La Causa Teacher Guide La Causa Teacher Guide
9th Grade ELL • Cesar Chavez Day • 30 Minute Lesson
30 Minutes
TELPAS Focus
Learning Objectives
Listening: Identify key details in a teacher-led presentation about labor rights.Speaking: Discuss the impact of non-violent protest using academic vocabulary.Reading: Analyze a short biographical text with visual scaffolding.Writing: Create a persuasive slogan and justify its meaning in a short paragraph.
Key Vocabulary
Labor (n.)
Boycott (v./n.)
Activist (n.)
Migrant (adj.)
Non-violence (n.)
Justice (n.)
Lesson Pacing
0-7m
Listening & Speaking: The Leader's Voice
Use the Justice Journey Slides . Present the biography of Chavez. Ask students to "Turn and Talk" when they see the discussion icons.
"Cesar Chavez didn't use weapons. He used his voice. Why is a voice stronger than a fist?"
7-15m
Reading: The Delano Grape Strike
Distribute the Legacy Letters Worksheet . Guide students through the "Read and React" section. Focus on identifying the Who, What, Why of the strike.
15-27m
Writing & Craft: Picket for Change
Students use the bottom of the worksheet to design a "Picket Sign." They must choose a cause (e.g., better school lunches, more breaks, fair pay) and write a slogan using the sentence stems provided.
TELPAS Writing Tip: Encourage students to use transitional words like "Because" and "Therefore."
27-30m
Exit Ticket: Sí Se Puede
Students hold up their signs. Choose 2 students to share their slogan aloud using the frame: "I chose this slogan because..."
TELPAS Scaffolding Strategies
Beginner
Provide single words for slogans (e.g., "Fairness", "Help"). Use images to represent vocabulary words.
Intermediate
Use sentence stems: "We want ___ because ___." Provide a word bank with verbs like "protect," "help," and "change."
Advanced
Require students to use at least two academic vocabulary words in their paragraph justification.
Justice Journey Slides HONORING A HERO
CESAR CHAVEZ
"Sí Se Puede! (Yes We Can!)"
Who was Cesar?
1
He was a Mexican-American labor leader born in Arizona in 1927.
2
His family were migrant workers . They moved often to find farm work.
3
He fought for fair pay and safe conditions for workers.
👨🏽🌾
Words of the Movement
LABOR
Work, especially hard physical work.
"The labor on the farm was very difficult."
BOYCOTT
Refusing to buy something as a protest.
"They started a boycott of grapes."
ACTIVIST
A person who works to bring social change.
"Cesar was a famous civil rights activist."
NON-VIOLENCE
Using peaceful methods to make change.
"He believed in the power of non-violence."
Turn and Talk
Cesar Chavez said, "The fight is never about grapes... it is about people."
What did he mean by this?
I think he meant... In my opinion...
The Power of the Sign
Writing Activity
During the strikes, workers carried signs (picket signs) to tell the world what they wanted.
A good slogan is:
Short and catchy
Easy to read
Powerful
VIVA LA HUELGA!
"Long Live the Strike!"
Legacy Letters Worksheet Legacy Letters Worksheet
TELPAS Reading & Writing
Name: _________________________________
Date: __________________________________
Reading: The Grape Boycott
In 1965, Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta started a strike. They wanted better pay and safe water for farm workers. They asked people all over the United States to stop buying grapes. This is called a boycott .
For five years, they marched and protested peacefully . Finally, the farm owners agreed to sign a contract. This victory proved that workers could make change through unity and non-violence .
Word Bank
Strike: Stopping work to protest.Victory: Winning a fight or goal.Unity: Working as one team.Peacefully: Without fighting or violence.
Check Your Understanding:
1. What did the workers want?
More grapes Better pay A vacation
2. How long did the boycott last?
5 months 1 year 5 years
Your Turn: Make a Change
Design your picket sign. Write a short slogan for a cause you care about.
Explain your sign in 2-3 sentences. Use the sentence frames below to help you.
I chose this slogan because __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
This message is important for my community because ______________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Grammar Bonus
Use words like fairness , protect , or believe .
Legacy Letters Answer Key Answer Key
Legacy Letters Worksheet • Teacher Reference
Teacher Resource
Part 1: Reading Comprehension
1. What did the workers want?
More grapes Better pay A vacation
2. How long did the boycott last?
5 months 1 year 5 years
Part 2: Slogan & Justification Examples
Example 1 (Beginner/Intermediate)
Slogan: Better Food for Students
"I chose this slogan because students need healthy food to learn. This message is important for my community because everyone deserves to eat well. "
Example 2 (Advanced/Proficient)
Slogan: Justice for Every Worker
"I chose this slogan because fairness is a human right. This message is important for my community because when we protect workers, we protect families. "
TELPAS Writing Rubric (Mini)
Score Criteria Proficient Detailed sentences, variety of grammar, clear connection to the theme. Developing Simple sentences with minor errors, uses provided frames correctly. Beginning Short phrases or single words, relies heavily on frames or L1.
Labor Leader Cognates Sheet Vocabulario de la Causa
Cesar Chavez Cognate Bridge • English & Spanish
What are Cognates? Cognates are words that look and sound similar in two languages because they share the same root. Use your knowledge of Spanish to master these English words!
English
Español
Activist
Activista
Justice
Justicia
Non-violence
No violencia
Protest
Protesta
Contract
Contrato
Union
Unión
Leader
Líder
Cause
Causa
Quick Practice
Translate this sentence using the words above:
"El activista lucha por la justicia."
The ___________ fights for ____________.
Sí Se Puede! You already know more English than you think!
Justice Match Cards Justice Match Cards
Cut out the cards and match the term to its definition!
Cesar Chavez
A labor leader and activist who fought for the rights of farm workers.
Boycott
Refusing to buy a product (like grapes) to protest unfair treatment.
Non-Violence
Using peaceful methods, like marches or fasting, to make social change.
Huelga
The Spanish word for "Strike"—when workers stop working to demand better conditions.
Union
An organized group of workers that fights for fair pay and safety.
Sí Se Puede
A famous slogan that means "Yes, it can be done" or "Yes, we can!"
Instructional Tip
For 9th-grade ELLs, have students work in pairs. Ask them to read the term and definition aloud to their partner to practice their speaking and listening skills.
Lesson Objectives Display Lesson Goals
La Causa
Objectives
1
Understand the Impact
Identify how Cesar Chavez used non-violent protest and boycotts to win fair rights and safety for farm workers.
2
Master Academic Language
Build English confidence by connecting key terms like justice and union to their Spanish cognates.
3
Voice Your Message
Express personal ideas for social change through a creative picket sign slogan and a persuasive written justification.
"Sí Se Puede!"
