Middle Level Grades 7 & 8 Sample Informative Stimulus-Based Prompt Cesar Chavez Passage One: Excerpt from About Cesar A true American hero, Cesar Chavez was a civil rights, Latino, farm worker, and labor leader; a religious and spiritual figure; a community servant and social entrepreneur; a crusader for nonviolent social change; and an environmentalist and consumer advocate. A first-generation American, Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, near his family's farm in Yuma, Arizona. At age 10, his family became migrant farm workers after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Throughout his youth and into his adulthood, Cesar migrated across the southwest laboring in the fields and vineyards, where he was exposed to the hardships and injustices of farm worker life. The physical labor of working on farms was difficult, and farm workers were often exploited by their employers. They were paid very low wages, forced to work in difficult and uncomfortable conditions, and received little rest. They were even made to work in the fields while planes sprayed dangerous pesticides on the crops. There were no laws to protect their rights or safety. When workers joined together to complain or stopped work to protest their conditions, the response from their employers was often violent. Cesar's dream was to create an organization to protect and serve farm workers. In 1962, Cesar founded an organization that became known as the United Farm Workers of America. The UFWA was the first successful farm workers union in American history, achieving dignity, respect, fair wages, medical coverage, pension benefits, and humane living conditions, as well as countless other rights and protections for hundreds of thousands of farm workers. Cesar led successful strikes and boycotts that resulted in the first laws in American farming to protect farm workers. Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 1 of 7
Chavez was a unique and humble leader. He forged a diverse and extraordinary national coalition of students, middle class consumers, trade unionists, religious groups, and minorities. Cesar refused to use violence to make his points. Instead, his organization employed peaceful tactics such as boycotts and strikes. In 1968, he went without food for 25 days to affirm his personal commitment and that of the farm labor movement to non-violence. He later fasted again to highlight the harmful impact of pesticides on farm workers and their children. His motto in life si se puede" (which means it can be done in Spanish) embodies the uncommon and invaluable legacy he left for the world's benefit. In 1994 he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest non-military honor in America. 2012 Chavez Foundation Source: http://chavezfoundation.org/_page.php?code=001001000000000&page_ttl=about+cesar&kind=1 Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 2 of 7
Short Constructed-Response Respond to the following in the Short Constructed-Response section on page 3 of your writing booklet. Please use about 5-7 sentences. Read these sentences from the passage: A first-generation American, Chavez was born on March 31, 1927, near his family's farm in Yuma, Arizona. At age 10, his family became migrant farm workers after losing their farm in the Great Depression. Explain the role of these sentences within the passage. How do they help readers to understand the passage s meaning as a whole? Support your response with other information you find in the passage. Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 3 of 7
Passage Two: Excerpts from We Shall Overcome Cesar Chavez made the following speech in September 1965 as his organization began plans to help grape pickers in California go on strike for better wages and working conditions. In a 400 square mile area halfway between Selma and Weedpatch, California, a general strike of farm workers has been going on for six weeks. The Filipinos, under AWOC AFL-CIO began the strike for a $1.40 per hour guarantee and a union contract. They were joined by the independent Farm Workers Association which as a membership of several thousand Mexican-Americans. Filipino, Mexican-American and Puerto Rican workers have been manning picket lines daily for 41 days in a totally non-violent manner. Ranchers in the area, which include DiGiorgio Fruit, Schenley, and many independent growers, did not take the strike seriously at first. By the second or third week, however, they began taking another look-- and striking back. Mechanized agriculture began picketing the pickets -- spraying them with sulfur, [and] running tractors by them to create dust storms. The growers hired security guards for $43 a day. They began driving their Thunderbirds, equipped with policy dogs and rifles, up and down the roads. The people made more picket signs, drew in their belts, and kept marching. As our strike has grown, workers have matured and now know why and how to fight for their rights. As the strike has grown into a movement for justice by the lowest paid workers in America, friends of farm workers have begun to rally in support of LA CAUSA (the cause). Civil rights, church, student and union groups help with food and money. Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 4 of 7
We believe that this is the beginning of a significant drive to achieve equal rights for agricultural workers. In order to enlist your full support and to explain our work to you, I would like to bring some of our pickets and meet with you. VIVA LA CAUSA Y VIVA LA HUELGA (Long live the cause and long live the strike) Cesar Estrada Chavez General Director, National Farm Workers Association September 16, 1965 By Cesar Chavez Chavez Foundation Source: https://www.chavezfoundation.org/_cms.php?mode=view&b_code=001008000000000&b_no=13&page=1&field=&key=&n=5 Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 5 of 7
Multiple-Choice The following Multiple-Choice item has two parts. First answer Part A, then answer Part B. Respond to this item in the Multiple-Choice section on page 2 of your writing booklet. Part A A major point that Chavez makes in his speech is that A. like the striking workers, he himself has experience on farms B. the workers employers are reacting violently to the strike C. the strike will soon be over, because the workers are unlikely to win D. few people outside farming know about the workers cause Part B Which sentence from the first passage most strongly supports your answer to Part A? A. Throughout his youth and into his adulthood, Cesar migrated across the southwest laboring in the fields and vineyards, where he was exposed to the hardships and injustices of farm worker life. B. When workers joined together to complain or stopped work to protest their conditions, the response from their employers was often violent. C. He forged a diverse and extraordinary national coalition of students, middle class consumers, trade unionists, religious groups, and minorities. D. Cesar refused to use violence to make his points. Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 6 of 7
Extended Constructed-Response You will now develop an essay based on the passage(s) you have read. Respond to the following in the Extended Constructed-Response section on page 4 of your writing booklet. Using evidence from the passage, write an essay in which you explain how Chavez s speech illustrates his ideas about farm workers rights as described in the first passage. In your essay, be sure to: Provide a main idea in your opening paragraph. Use details from both passages to support your ideas. Clearly explain what his ideas were and how his speech illustrates them. Use words, phrases, and clauses to show how your ideas relate to one another. Spell and use grammar correctly. Provide a concluding statement that follows from your explanation. Copyright 2014 Educational Records Bureau Page 7 of 7