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:
