Famous People

Cesar Chavez

Pre-Reading Warm Up Questions ☀

Cesar Chavez 1. Have you ever heard of Cesar Chavez? If so, what do you
know about him?

Cesar Chavez helped American migrant farm workers fight for a 2. What is a labor union? Have you ever belonged to a union?
better life.
3. Have you heard of the United Farm Workers (UFW)
Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927. His union? Why do you think it was formed?
grandparents had started ranching in Arizona in the 1880s. His 4. Why do workers sometimes go “on strike”? Has there been
father worked on the family ranch and owned a nearby store.
a strike in your city recently?
In the 1930s, his father’s business failed, and the family lost their 5. What does the word “boycott” mean? Can you give an
ranch when the land became too dry to raise cattle. In 1938, the
example?
family moved to California to work as fruit and vegetable pickers.
They went from farm to farm, living in migrant camps and making
very little money. The children went to many different schools.

Chavez quit school to pick grapes, but in 1944, he joined the navy
and served two years in World War II. When he returned home, he
began working in the fields again. Pickers’ wages and working
conditions had still not gotten any better, and he decided this had to
change.

In 1948, he joined some workers protesting poor wages and working

conditions. Their protest failed, but he did not give up. From 1952 to
1962, he traveled and spoke all over California, urging Mexican-
Americans to register to vote and migrant workers to demand their
rights.

In 1962, Chavez formed what became the United Farm Workers

(UFW) union. In 1965, he led California grape pickers in a strike for
higher wages. He asked Americans to support them by refusing to
buy table grapes. In 1968, to get more attention for the strike, he
fasted for a time. The 5-year-long strike taught the public about the
plight of migrant farm workers. Senator Robert Kennedy supported COMPREHENSION ✍
Chavez and the UFW. A. True or False. Read the statements below. If the
statement is true, write T beside the sentence. If it is false,
In the 1970s, Chavez led several strikes and boycotts that forced write F. If it is false, correct the information.
grape and lettuce growers to give workers higher wages. In the
1980s, he fasted again, to bring attention to the use of toxic 1. Cesar Chavez’ father sold his ranch for a lot of money.
pesticides on grapes. Over the years, he convinced many Americans
2. The Chavez family moved a lot.
to support the migrant workers’ fight for a better life.
3. Cesar Chavez joined the navy when he was a teenager.
Chavez died on April 23, 1993.
4. The lives of migrant farm workers improved when Chavez
was in the war.
5. Cesar Chavez helped improve the life of migrant farm
workers.

1
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 Famous People
Cesar Chavez

B. Practice asking and answering the following questions with your partner. Then write the answers in complete sentences.

1. Why is Cesar Chavez famous?

2. When and where was Cesar Chavez born?
3. What did Cesar’s father do before he became a migrant farm worker?
4. Why did the Chavez family lose their ranch?
5. What did Cesar Chavez do when he returned home from the war?
6. What were some of the methods Chavez used to help bring attention to the problems of migrant farm workers? (Give at least three.)
7. What else did Chavez do to help Mexican-Americans?
8. What did Chavez try to bring attention to in the 1980s? DISCUSS

VOCABULARY REVIEW ✍ 1. Are there many strikes in your country?

A. Match the words on the left with the correct meaning on the right. Describe some that were successful.

_____ 1. migrant a) money made from working 2. Does your country produce a lot of fruits and
_____ 2. ranch b) something put on plants to kill insects vegetables? Do you think that the life of a fruit and
_____ 3. cattle c) help; agree with vegetable picker is easy or difficult? Explain your
_____ 4. navy d) person who moves from place to place answer.
_____ 5. field e) stop working in order to get better conditions
3. Do many people come to your country from
_____ 6. wages f) part of the army that fights at sea
other countries to do difficult, physical work? If so,
_____ 7. protest g) cows
explain the kind of work they do. Are their lives
_____ 8. urge h) say no to something; decline to do something difficult?
_____ 9. strike i) area of land
_____ 10. support j) expression of disagreement; objection 4. Do you think boycotts are usually successful in
bringing about social change? Have you heard of
_____ 11. refuse k) push; try to persuade
Dr. Martin Luther King and the famous bus
_____ 12. pesticide l) large farm, especially for cattle
boycott in Montgomery, Alabama? If not, look it
up in the library or on the Internet. What effect did
B. Choose the word(s) with the closest meaning to the underlined words this boycott have on American society? Discuss
in the following sentences.
some other successful boycotts.

1. In 1968, to get more attention for the strike, Chavez fasted for a time.
a) did things quickly b) stopped eating c) fought
2. The 5-year strike taught the public about the plight of migrant farm workers.
a) difficult condition b) job c) life
3. Chavez led several boycotts that forced growers to give workers higher wages.
a) refusal to do business with or buy from b) fights c) marches
4. He also fasted to bring attention to the use of toxic pesticides on grapes.
a) expensive b) fruit c) poisonous, dangerous to health
5. Chavez convinced many Americans to support the migrant workers’ fight for a better life.
a) spoke to them about b) made them believe c) fought with them

2
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 Famous People
Cesar Chavez

ANSWER KEY

Please note:
The reading for this topic is also available in full-page format at the end of the lesson (page 4).

PRE-READING QUESTIONS
1-5. Individual answers (and...)
2. A labor union is a group of workers who act collectively to address common issues.
4. Workers generally go on strike to protest unfair working conditions or wages.
5. A boycott is an organized refusal to purchase or do business with someone with the objective of drawing attention to an
issue or grievance.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
A. True or False
1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5.T

B. Written Answers
1. Cesar Chavez is famous for helping American migrant farm workers fight for a better way of life.
2. Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927.
3. Cesar’s father worked on the family ranch and owned a local store.
4. The Chavez family lost their ranch when the land became too dry to raise cattle.
5. Upon his return from war, Chavez returned to working in farmers’ fields.
6. Chavez helped bring attention to the problems of migrant farm workers by joining protests, traveling and
speaking all over California, and forming what became the UFW (United Farm Workers) union.
7. Chavez helped Mexican-Americans by urging them to vote and have a voice.
8. Chavez tried to bring attention to the use of toxic pesticides on grapes.

VOCABULARY REVIEW
A. Matching
1. d 2. l 3. g 4. f 5. i 6. a 7. j 8. k
9. e 10. c 11. h 12. b

B. Choose the word

1. b 2. a 3. a 4. c 5. b

3
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 Famous People
Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez helped American migrant farm workers fight for a better life.

Chavez was born near Yuma, Arizona, on March 31, 1927. His grandparents had started ranching in
Arizona in the 1880s. His father worked on the family ranch and owned a nearby store.

In the 1930s, his father’s business failed, and the family lost their ranch when the land became too dry to
raise cattle. In 1938, the family moved to California to work as fruit and vegetable pickers. They went
from farm to farm, living in migrant camps and making very little money. The children went to many
different schools.

Chavez quit school to pick grapes, but in 1944, he joined the navy and served two years in World War II.
When he returned home, he began working in the fields again. Pickers’ wages and working conditions had
still not gotten any better, and he decided this had to change.

In 1948, he joined some workers protesting poor wages and working conditions. Their protest failed, but
he did not give up. From 1952 to 1962, he traveled and spoke all over California, urging Mexican-
Americans to register to vote and migrant workers to demand their rights.

In 1962, Chavez formed what became the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. In 1965, he led California
grape pickers in a strike for higher wages. He asked Americans to support them by refusing to buy table
grapes. In 1968, to get more attention for the strike, he fasted for a time. The 5-year-long strike taught the
public about the plight of migrant farm workers. Senator Robert Kennedy supported Chavez and the
UFW.

In the 1970s, Chavez led several strikes and boycotts that forced grape and lettuce growers to give
workers higher wages. In the 1980s, he fasted again, to bring attention to the use of toxic pesticides on
grapes. Over the years, he convinced many Americans to support the migrant workers’ fight for a better
life.

Chavez died on April 23, 1993.

4
Copyright 2009. This eBook is produced and distributed by Red River Press Inc. All rights reserved. The contents within this e-book/document may only be
photocopied by members of ESL-Llibrary.com in accordance with membership terms and conditions. Contact info@esl-library.com for complete details.