Lesson Title:
César E. Chávez Biography Boards

Grade Level:
Grade Eleven

Unit of Study:
United States History

History-Social Science Standards:
11.10   Students will analyze the development of Federal civil rights and voting rights.

11.10.5 5   Discuss the diffusion of the civil rights movement of African Americans from the churches of the rural South and the urban North, including the resistance to racial desegregation in Little Rock and Birmingham, and how the advances influenced the agendas, strategies, and effectiveness of the quests of Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans for civil rights and equal opportunities.

Setting the Context:
César E. Chávez's life spanned more than six decades of American history.  As a child, his life was decidedly influenced by historical events including the Depression in the 1930s, World War II, and the racial and discriminatory environment of the time.  During the 1950s, he became a grassroots organizer with the Community Service Organization learning how to empower people to solve their own problems through organizing.  He helped lead successful campaigns to fight for social and economic justice throughout California.  In the 1960s, César E. Chávez founded the National Farm Workers Association, later to be named the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) and led the struggle for equal respect, dignity and justice for those who toil in the agricultural fields.  

Through the efforts of Chávez and the UFW farm workers gained better working conditions, better protection under the law and a voice in the fields.  However, Chávez was not merely a farm worker leader or a labor leader.  He became a champion for Latino culture, civil rights, and dignity.  He was a strong advocate of nonviolent social change, helping to enact legislation that protected farm workers, consumers, and the environment from the harmful effects of pesticides.  For César E. Chávez, the United Farm Workers was not only a union; it was a movement,  “La Causa."  That cause was to change America's view of farm workers and to change farm workers' views of themselves.  To achieve those goals, he brought together people of all races, all religions, and all classes.  People from all walks of life and from all parts of the country unified to support the strikes, the boycott, and the marches to achieve social justice, civil rights, and economic opportunity for farm workers and people everywhere.  Many of these tactics had their roots in the African American civil rights movement, and like that movement, "La Causa" received support from religious and political leaders, representatives of organized labor, the entertainment industry, teachers and students, and millions of middle class American consumers.

There were many aspects to César E. Chávez's life, and to understand the man and his legacy, it is necessary to examine each role he played.  As each group constructs a biography board representing a different scene from the life of César E. Chávez, your class will use historical evidence to construct the whole picture of this amazing man and his achievements.

Focus Question:
Who was César E. Chávez, and what were his achievements?

Expected Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to explain why César E. Chávez must be considered a multi-dimensional man and they will he able to discuss what contributions he made to American society.

Assessment:
Working in groups of 5-6, students will create biography boards representing various aspects of César E. Chávez's life.  Students will be assessed based on the quality of their projects and their oral presentations according to the rubric provided.

Key Concepts: 
commitment 
community 
compassion 
civil rights 
civic action 
culture 
Democracy 
dignity 
empowerment 
equality 
fairness 
generosity 
honesty 
hope 
justice 
leadership 
motivation 
nonviolence 
organizing 
power 
respect 
sacrifice 
service 
struggle 
unity

Essential Vocabulary:
drought
migrant
Pachuco
Zoot suit
Sal Si Puedes
empowerment
civic action
voter registration drive
strike
volunteerism
boycott
fast
labor contractor
collective bargaining
representational election
short-handled hoe
Agricultural Labor Relations Act
injunctions
Community Service Organization
La Causa

Primary Sources:
(See CDE Web site Document Center)

1)	Ferriss Susan and Ricardo Sandoval, The Fight in the Fields César Chávez and the Farmworkers Movement (Harcourt Brace, 1997).

2)	Griswold del Castillo, Richard and Richard Garcia, César Chávez A Triumph of Spirit (University of Oklahoma Press, 1995).

3)	Levy, Jacques E., Autobiography of La Causa (Norton, 1975)

4)	Mattiesson Peter, Sal Si Puedes (Escape If you Can) César Chávez and the New American Revolution (University of California Press, 2000) Originally published, 1969.

5)	Taylor, Ronald B Chávez and the Farm Workers (Beacon Press, 1985).

6)	Wathen, Cindy, E. Remembering César The Legacy of César Chávez (Quill Driver
Books, 2000)

Visuals: 
( Photographes available on CDE Web site Document Center)
View video: The Fight in the Fields César Chávez and the Farmworkers Struggle

Procedure

Motivation:
This lesson will be part of a unit on civil rights.  After discussion of the progress made by African Americans, you might review the many achievements of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  The Reverend Dr. King was not only a leader of the Civil Rights Movement; he was also an advocate of civil disobedience and nonviolent protests to achieve social change.  He helped African Americans gain political power and social equality. 

After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. became a leader of the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, based on his belief in nonviolence.  Shortly before he was assassinated in 1968, Reverend Dr. King turned his efforts toward helping the poor of all races and called for economic justice.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of many accomplishments; a complex and multi-faceted man.  Ask your students if they know of any other civil rights leaders that might be compared to Dr King.  One man should stand out, César E. Chávez.  

Not only did he share many of Dr King's beliefs, like Dr. King, there were many different aspects to his life.  During the next week, examine César E. Chávez's life from 1927 to 1993.  Each group will create a Biography Board representing one phase of Mr. Chávez's life in Historical context.  As each group presents their findings to the class, they will piece together the whole picture of César E Chávez appreciating his many accomplishments.  Have students read Coretta Scott King's memory of César E. Chávez (Remembering César by Ann McGregor, p 85).

Making Connections:
Students will have already studied the Great Depression, World War II, the McCarthy era, and the civil rights movement, so they will be familiar with the historical events prior to 1962 when César E. Chávez founded the United Farm Workers.  This lesson will allow your students to make the connections between each phase of Chávez's life and the historical events of that era.  They will discover for themselves the problems he encountered and how he overcame them.  In the process, they will gain an appreciation for an amazing man and his accomplishments.

Vocabulary Activity:
A list of the vocabulary words is provided with a separate list of Definitions.  Give each student the two lists.  Break the class into groups of 4--5 students and give them 10 minutes to match the terms with definitions.  Go over the correct answers and clarify any terms with which students had difficulty.

Guided Instruction:
After introducing the lesson as described under Vocabulary Activity and Motivation, break the class into groups of 5-6 students.  Either assign or allow groups to choose the aspect of César E. Chávez's life they will research.  Hand out the assignment sheets to each group.  There are separate assignment sheets for each topic.  (Note:  A mind map and outline for each aspect of Chávez's life is included at the end of this lesson plan.  Some students might find these helpful in organizing their ideas).  Next, hand out the illustrations of the biography board and explain your expectations based on the rubric.  The remainder of the period can be used for groups to meet, choose a group leader, recorder, and supplies person, and discuss their assignment sheet.

Homework:
Students can begin their research at home.  If they have computers, they can browse the CDE Web site, or they can look through the section of their textbook that corresponds to the time period of Chávez's life that their group is researching.  They should look for historical events that relate to their topic and can be incorporated into their time line.

DAY 2-4  Students will be conducting research in the computer lab using the César E. Chávez Web site.

DAY 5  Students will assemble their Biography Boards and prepare their oral presentations.

DAY 6-7  Each group will present its Biography Boards to the rest of the class.  The teacher will lead a discussion in which students summarize their research.  They should answer the question, “Who was César E. Chávez, and what were his achievements?"

Integrating Language:
Students must listen to the instructions and to their fellow students during group work and class discussion.  They will utilize their speaking abilities in both classroom discussion and their oral presentations to the class.  Students will be asked to research both primary and secondary sources as part of the computer lab research component.  Students will write captions for their pictures and historical summaries of key events on their time line and each student will write a one-page essay on their Biography Board.

Enrichment:
1)	Students could construct a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with César E Chávez.

2)	Students could take notes during the group presentations and write a brief summary of the research completed by each of the other groups.

3)	Students could read a biography about César E. Chávez, selecting one of the following books:

a.	César Chávez A Triumph of Spirit by Richard Griswold del Castillo and Richard A. Garcia
b.	The Fight in the Fields César Chávez and the Farmworker Movement by Susan Ferriss and Ricardo Sandoval

Assessment:
The finished product will be a Biography Board created by each group.  These boards will represent their research on the César E Chávez Project Web site, and each board will represent a different aspect of Chávez's life.  A rubric is provided for assessment of each student's contribution to the Biography Boards.  Teachers may assign points for group work, as well as for contributions during class discussion.  All individual contributions to the Biography Boards will be mounted on color-coded paper for ease of grading.

Service Learning:
1)	Students could volunteer in elementary classrooms as tutors, class aides, or "book buddies" for Second Language Learner students.

2)	Students could volunteer at elementary schools as after school playground/gym supervisors.

3)	Students could volunteer in pre-school/Head Start programs to help disadvantaged children and serve as mentors and role models.

4)	Students could set up a "Homework Club" at Community Centers or at elementary schools in poor neighborhoods.

Reflection on Service Learning:
After completing any of the activities above, students should take time to reflect and write their experiences.  They should try and focus on identifying the goals of the activity and whether they felt they were successful in accomplishing them.  Students should also note any personal feelings and experiences that occurred during the activity.

GROUP #1 BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E CHÁVEZ - THE EARLY YEARS 1927-1952 
GROWING UP DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II

César E. Chávez was born in 1927 in a rural community near Yuma, Arizona.  His parents worked on the family farm and operated a garage, grocery store and pool hall.  His family lost the three businesses during the Depression, and then lost the family farm during the terrible drought.  When he was 11 years old, his once self-sufficient and independent family joined tens of thousands of Dust Bowl refugees and became migrant workers following the crops in California agricultural valleys.  Facing dire poverty and discrimination, César and his family moved from place to place, working long hours under harsh conditions for little pay.  In 1944, at age seventeen, César joined the Navy and served in the Western Pacific during the last year of World War II.  Following the war, he married Helen Fabela and began his life as a husband and father.

For this Biography Beard, your assignment is to present the first 25 years of César E. Chávez’s life.  You must show how historical events, economic conditions, and social prejudices influenced his life.  The following are suggested topics for your presentation:

1	What values did César E. Chávez learn from his parents?
2	What role did religion play in his early life?
3	How did the Great Depression affect his family?
4	How did the drought of 1933-1937 impact the Chávez family?
5	What did the Chávez family experience as a migrant farm worker family?
6	What kind of an education did César receive?
7	How did César dress and behave as a teenager?
8	What were his experiences with racism and discrimination?
9	What memories did he have of his service in the Navy during WW II?
10	When did he get married and to whom?
11	Where did he live, and what jobs did he have after the war?
12	Why was the barrio of East San Jose referred to as "Sal Si Puedes"?

On your time line, enter the key events pertaining to César E. Chávez during his early years, 1927-1952.  Include the following historical events

1	Stock Market Crash
2	Election of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
3	Start of the Dust Bowl
4	Enactment of National Labor Relations Act
5	Fair Labor Standards Act
6	Pearl Harbor
7	Zoot Suit Riots
8	Election of President Harry S. Truman
9	Atomic Bomb dropped on Nagasaki
10	Integration of U.S. Armed Forces
11	End of World War II
12	Korean War
13	Beginning of Red Scare

GROUP #2 BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E CHÁVEZ - EDUCATION OF AN ORGANIZER 1952-1962
EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

While living with his wife and children in the East San Jose barrio known as "Sal Si Puedes, César E. Chávez was recruited to register voters by a community organizer named Fred Ross, Sr.  Together they helped establish a chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO) in the predominantly Latino community.  The purpose of the CSO was to empower people in the neighborhood to improve the quality of their lives, fight discrimination, and protect their civil rights.  The core programs of the CSO were voter registration, citizenship education, and service centers.  Between 1952 and 1962, César learned the art of community organizing, and he rose from being a volunteer to being the Executive Director of the Community Service Organization.  He was recognized as an innovative organizer, a leader within the Latino community, and a man dedicated to achieving social change through nonviolent civic action.  He organized several CSO chapters from San Jose to Oxnard, registered tens of thousands of voters, led get-out-the-vote drives, and increased the political influence of Latino citizens in California.  After ten years with the CSO, César E. Chávez resigned as Executive Director and moved his family to Delano, California, where he began organizing the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).

For this Biography Board, your assignment is to present the period of César E. Chávez’s life between 1952 and 1962.  You must describe the people and events that influenced him, as well as his growth and accomplishments as a community organizer.  The following are a list of questions you should address in your presentation:

1	How was César E. Chávez recruited as a CSO volunteer?
2	Who influenced his values and beliefs?
3	What characteristics/personal traits did he demonstrate as an organizer?
4	Where did he organize CSO chapters?
5	What programs did the CSO establish, and what was their purpose?
6	What were "house meetings," and how did they work?
7	How did the Red Scare of the McCarthy Era affect Chávez, and how did he handle it?
8	What was Chávez's experience in Oxnard, California 1958, and why was it important?
9	What were César E. Chávez's accomplishments as a community organizer?
10	Who did the CSO support in the 1960 Presidential election, and how did they influence the outcome of that election?
11	Why did César E. Chávez resign as Executive Director of the CSO?

On your time line, enter the key events between 1952-1962 pertaining to César E. Chávez as a leader of the CSO.  Include the following historical events:

1	Dwight Eisenhower elected President
2	End of Korean War
3	Brown vs. Board of Education Decision
4	U.S. began involvement in Vietnam
5	Army-McCarthy Hearings
6	Montgomery Bus Boycott
7	Federal troops sent to Little Rock, Arkansas
8	Sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina
9	Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee founded
10	John F. Kennedy elected President
11	Bay of Pigs invasion

GROUP #3 BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E CHÁVEZ - LABOR ORGANIZER AND UNION LEADER 1962-1976
THE BIRTH AND STRUGGLES OF THE UNITED FARM WORKERS

César E. Chávez quit has job as Executive Director of the Community Service Organization in the fall of 1962 and moved with his wife and family to Delano, California.  He began organizing the National Farm Workers Association by talking with farm workers and holding house meetings.  Chávez was attempting to do something no one else had successfully done.  When he began, there were no laws protecting the rights of farm workers.  Their wages were low, their hours long, and their working conditions among the worst of any workers in America.  Although several attempts had been made to improve the working and living conditions of the farm workers, all but César’s had failed. 

In 1965 the NFWA joined the famous grape strike begun by the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), a Filipino farm worker organization, and merged with them to form what would later be known as the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).  Through the use of strikes, boycotts marches, and political action, the UFW began winning favorable contracts for its members.  In 1975, Governor Jerry Brown signed the Agricultural Labor Relations Act into law, recognizing farm workers’ right to organize unions and enter into collective bargaining agreements.  Growers joined with the Teamsters Union to stop the UFW from organizing their workers.  Many law enforcement officers sided with the growers.  César E. Chávez and the UFW struggled to secure the rights and dignity of farm workers.  Under his leadership, the union made significant progress; however, the growers and their allies continued to oppose the unionization of agriculture workers.

For this Biography Board, your assignment is to present the period of César E. Chávez s life between 1962 and 1976.  You must describe the founding of the National Farm Workers Association, later the UFW.  You must discuss the various groups that supported César and the UFW.  You must also explain the challenges César and others faced in organizing farm workers and the role of their opponents.  Explain the tactics he used to gain dignity and respect for farm workers and the major achievements of the UFW prior to the 1980s.

On your time line, enter the key events between 1962-1993 pertaining to César E. Chávez and the United Farm Workers.  Include the following historical events

1	Cuban Missile Crisis 
2	Civil Rights March on Washington
3	Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
4	Lyndon B. Johnson elected President
5	Passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
6	Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery
7	Enactment of Voting Rights Act of 1965
8	Founding of National Organization for Women
9	Assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
10	Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
11	Election of President Richard M. Nixon
12	Nixon Re-elected President
13	Watergate Scandal
14	End of Vietnam War

GROUP #4 BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ - ADVOCATE OF NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE 1965-1993
THE METHODS AND TACTICS USED TO GAIN HUMAN DIGNITY

When César E. Chávez began organizing the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, his goal was to help farm workers gain dignity and respect.  In 1965, he was asked to support a grape strike begun by the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, a Filipino farm worker organization, led by Larry Itliong.  That strike gave rise to the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) under César’s leadership.  For the next 28 years, Chávez used strikes and boycotts to put economic and political pressure on growers to force them to recognize the union and negotiate fair contracts with their farm workers.  He realized that public support outside the farm worker community was necessary to achieve victory.  Media coverage of marches and fasts focused public attention on the plight of farm workers and social and economic injustices.  Many of these nonviolent social action tactics had been employed by Mahatma Gandhi in India and by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement.  To change the laws, the UFW engaged in political action, from registering Latino voters, to endorsing political candidates, to educating communities on local issues, to supporting farm worker legislation.  The UFW also used religious and cultural symbols, as well as symbols of the Mexican Revolution, to gain support among farm workers.  Finally, big name celebrities attracted media attention and often helped in fund raising events.  César E. Chávez learned a lot from the nonviolent teachings of both Gandhi and King; however, his strong commitment to nonviolence was deeply rooted in his religious faith and the influence of his mother during his childhood.

For this Biography Board, your assignment is to present the methods and tactics used by César E. Chávez and the UFW between 1965-1993.  You must describe the use of strikes and boycotts as economic pressure to gain rights for farm workers.  Discuss the reasons for the various marches and how successful they were.  Explain why César E. Chávez fasted for long periods and how his fast represented his dedication, commitment, and willingness to make personal sacrifice for the principles in which he believe.  Describe how the use of symbols and the appearance of celebrities helped gain support for the United Farm Workers.  As you present these methods and tactics used by Chávez, indicate their origins and evaluate the ethics of using them.

On your time line, enter the key events between 1965-1993 pertaining to Chávez and the United Farm Workers.  Include the following historical events:

1	Civil Rights Act of 1964
2	Voting Rights Act of 1965
3	Founding of National Organization for Women
4	Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
5	Assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy
6	Election of President Richard M. Nixon
7	Watergate Scandal
8	End of Vietnam War
9	Election of President Ronald Reagan
10	Collapse of the Soviet Union
11	Gulf War
12	Election of President William J. Clinton
13	The death of César E. Chávez

GROUP #5 BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ - BUILDING A MOVEMENT 1927-1993
THE MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND THE MAN

Many people influenced César E. Chávez throughout his life, and many supported him in his quest for truth, justice and human dignity.  He learned the importance of service, compassion, and nonviolence from his mother, and the importance of cultural pride and solidarity from his father.  His grandmother provided religious training for the Chávez children.  Father McDonnell, César's parish priest in San Jose, preached liberation theology and introduced him to the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi and Mahatma Gandhi, thus strengthening his belief in service for others and nonviolence.

A social activist named Fred Ross, Sr. trained Chávez as a community organizer becoming his mentor and life-long friend.  It was from Ross that Chávez learned his leadership skills and the use of political power to bring about social change.

Without the love, support and sacrifice of his wife, Helen Fabela Chávez, César could have never achieved what he did.  Dolores Huerta, Gilbert Padilla, his cousin Manuel and brother Richard Chávez, helped him establish the National Farm Workers Association.  Reverends Jim Drake and Chris Hartmire of the California Migrant Ministry provided early support for the UFW, as did Esther Uranday, Marshall Ganz, and Luis Valdez.  Jerry Cohen served as the UFW’s General Council while Marc Grossman served as their Communications Director.
 
Celebrities such as Senator Robert F. Kennedy, singer Joan Baez, actors Martin Sheen and Edward James Olmos, comedian Paul Rodriquez, as well as Ethel Kennedy and Coretta Scott King gave their support to César E. Chávez and the UFW.  Without the help of these people, thousands of UFW supports, and of course without the support of thousands of farm workers, Chávez was able to accomplish the impossible.  No man is an island.  Chávez’s strength came from the community around him.  His nonviolent struggle to achieve social justice did not end with his death but continues to burn bright in the hearts and minds of those who shared his commitment to making the world a better place for all people.  

The UFW, under the leadership of Arturo S. Rodriguez continues to fight for social and economic justice for farm workers and Latinos.  Through education and union organizing, the UFW continues to improve living and working conditions for farm workers and other workers.  In 1993, shortly after his passing, César’s family and friends established the César E. Chávez Foundation to educate people about César’s philosophies of nonviolent social activism; his unconditional acceptance of all people; and his profound respect for life and the environment and to engage all, particularly youth, to carry on César’s timeless vision for a better world.

For this Biography Board, your assignment is to introduce those people who influenced the ideas and values of César E. Chávez, and those who supported him in his quest for justice and dignity for farm workers.  Show how his family provided his foundation, his priest and mentor the knowledge and skills, and his colleagues within the UFW, the support necessary to achieve what no one else had.  Explain the importance of key individuals and the role they played in helping César E. Chávez become the leader of "La Causa'.

On your time line, enter the key events in which the men and women behind César contributed to his success.  Also include on your time line the following historical events:

1	Stock Market Crash
2	Dust bowl
3	World War II
4	Harry S. Truman elected President
5	Korean War
6	Brown vs. Board of Education Decision
7	Montgomery Bus Boycott
8	President John F. Kennedy Assassinated
9	Passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964
10	Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
11	Watergate Scandal
12	End of Vietnam War
13	Election of President Ronald Reagan
14	Gulf War
15	Death of César E. Chávez

GROUP #6 BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E CHÁVEZ - A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS 1952-1993 
SUCCESSES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN

In 1952, at age twenty-five, César E. Chávez was recruited by Fred Ross, Sr., a community activist, to be a volunteer for a voter-registration drive.  Chávez helped Ross establish a chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO) in the East San Jose barrio known as "Sal Si Puedes".  During the next ten years, he registered thousands of new voters, conducted get-out-the-vote drives, established service centers, and set-up citizenship classes in Latino communities.  César started several new chapters of the CSO and empowered people to solve their own problems through civic action.  Chávez rose from a volunteer to become the Executive Director of the national CSO.  In 1962, he founded the National Farm Workers Association seeking dignity and justice for those who toiled in the agricultural fields.  The NFWA later known as the United Farm Workers (UFW), under the leadership of Chávez, began the struggle for union recognition and collective bargaining for farm workers.  Through the UFW’s efforts, the short-handled hoe was outlawed, and the California Labor Relations Act was passed.  That law recognized farm workers’ rights to organize a union and to negotiate contracts in order to gain fair pay, just treatment, and improved conditions.  The UFW provided workers' service centers, health clinics, housing programs, and a credit union.  César E. Chávez became a leader within the Latino civil rights movement and a spokesman for nonviolent social change.  He fought for legislation to protect workers and consumers from dangerous herbicides and pesticides.  Chávez saw the UFW as more than a union.  To him, it was a movement, "la causa," to bring dignity and respect to the farm workers and to all workers.  To be successful, he realized it would take the efforts of people from all races, all religions, and all social classes.  In the UFW, Chávez brought people together to form the first “rainbow coalition".  Although his successes were limited, his achievements were great.  He accomplished many things between 1952-1993, and his legacy is still with us.

For this Biography Board, your assignment is to present and evaluate the achievements of César E. Chávez between 1952-1993.  Discuss his role as a Latino civil rights leader, his efforts in community service, the contribution he made to the renaissance in Latino culture, his successes in bringing about nonviolent social change benefiting farm workers; his fight for human dignity through the unification of people from various backgrounds, and his struggle to protect farm workers and consumers from dangerous chemicals.

On your time line, enter the key events that mark the achievements of César E. Chávez between 1952-1993.  Include the following historical events

1	Dwight D. Eisenhower elected President
2	End of the Korean War
3	Brown vs. Board of Education Decision
4	Montgomery Bus Boycott
5	Civil Rights March on Washington
6	Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
7	Civil Rights Act of 1964
8	Voting Rights Act of 1965
9	Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
10	Watergate Scandal
11	End of Vietnam War
12	Election of Ronald Reagan as President
13	Collapse of the Soviet Union
14	Death of César E. Chávez

VOCABULARY ACTIVITY

INSTRUCTIONS: Match the words on the vocabulary list with the following definitions

______________________	1.	The act of donating your time and work for the movement.

______________________  	2.	Helping people fill out forms required for voting.

______________________	3.	The distinctive dress of some male Latinos during the 1940s.
					Men wore jackets with broad shoulders and wide lapels, and 
					baggie pants.

______________________	4.	A person who provides farm workers for growers, extracting a
					fee for the service.

______________________	5.	A law passed in 1975 that gave farm workers the right to form
					unions.

______________________ 	6.	A group that organized people in poor or under-represented 
					communities so they could solve their own problems through
					political action.

______________________	7.	A prolonged period without rain that results in severe damage
					to crops.  The cause of the Dust Bowl.

______________________	8.	A tool requiring farm workers to bend over in a position that can 
					permanently injure their backs.

______________________	9.	A court order that legally requires someone to end their
					activities or stop what they are doing.

______________________	10.	A tactic used by unions to gain concessions from employers by
					withholding services.  To refuse to work.

______________________	11.	Someone who moves from job to job, following the crops.  
					People without permanent homes or jobs.

______________________	12. 	Allows workers to determine if they will be represented by a 
					union, and which union will represent them. 

______________________	13.	A movement for social change, whose goal is to gain respect,
					dignity, and justice for farm workers.

________________________	14.   	The largely Latino section of San Jose, California during the
					1950s and 1960s.  Literally means “get out if you can”.

________________________	15	An action of sacrifice and purification, used to demonstrate commitment and focus attention on a cause.

________________________	16	Teaching people how to use political or economic power to 
					solve their own problems.

________________________ 	17.	Labor and management sitting down together and negotiating a
					contract.

_______________________ 	18. 	Members of a Latino neighborhood gang identified by their
					unique clothing and hairstyle. 

_______________________	  19.	A tactic used by unions to force employers to negotiate 
					contracts.  The UFW encouraged consumers not to buy certain 
					products in order to put economic pressure on growers.

_______________________	  20.	Organizing people to protest discrimination, and forcing 
					elected officials to pay heed to their demands through political 
					activities. 

Essential Vocabulary

1	Drought
2	Migrant
3	Pachuco
4	"Zoot Suit"
5	"Sal Si Puedes"
6	Empowerment
7	Civic Action
8	Voter-Registration Drive
9	Strike
10	Volunteerism
11	Boycott
12	Fast
13	Labor Contractor
14	Collective Bargaining
15	Representational Election
16	Short-Handled Hoe
17	Agricultural Labor Relations Act
18	Injunctions
19	Community Service Organization
20	"La Causa"

BIOGRAPHY BOARD ASSIGNMENT SHEET

CÉSAR E CHÁVEZ A COMMON MAN WITH AN UNCOMMON VISION
1927-1993

The class will be broken into six groups; each group will be assigned one aspect of César E. Chávez’s life.

Based on your research in the computer lab/library, each group will design a Biography Board representing the period of César E. Chávez's life you have been assigned.

EACH BIOGRAPHY BOARD MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING:
1	TITLE - in bold print and in color
2	INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT- a summary of the historical role César E. Chávez played during this phase of his life
3	MAP - indicating the areas where key events occurred.  There must be a caption explaining what is represented on the map.
4	PICTURES - representing key events in the life of César E. Chávez and the people who worked with him.  Each picture must have a caption explaining what is represented visually.
5	QUOTES - the quotations must represent the ideas of César E. Chávez, or how others viewed him.  They must be accompanied by an analysis of the quote or an explanation of the significance of the quote.
6	PAPERS - each member of the group must write a one-page paper about a different aspect of your topic.  These papers are to be mounted on the Biography Board.
7	TIME LINE - representing the key events in that period of César E. Chávez's life covered in your Biography Board.  An explanation/description of each event should be presented on a 3x5 card mounted above or below the time line.  You must also include the key historical events listed on your assignment sheet.  (These do not require an explanation or description.)

EACH INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE GROUP MUST CONTRIBUTE THE FOLLOWING:
1	At least 2 pictures with captions
2	At least 2 quotations with captions
3	At least 3 entries (3x5 cards) on the time line
4	A one-page paper
5	The group will work together on the title and introductory statement.

NOTE:  All of the above must be mounted on colored construction paper, with each member of the group using a different color.  You must indicate on your Biography Board the names of the members of your group and the color of paper used in mounting each member's contributions.

CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ

BIOGRAPHY BOARD GROUP ASSESSMENT

GROUP # _______________

NAMES OF STUDENTS IN GROUP:

1._____________________________________ 	2. ____________________________________

3. ____________________________________		4. ____________________________________

	Possible
 Points	Earned
 Points	
1. Title: Spelling and neatness	         5		
2. Introductory Statement 
	Quality of writing and thoroughness of content	        10
		
3. Map  Representative of topic	         5		
	Content of caption and explanation of historical significance	         5		
4. Pictures:  Representative of topic	       10		
	Content of captions and accuracy of information	       10		
5. Quotes: Appropriate for topic	       10		
	Content of captions and accuracy of analysis	       10		
6. Time line: Neatness and
	Presentation accurately shows passage of time	       10		
	Entry captions contain appropriate and accurate information	       15		
	Accuracy of dates for historical events	       10		
7. Papers: Thoroughly cover topic	       10		
	Quality and accuracy of content	       10		
8 Overall Presentation: Well organized, neatly constructed	       10		
	Interesting and informative	       10		
                                                                    TOTAL	     130		
5. ____________________________________		6. ____________________________________

GRADE _________

EXTRA CREDIT: Going beyond minimal assignment
20 points possible

CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
BIOGRAPHY BOARD INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT

GROUP #  ______________

NAME OF STUDENT: _______________________________________________________________

COLOR OF MOUNTING: ___________________________________________________________

	Possible
Points	Earned
Points	
1. Participation: Contribution to group	10		
2. Time on Task: Use of research time	10		
3. Class Discussion: Ideas and involvement	10		
4. Pictures: Representative of topic	5		
	Quality of captions and accuracy of information	10		
5. Quotes: Appropriate for topic	5		
	Quality of captions and accuracy of information	10		
6. Time line: Entry captions contain appropriate and accurate information	15		
	Accuracy of dates for historical events	5		
7. Visual Presentation: Organization and neatness of entries	10		
8. Oral Presentation: Summary of paper, pictures, and quotations	10		
TOTAL POINTS	100		

Extra Credit: Going beyond minimal assignment                    GRADE _______
20 points possible