Lesson Title: 
César E. Chávez: An American Hero

Grade Level: 
Kindergarten, Lesson 1

Unit of Study: 
Working Together: Exploring, Creating, and Communicating

History-Social Science Standard:  
K.1.2   Students learn examples of honesty, courage, determination, individual responsibility, and patriotism in American and world history from stories and folklore.

K.6   Students understand that history relates to events, people, and places of other times.

Correlation to K-8 California Adopted Textbooks: 
Harcourt Brace: My World and Me. Unit 3: I Know Who Takes Care of Me. Lesson 7.

McGraw-Hill: Here I Am. Unit 1,3, 4, and 5.

Materials
A book such as Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell (Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA) that describes how working individually is less effective in solving problems than working as a team.

Chart paper and marker pens or chalk board

Photographs or pictures of César Chávez and recognizable heroes from American and world history.

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. The farm owners housed them in miserable migrant camps, paid very low wages, and treated them unfairly.

Chávez devoted his life to improving the conditions of the farm workers, the poor, and the disenfranchised. He formed a union, the United Farm Workers of America (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. His nonviolent methods and skill at organizing captured nationwide attention. The grape growers agreed to settle with the union and growers of other crops slowly followed. Through 30 years of dedicated work, César E. Chávez helped to improve wages and living conditions for farm workers and fought for the civil rights of citizens everywhere.

Focus Question: 
Why is César E. Chávez an American hero?

Expected Learning Outcomes: 
Students will be able to identify a photograph or portrait of César E. Chávez and orally state one reason why he is an American hero.

Assessment:
•	Point to a photograph or portrait of César E. Chávez and say his name
•	Orally state one reason he is famous today

Key Concepts:
•	Interdependence
•	Learning to Work Together

Essential Vocabulary: 
farm worker
César E. Chávez

Primary Sources:
photographs

Visuals:
pictures, photographs, artwork

Procedure

Motivation:
Conduct a Shared Reading from a book such as the story Farmer Duck by Martin Waddell (Candlewick Press, Cambridge, MA). Lead a class discussion to include such points as: Does the duck have a problem? What is the problem? Is it fair that the duck does all the work on the farm while the farmer stays in bed? How did the problem get solved? Do you think the animals responded in an acceptable way? Were there other possible solutions that the animals could have tried? What might have happened to the duck if the other farm animals did not get involved? How does the duck feel at the end of the story?

Making Connections:
Ask students to share problems that they have had. How did they solve their problems? Did anyone help them? Did the students think about other ways they might solve their problem? Do they still think that they responded to the problem in an acceptable way? 

Discuss how it is often easier to solve problems when others become involved and help.

Discuss why it is important to think about several possible solutions to a problem rather than just doing the first thing they think can solve the problem.

Vocabulary Activities:
Throughout the reading of the K-2 Biography on César E. Chávez, introduce and reinforce the terms necessary for comprehension. The concept of “farm worker” in the context of migrant farm labor can be reinforced through the use of the photos in the biography. César E. Chávez is shown numerous times in the biography.

Guided Instruction:
1)	Download and print the K-2 Biography of César E. Chávez (click for biography) or conduct a shared reading of the biography electronically. Conduct a discussion before, during, and after the reading to increase student comprehension.
2)	Discuss what the farm workers problems were? Who could have solved some of these problems? How could these problems have been solved? Why do you think that these problems were not solved earlier? What did César E. Chávez do to help solve the problem?
3)	Have students name a person they think is a hero. List or chart the names students provide.
4)	Have students pick a name and describe why they think that person was a hero.
5)	Ask students if there is a difference between a celebrity and a hero. Have students list the qualities of a celebrity and the qualities of a hero. Help students place their responses under the word celebrity or the word hero. 
6)	Help students understand that a celebrity is a person that a lot of people know. People know celebrities for many reasons; maybe they are seen on television, or in movies, or they play sports.
7)	Help students understand that a hero is a person that usually does something for other people to help them improve their lives. Many times heroes have to sacrifice their time with their family or money. Sometimes they even sacrifice their lives to do the work they do or to provide help to others. 
8)	Show students photographs or pictures of well-known men and women from history and current times and have them classify the people in the photographs as either celebrities or heroes.
9)	End the set of photographs with a picture of César E. Chávez. (Hopefully students will classify Chávez a hero.)  Ask students why they think many people consider César E. Chávez a hero today? 

Integrating Language:
•	Shared reading
•	Discussion
•	Listening center option
•	Vocabulary development

Enrichment:
•	Invite a farm worker to speak to the class. 
•	Listen to interviews of people who worked with Chávez.
•	 Have students create a class picture book illustrating the good works of César E. Chávez.
•	Make a class mural depicting the life and work of César E. Chávez.