In paragraph 20, Chavez uses the word crusader to describe Dr. King. What does this word and its connotation communicate about Dr. King?

Close reading plan

Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Cesar Chavez

Dr. Brian Moore, 2014 Connecticut Dream Team teacher

Connecticut State Department of Education 2

What makes this text complex?

Text and

Author

“Lessons of Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr.”-

Where

to

Access

Text

Chavez, C. (1990). Lessons of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cesar Chavez Foundation. 4/26/2014

http://chavezfoundation.org/_cms.php?mode=view&b_code=001008000000000&b_no=11&page=1&field=&key=

&n=3

Text Description

This text is a primary source document that both pays tribute to the work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and also calls attention to another social issue, that of the United

Farm Workers. Chavez begins by focusing on the memory of Dr. King and describes several memorable examples of Dr. King’s struggle including direct quotes from Dr.

King. Chavez then goes on to compare the struggles of the Civil Rights movement to that of the United Farm workers and other members of the farming communities.

He goes on to give specific examples of how children in the communities and workers in the fields are suffering. Throughout the piece Chavez refers back to the struggle

and accomplishments of Dr. King. Chavez concludes the speech with a call to action for people to join the United Farm Workers’ cause and makes one more

comparison to the work of Dr. King.

Quantitative

Lexile and

Grade Level

1030 9-10th grades Text

Lengt

h

2023

Qualitative

Meaning/Central Ideas Text Structure/Organization

The meaning and central idea is clear

and unfolds as the reader continues

reading through the text. There appears

to be two central ideas throughout the

speech. The author is both paying

tribute to Dr. King while at the same time

advocating for action in support of the

United Farm Workers.

There are no graphics or headings. The text is organized in a logical pattern of ideas. The author begins by paying tribute to

the work of Dr. King and that becomes the overarching and recurring theme. The purpose is revealed later in the text when

Chavez discusses the difficulties faced by people of the farming communities and the farm workers. A comparison is made

between these people and the struggles faced by people during the Civil Rights Movement. The author does conclude the

speech with a call to action.

Prior Knowledge Demands Language Features

The text requires students to know who

Dr. King was and several specific

examples from the Civil Rights

movement, including the Montgomery

Bus Boycotts, Dr. King’s writing in the

Birmingham jail, and Dr. King’s I Have a

Dream Speech. Additionally, Chavez

references to Christ, Gandhi, and the

bible (the promised land). Not all

students may be familiar with these

references without prior teaching.

Largely contemporary and conversational. Familiar and easy to understand with some discipline specific words. Some

discipline specific words that students may struggle with include telegram, cancer clusters, pesticides, activist, and

segregated. These and other words are listed in the vocabulary section under Tier 1 and Tier 2 Words. Pre-teaching

activities may help to alleviate difficulties with these words.

Connecticut State Department of Education 3

Vocabulary

Tier Two Words (General academic

vocabulary)

“Words that are far more likely to appear in

written texts than in speech. [They] often

represent subtle or precise ways to say relatively

simple things—saunter instead of walk, for

example.” (CCSS ELA Appendix A)

Tier Three Words (Domain-specific words)

“[Tier Three words]…are specific to a domain or field of study (lava, carburetor, legislature, circumference, aorta) and

key to understanding a new concept within a text.” (CCSS ELA Appendix A)

• Visionary

• Advocate

• Exhaustive

• segregated

• Activist

• Oppression

• Exploited

• Legacy

• Vanquished

• Inhumanity

• Telegram

• Pesticides

• cancer clusters

Potential Reader/Task Challenges

Some 10th graders may struggle with identifying the two themes of the text (honoring Dr. King and gaining support for the United Farm Workers) since they are

intertwined. Some students may struggle to separate the examples of the Civil Rights Movement from the plight of the farmworkers. Most students should have the

experiences necessary to access the content of the author. Some students may no

Explanation:

well basically since ima beginner people will answer any subject "right away"and if you get more points you could ask more questions or if you answer someone's question you get points