The following sample activities are designed to help you and your program celebrate Cesar Chavez Day by combining both service and learning. As you will see from the examples, elements of service and learning that can be brought together to create a successful project include:

K-12 Content Standards – available on the web at www.cde.ca.gov
Best practices for combining service and learning – available at www.yscal.org
Key components of service-learning – described in the overview.

Age Range: Elementary School
Academic Component: In the history-social science standards for kindergarten through 6th grade, students are expected to learn about major holidays and the history behind them. In 4th grade in particular, students are taught about Cesar Chavez.
How it relates to Cesar Chavez: Learn about Cesar Chavez’s life
Service Project Activity: Community Art
Description of Project: Cesar Chavez Day is the kick off day for a project that extends until the end of the school year. AmeriCorps members work with the fourth grade students during social studies time to learn about the life of Cesar Chavez. A mural artist then works with the group to design a community mural honoring his life. Several painting days are scheduled during which children from the school and community participate in painting.
Sample Service Learning Best Practices: Youth voice, Integrated Learning

Age Range: Elementary School
Academic Component: The history-social studies curriculum in 3rd grade helps students learn about their local communities – how they were started, how they have developed.
How it relates to Cesar Chavez: Learn about Cesar Chavez’s ethic of community improvement, community pride, and helping those most in need.
Service Project Activity: Community garden that feeds the hungry
Description of Project: Children learn about Cesar Chavez’s life, and reflect on how they can improve their community through creating a garden. Conservation Corps members build planter boxes for the gardens. Several gardening days are planned to which the school, businesses, conservation corps. Students grow food that is given to those who are hungry. Students reflect on how they have impacted their community.
Sample Service Learning Best Practices: Reflection, Collaboration, High Quality Service

Age Range: Middle School
Academic Component: 8th grade US History: Students learn about the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, and focus on the concept that "all men are created equal."
How it relates to Cesar Chavez: Learn about Cesar Chavez’s emphasis on valuing all members of our diverse society.
Service Project Activity: Education pamphlets on rights
Description of Project: Students learn about the Declaration of independence and the Bill of Rights. Students interview diverse members of the school and surrounding community. What do they know what the Bill of Rights is? What would they like to know more about? Based on the responses from the community, students create an education pamphlet that explains the bill of rights and distributes it to the community.
Sample Service Learning Best Practices: Civic responsibility

Age Range: Middle School
Academic Component: English/Language Arts: Students learn to write a letter, including developing a topic for the letter and giving supporting details.
How it relates to Cesar Chavez: A preference to help the most needy; community improvement
Service Project Activity: Park Clean up
Description of Project: Middle school students work with AmeriCorps and VISTA members to organize a "take back the park" day in which community members improve the conditions of a park that serves the most needy area of the city. Community participates in activities such as clean up debris and installing new benches and participate in other improvements that the students have identified as important. Middle school English/language arts classes to take responsibility for writing letters of invitation to different community groups for participation in the day such as faith based service groups, senior/retired person’s organizations; businesses and labor unions.
Sample Service Learning Best Practices: Youth voice; High Quality Service; Collaboration

Age Range: High School grades 9 and 10
Academic Component: English/Language Arts: Students learn to write essays.
How it relates to Cesar Chavez: Non-violence, tolerance, celebrating community
Service Project Activity: Arts and Cultural fair
Description of Project: AmeriCorps and VISTA members at a local college set up a Cesar Chavez arts and culture fair for the community. As part of 9th and 10th grade English classes, students write reflective essays on the topic of peace and non-violence in honor of Cesar Chavez’s work that are displayed and read at the fair.
Sample Service Learning Best Practices: Integration with the curriculum; Reflection

Age Range: High School grades 9-12
Academic Component: Biology/Life Science: Students learn about "ecosystems" and how they are changed by human activities, non-native plants and other influences.
How it relates to Cesar Chavez: Respect for life; conservation.
Service Project Activity: Environmental clean up
Description of Project: High school science class partners with the conservation corps to do assess the ecosystem in a specified area of the local community. Based on their assessment, they organize a community wide event that involves volunteers in removing nonnative plants and planting native plants.
Sample Service Learning Best Practices: Integration with the Curriculum; High Quality Service; Collaboration