Lesson Title:  
Time Travel with César Chávez

Grade Level:  
Grade Eight Lesson 11

History-Social Science Standard:  
8.12   Students analyze the transformation of the American economy and the changing social and political conditions in the United States in response to the Industrial Revolution.

8.12.6   Discuss child labor, working conditions, and laissez-faire policies toward big business and examine the labor movement, including its leaders (e.g., Samuel Gompers), its demand for collective bargaining, and its strikes and protests over labor conditions.

Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks:  
Houghton Mifflin.  A More Perfect Union.  Labor Unions.  Chapters 15, 17 and 18.
Prentice Hall.  The American Nation.  Chapters 15, 23.
Oxford History of U.S.  Why We Remember  Chapter 17 Labor.  Chapter 31  “Picking and Picketing” 

Setting the Context:
Child Labor, working conditions and policies toward big business and labor movement collective bargaining, strikes and protests.

Focus Question:
Would César’s nonviolent methods of organizing the farm workers have worked in the 1890s?  Who had greater power during the late nineteenth century employers or workers?  Why?

Expected Learning Outcomes:
The early labor organizations of the nineteenth century will be understood.  The conflicts between the Agrarian Society and Industrialization will be examined.

Key Concepts:  
Conflict and justice

Essential Vocabulary:  
strike

employer

arbitration

collective bargaining

union

tenements

sweatshops

Primary Sources:
The UFW Web site and the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs Web site

Visuals:
Pictures of César marching, giving a speech.  Document Center on the CDE Web site.

Setting the Context:
César E. Chávez:  “The women have to be involved.  They’re the ones working out in the fields with their husbands.  If you can take the women out to the fields, you can certainly take them to meetings.” 

Mary Harris “Mother” Jones was a unique leader of the last century and she would have agreed with César.  This lesson will compare César Chávez and Mother Jones.

Both suffered hardships and were determined individualists who had a remarkable impact on the American labor movement.  Both helped bring change to American society by their ceaseless struggle to make the public aware of existing problems.

Mother Jones was the founder of the Industrial Workers of the World, but is remembered for her practical politics.  She awaken a “can do spirit” in others, as did Chávez.  For 50 years, she campaigned against child labor and for decent working conditions and a living wage for minors, steel and garment workers.  All of this even before women had gained the right to vote.

Procedure

Motivation:
“There is the will of the people to endure and fight against oppression.  I think we call this the American Spirit.”  John Steinbeck.

“We can choose to use our lives for others to bring about a better and more just world for our children.”  César E. Chávez

Making Connections:  
$1.40 per hour in 1965 for the average worker 
22 cents per hour in 1900 for the average worker
How many hours do you need to work to buy a bicycle?  In 1900?  In 1965?  Now?
1900 bike cost = $14.65
1965 bike cost = $85.99
Today what is the per hour wage?  Cost of bike?

Vocabulary Activities:  
Create a personal vocabulary booklet and start with these words.

Guided Instruction:
Prior to this assignment, access the biography on the Web site appropriate to your students’ grade level.  Use the Textbook assignment and biography reading on Chávez.

Time Travel with César

He said:  “We can choose to use our lives for others to bring about a better and more just world for our children.” 

Take him back to the nineteenth century and the time of the Populist movement.  Would his methods have worked back then?  What differences would you see?  Would his type of nonviolent leadership be effective?  

Industrialization vs. Agrarian Society:  Define the terms

Answer the questions

Write a speech for him to give at _____  on _______.

Step into the time machine with your friend César Chávez and push the button for ___ ___ ____.

Integrating Language:
Read César’s speech “We shall overcome” September 16, 1965.  What is he asking for?

Enrichment:
Pretend it is 1903.  Write a speech that César could deliver at President Roosevelt’s home after he has marched with Mother Jones 124 miles from Philadelphia to New York, for the Children’s Crusade.

Assessment tool for the speech:
Speech Presentation Grading Sheet:
1-5 points for each area  (1=poor … 5=excellent)

1)	300 words in length?
2)	Gave 2-4 clear examples that are historically accurate?
3)	Had illustrations / visuals?
4)	Spoke loudly and clearly
5)	Their objectives were clear
6)	Persuasion

Total score:  ______
Comments:  ______

Assessment:
If Mother Jones traveled to our world, would she be pleased or not with the treatment of children in the work force?

800,000 children work on farms and only 55% of these children finish high school.  

They earn $2.50 per hour or less.

20% of farm deaths are children.

48% work in fields sprayed with pesticides.

Write a speech for Mother Jones to give on TV.  Include facts, then and now.

Service Learning:
Write a letter to your Congressman or Senator about the issues of child labor in the U.S.  Share your findings and ask how we can help change the situation.

Sources for further service ideas:
César E. Chávez Web site (sponsored by San Francisco State University)
Free the Children Organization Web site