:
Grade Five Lesson 2

Unit of Study:  
U.S. History: A New Nation

History-Social Science Standard:
5.7   Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution's significance as the foundation of the American Republic.

Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks:
Harcourt Brace.  Early United States.  Unit 5: The New Nation.  Chapter 9: The Constitution.  Chapter 10: A New Government Begins.  Unit 8: Americans, Then and Now.  Chapter 16. The Promise of America.
 
McGraw-Hill:  A New Nation.  Unit 6: Building the U.S. Chapters 14 and 15.  Unit 8: The U.S. Past and Present.  Chapters 19 and 20.

Setting of Context:
Students have studied aspects of colonial America in which they have learned that colonists felt that the British were treating them unfairly.  They have studied the American Revolution and the making of a new nation based on the government formed by the founding fathers and grounded in the Constitution.  They should have studied how the Constitution was drafted and understand the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

Show students the phrase "taxation without representation".  Ask them to recall the importance of this statement and the struggle that the colonists faced in order to gain their independence from Great Britain.

The Constitution has served as the basis of the American government since 1787.  The Constitution forms the legal basis of our government and the Bill of Rights is a list of rights that every American should have.

Focus Questions:
Do you think that The Constitution and The Bill of Rights always protect citizens?

Do you think that everyone is treated fairly because they live in the United States?

Do you think that all Americans have been treated fairly since they separated from Great Britain?

What barriers did farm workers face in order to obtain better working conditions and wages?

How did farm workers overcome these barriers?

Who kept these barriers in place?

What was the result of these efforts?

Expected Learning Outcomes:
Students will be introduced to César E. Chávez and explain that he was fighting for basic rights as guaranteed by the Constitution

Students will draw comparisons between the colonists' struggle and the struggle of the farm worker.

Students will explain why a revolution amongst the group was inevitable

Assessments:
Journal of information gathered during lessons

T-chart and poem on freedom

Pamphlet on the plight of the farm worker

Key Concepts:
Protection of rights, equality

Essential Vocabulary:
The Bill of Rights
The Constitution
citizens
protect
unfair practices
basic human rights
civil rights
unfair labor practices
freedom
obstacle.

Primary Sources:
The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, photos of farm workers

Visuals:
Pictures of César E. Chávez, pictures of migrant farm workers: working, traveling from place to place, housing for migrant farm workers, children in the fields.  Numerous examples can be found in the Photo Archive.

Procedure

Motivation:
Remember the new rule that was made where every time you moved, you lost a minute of recess?  Do you remember how that made you feel?  Stop to listen to responses.

Today, we have a new rule.  In order to earn recess minutes you must finish all of your work and each assignment will earn you recess minutes.  During work time, you are not allowed to talk, rest, use the bathroom, or drink water. 

Determine an amount of time for the activity.  An hour should work well and get the point across.

Teacher then posts the following payment schedule:

Payment for work in recess minutes

Product	Payment
1 page of written text, neatly done, error free	30 seconds
30 math problems, no errors	45 seconds
20 spelling words and	60 seconds
10 pages of text read	60 seconds

Followed by the following schedule:

Loss of time for activities

Activity	Time lost	
Talking	60 seconds	
Resting	120 seconds	
Drinking water	240 seconds	
Going to bathroom	240 seconds	

Teacher asks if everyone understands and then instructs students that they are to work for an hour.  As students begin work, the teacher should monitor the activities that would lose time for students and keep a record.  At the end, the teacher will calculate the work completed and then tell the students the amount of recess time they have earned.  In most instances, students will probably be in the negative and not receive any minutes of recess time.

Making Connections:
This activity should help the students to draw parallels on their previous study of how the colonists felt they were being treated unfairly and bring to their attention that even in contemporary times, many people are not being treated fairly and in many cases, their rights are being violated.  They will begin to do research on César E. Chávez and learn about the many injustices that farm workers were forced to endure.  They will keep a journal of the information they gather.

Guided Instruction:
Part I: César Chávez
Show the picture of César Chávez as an introduction for the students.  Have students read the primary level biography.  They should highlight important facts and take notes.

Practice/Assessment Opportunity:
Students will create a biocard on César Chávez either with construction paper or create one on the computer outlining the important facts they learned about him during the reading and using any notes they have taken.  All cards will then be connected to make a bio-slide-show on César E Chávez.

Part II: La Causa: The Migrant Farmworkers' Story
Use the information from the biography and other documents from the primary source material site to gain an understanding of the life of a farm worker.  Students should explore Cesar’s trials and tribulations as a young farm worker and how they instilled in him the desire to help others.

Another excellent resource for this lesson is La Causa: The Migrant Farmworkers' Story by Dana Catharine de Ruiz and Richard Larios.

Part III: Organizing the Union
Setting the Context: Have students recall that when the colonists were dissatisfied with Great Britain, they had to make a decision.  They had to decide to fight for their freedom or to always be ruled and dominated by Great Britain.  Even though they were unhappy, many colonists were afraid to fight against the mother country.  The same situation existed with the farm workers.  Many wanted better conditions, but were afraid to fight for what they felt they deserved and wanted.

Activity:  
Vocabulary T-chart:
In groups have students write or draw what they think freedom is.  This can be done on paper or using the computer.  Students should put the word freedom as the heading of the T-chart and one side should say Looks like and the other Is not:

Students can use words or pictures to illustrate each side of the T-chart.

Students can then write a short poem using the following frame: 

Freedom is
Freedom is/not Freedom is
Freedom is not
As Americans we have the right to be free.

Introduce the slogan: Viva la Causa along with the translation.  Have students do a quick write on what they think it means and have a quick share out of what they wrote.

Tell students that this was the slogan chosen by the farm workers to make their cause known to all.  Again have students explore the biography and other information to enhance their knowledge of the founding of the union. 

Practice/Assessment Opportunity:
Create a pamphlet that outlines the plight of the farm workers.  It should discuss the long hours, low wages, lack of water and bathrooms in the fields, the poor living conditions.  It should include information on the movement to unionize farm workers

Enrichment:
Students can add a section to their web page on farm workers that compares their situation to that of colonists prior to the Revolution.