Discuss the migrant farm workers' issues Cesar Chavez took on and further the discussion with the immigration reform debate going on today. Cesar Chavez worked as a migrant farm worker which was why he understood the problems that others faced. Have a conversation with students about the difficulties Chavez and other workers had as migrant workers. Ask students to explore their family background to see if any of their relatives were migrant workers and, if so, how they coped with the challenges. Further the conversation by asking students their opinions about the current immigration reform debate and the complaints immigrant workers have regarding the jobs they perform.
Host a multicultural festival in your classroom. Cesar Chavez advocated for the rights of migrant workers and people from other cultures supported his efforts. Discuss multiculturalism with your students and have them research specific cultures. As a class project, organize a festival in which students display posters, projects and other materials based on their research. Invite other classes, teachers and parents. Ask students to bring food from their own culture for visitors to sample. Expand the festival to include other classrooms, if other teachers are interested and willing to help out.
"Si se puede" -- Yes, it can be done -- was the United Farm Workers' slogan and later became a motto for achieving a goal despite the difficulties in doing so. Discuss with your class the origin of the slogan. Create a project around the slogan. Have your students write a paper on how they can apply this slogan to their personal lives. For instance, students may want to set academic goals for themselves and say, "Yes, I can get good grades. It can be done."
In addition to fighting for the rights of migrant farm workers, Cesar Chavez taught Mexican immigrants to read and organized voting registration drives. Have a lesson on the importance of helping others and arrange to have your class perform a community service project. It could be anything from raising money to support a community nonprofit agency, putting on a program for a senior citizens center or raising public awareness of a specific cause in the local community.