Curated OER
Gaining Perspective
Discuss race in the United States. Start by having each learner read a copy of Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech, "I Have a Dream." Then, have them read the article "Shared Prayers, Mixed Blessings" about a church in Atlanta,...
DocsTeach
We Shall Overcome: March on Washington
Unlike most children, Edith Lee-Payne of Detroit went to the March on Washington with her mother to celebrate her 12th birthday. Pupils walk the march with her by analyzing a closeup image of her that has come to represent the pivotal...
Curated OER
Ethos, Logos, and Pathos in Civil Rights Movement Speeches
Examine three speeches while teaching Aristotle's appeals. Over the course of three days, class members fill out a graphic organizer about ethos, pathos, and logos, complete an anticipatory guide, read speeches by Martin Luther King Jr.,...
Newspaper Association of America
Using the Newspaper to Teach the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment
Of all the amendments found in The Bill of Rights, the First Amendment contains some of the most important freedoms for American citizens. A unit plan on the First Amendment features interactive lesson plans designed to teach about those...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nonviolent Resistance
Was nonviolent resistance the best means of securing civil rights for black Americans in the 1960s? For this highly engaging and informative lesson, your young historians will closely analyze several key documents from the civil rights...
PBS
Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader
Expand class members' appreciation of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A powerful resource examines King's speeches, writings, and actions that reveal his deep commitment to a nonviolent approach to Civil Rights. Learners watch a...
Literacy Design Collaborative
The Art of Persuasion: How Rhetorical Devices Influence Audiences
Scholars analyze a variety of text to identify the development of claims and persuasive techniques writers use. In each text, pupils determine the argument and the persuasive techniques and complete a task introduction worksheet. The...
K20 LEARN
Watch Your Tone: Tone Analysis Through Music And Nonfiction
Identifying the tone of a piece of writing or the author's attitude toward the subject matter can be difficult for learners. Simplify the process with a lesson that begins with skits, moves to songs and their lyrics, and then to passages...
Curated OER
Understanding King's Use of Metaphors in the
One of the most famous and well-crafted speeches of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, consists of rich metaphors and rhetorical language. Using a provided graphic organizer, students analyze five quotes...
Curated OER
Dr. King's Dream
Learners explore life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., reflect on section of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, discuss inequities that still exist in the United States, and create picture books about their own dreams of freedom for...
Curated OER
Delving Into Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Rhetoric
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech can inspire students to explore the world of rhetoric.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Beyond Birmingham, Summer 1963
The assassination of Medgar Evers. The integration of the University of Alabama. The March on Washington. The "I Have a Dream" speech. Created by the Alabama History Education Initiative, this resource examines how the events that...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.3
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, "I Have a Dream," is one of the most famous in United States history, but why was it so effective? Ask your class to determine the answer to this question. While the resource includes a description of...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Fifth graders research the highlights of Martin Luther King Jr's life. They gain an understanding of the Jim Crow Laws and The Civil Rights Movement, as well as becoming familiar with Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech. Groups of...
Shell Education
A Tribute To Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
How much do your learners know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Set up an opportunity for kids to learn about Dr. King while practicing reading fluency with a reader's theater activity. The script is for four voices and includes...
Curated OER
Differentiated Language Arts
Pupils read speeches and identify the main idea as well as the literary techniques employed, paying careful attention to the persuasion and repetition elements that each speech possesses. Using a graphic organizer, they analyze,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s marched to its own beat—literally. Using songs from the era, as well as other primary sources such as King's "I Have a Dream" speech, class members analyze lyrics to discover how music and protest...
Curated OER
Famous Speeches and the Art of Persuasion
Students can learn speech writing skills and analyze famous speeches with these activities.
Curated OER
What Makes A Good Speaker?
Students write a response to a diagnostic assessment determining what they need to work on to become good public speakers. They listen to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speech, I Have A Dream, and identify what makes a good speaker.
Curated OER
A Speech for the Sneetches
Young scholars write a speech using Dr. King as an example and the characters from a Dr. Seuss book. In this speech lesson, students read the 'I Have a Dream' speech and use it as a guide to help them write a speech based on the book...
Curated OER
"We few, we happy few": Motivational Speech in Henry V
Students explore how to write and deliver a motivational speech by examining King Henry's in "Saint Crispin's Day".
Anti-Defamation League
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Civil Rights
How far have we come and how far do we still need to go to achieve equality and full civil rights in the United States? Include a packet of materials collected in your observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Music of African American History
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
Curated OER
Attracting an Audience With Purpose
Students discuss the attributes of a good speech and a bad speech, and listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, I Have A Dream. They rewrite a speech, directing it to a different audience than it was intended for.