Lesson Title:
Whose Rights Are They?

Grade Level:
Grade Eight Lesson 4

History-Social Science Standard:
8.1.2   Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases such as "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights").

Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks:
Why We Remember - Chapter 1; 
Glencoe McGraw-Hill.  American Journey - Chapter 5; 
Oxford History of U.S.  History of Us - Book 3; 
Houghton Mifflin.  A More Perfect Union - Chapters 3 and 4.

Setting the Context:
Active participation is essential for a democratic system of government to work.  César E. Chávez understood this.  His leadership was rooted in a system of U.S. civic values.  Seeing his people denied Constitutional rights moved him to action.  These actions included registering people to vote and writing about his concerns.  His 1975 document “Bill of Rights for California Farm Workers” demonstrates his belief in political action.

Help your students understand these are not just old documents written by dead men, but they are as alive and meaningful today as individuals want to make them.  We are rooted in a great system that continues to need individual participation reforming with each generation’s challenge.

Focus Question: 
Who is a citizen?  
When did we become a country? 
 What did these documents have to do with who we are as a country?

Expected Learning Outcomes: 
Students will define vocabulary words below.
Students will read and explain why reformers like Chávez were students of history.
Students will memorize and recite an historical speech.

Assessment: 
Vocabulary quiz
Accurate memorization of an historical speech.
Oral explanation of why reformers were students of history.

Key Concepts:  
Civil rights
historical perspective

Essential Vocabulary: 
Help students with terms that would block comprehension:
self-evident
created
endowed
Creator
unalienable rights
pursuit
secure
instituted
deriving
consent governed
alter
abolish
institute/foundation
principle
prudence
dictate
transient
disposed
sufferable
usurpation
invariably
evince
despotism
sufferance
constrains
tyranny
submitted
candid

Primary Sources: 
Preamble to the Constitution

Declaration of Independence
 
Gettysburg Address 

First Amendment to Constitution

Quotes from César Chávez: 
“Our movement is spreading like flames across a dry plain.  We seek our basic God-given rights as human beings.  We shall do it without violence because it is our destiny.” 

“We must understand that the highest form of freedom carries with it the greatest measure of discipline.”

Visuals: 
Picture of Union Flag eagle and Seal of United States with eagle (it’s been on the dollar bill since 1935, but it was approved by Congress in 1789).  The eagle has both symbols of peace and war (the olive branch and the arrows, respectively).  The eagle is also an ancient symbol representing great vision and spiritual wisdom, appropriate for the leadership of a person like Chávez.
Picture of Chávez at microphone with flag in background taken September 16, 1967 by photographer Cathy Murphy.

Procedure

Motivation: 
César understood the concept of  “E Pluribus Unum,” our national motto that means in Latin, “From Many To One.”  He devoted his life in showing people how to make change happen in our country--a government of, by, and for the people.

Making Connections: 
Translate these documents into their own words.

Vocabulary Activities: 
Underline the words they don’t know, use context clues to guess or predict their meaning.  Create a chart with pictures and synonyms or word association.

Guided Instruction: 
Reciprocal reading is a technique attempting to increase understanding the meaning of complex or antiquated documents.  First, the instructor reads a sentence aloud and the students follow.  Then the document is put aside and the students are allowed to ask any questions about the sentence.  Once all queries have been answered, the roles are switched.  The students read the next sentence and the instructor asks questions to the students.  Continue the process until the material is mastered.

Integrating Language: 
Memorize one of these historic documents.  Lincoln’s speech may be the simplest for this task.  Dividing paragraphs into small sections may make difficult documents easier to memorize one part at a time. 

Enrichment: 
We the People … Project Citizen 
Roy Erickson, California State Coordinator
4808 Runway Drive
Fair Oaks, CA 95628-8121
916-863-6614
cacoord@aol.com

Assessment: 
Using the primary sources and new vocabulary, write an essay that answers this question:  Which of the civic values are most important to you?  Prioritize them and explain why.

Service Learning: 
Make a list of all the projects, actions, events, and so forth, possible for a citizen today.  Focus on your school, community, and town.  Use the newspaper for ideas.  How could you get involved?