Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech
I chose this topic because Martin
Luther King Jr holds an important place in history as one of the
leaders of the US Civil Rights movement. With a holiday dedicated to
him, it is important for students to understand who he was and why we
celebrate him in January. Thinking about him led me to consider one
of his works as an authentic piece. His “Dream” speech is
considered one of his most influential speeches and phrases from it
are constantly used in society. Moreover, his method of speaking was
inspirational and serves as a great example of persuasive language.
Influenced by:
- Using headings and subheadings/topic sentences
Content Objective(s):
Language Objective(s):
What students will gain:
Influenced by:
- Peregoy and Boyle
- Using headings and subheadings/topic sentences
- Class discussion
Content Objective(s):
- Use an authentic text to teach students about the Civil Rights Movement through the "Dream" Speech
- To help students with DBQ questions and working with authentic materials by teaching key skills
- Learn the historical importance of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his famous speech
Language Objective(s):
- Students will learn how to use topic sentences for summaries of difficult material
- Students will be able to skim a text for the main ideas
- Students will be able to summarize a historical text for other students in the classrooms
- Students will be able to construct his/her own “I have a dream” speech on a topic they feel strongly about.
What students will gain:
- Skills to help with authentic documents in the DBQ
- An understanding of Martin Luther King Jr and what he stood for
- An appreciation for the structure "I have a dream" and the impact of this speech
mlk_jr_dream_speech_reflection.doc | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: | doc |
civil_rights_lesson_plan_activity_9.doc | |
File Size: | 44 kb |
File Type: | doc |
SIOP® Lesson Plan
Date: 3/30/11 Grade/Class/Subject: intermediate 9th grade students
Unit/Theme: Civil Rights Movement Standards: 1,3,4,5
Content Objective(s):
Language Objective(s):
brotherhood, sweltering, oasis, oppression, injustice, interposition, nullification, exhaulted, self-evident, creed,
Other vocabulary will depend on paragraphs assigned
Supplementary Materials
MLK Have a dream speech printed out
Dream speech video online
Journals
Lesson Sequence:
This lesson is part of a unit on the civil rights movement. This particular lesson focuses on Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous “I have a dream” speech.
Building Background Knowledge:
Post-reading
Date: 3/30/11 Grade/Class/Subject: intermediate 9th grade students
Unit/Theme: Civil Rights Movement Standards: 1,3,4,5
Content Objective(s):
- Use an authentic text to teach students about the Civil Rights Movement through the "Dream" Speech
- To help students with DBQ questions and working with authentic materials by teaching key skills
- Learn the historical importance of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and his famous speech
Language Objective(s):
- Students will learn how to use topic sentences for summaries of difficult material
- Students will be able to skim a text for the main ideas
- Students will be able to summarize a historical text for other students in the classrooms
- Students will be able to construct his/her own “I have a dream” speech on a topic they feel strongly about.
brotherhood, sweltering, oasis, oppression, injustice, interposition, nullification, exhaulted, self-evident, creed,
Other vocabulary will depend on paragraphs assigned
Supplementary Materials
MLK Have a dream speech printed out
Dream speech video online
Journals
Lesson Sequence:
This lesson is part of a unit on the civil rights movement. This particular lesson focuses on Martin Luther King Jr. and his famous “I have a dream” speech.
Building Background Knowledge:
- Students will already have been discussing the civil rights movement, we will review what they have learned thus far. We will focus on the previous day's lesson on Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
- What is a dream? Activity: I will introduce the idea of a dream. What is a dream? What things do you dream about? What things do most people dream about?
- Next, talk about speeches. Have you ever had to give a speech? Have you ever heard a speech? When you think of a speech, what comes to mind? Students and teacher will brainstorm words on the board.
- We will be reading a transcript of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's famous “I have a dream” speech. Students will be asked to make a journal entry with a prediction. The topic question is: Given what you know about MLK Jr and the title of the speech, what do you think it will be about?
- Discuss one of the objectives in reading this speech. “Today we are going to be using topic sentences to predict what this speech may be about.” Review the idea of topic sentences in a literary piece. Ask why someone might divide a speech into different topics.
- Hand out the speech, it will be divided into sections as found on http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
- Students will be asked to preview the reading by looking for topic sentences. They will have to write down each sentence next to its number and, underneath, write words that come to mind for them. These are thoughts that they might have as to the meaning of each sentence. As they progress, their thoughts should become more solidified on the topic of the speech. Following the preview worksheet, there will be a few questions as pertain to the main topics of the speech in a preview guide format.
- Students will watch the “I have a dream” speech once, with their papers turned over. This is a preview of the bulk of the text. In addition, Dr King's speech contains power that can only be sensed through listening to it. I want my students to have that sense before digging deeper into the text. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk
- As they read and pursue all activities, students will keep a learning log in their journal, mentioning all questions they have about the text.
- The reading will be divided into sections, each group of students will read a section of the text. The text will be divided between students up until the “I have a dream” section (which will be covered later). The division will allow them to focus on the difficult vocabulary and meaning in their small sample of the text rather than the text as a whole. In addtion, this teaches the “divide and conquer” approach that students often take in group report tasks in later years (and in college in particular). Each group will decide which parts of their text are the most important and will summarize it for the class.
- Then the class will move into the main portion of the speech, the “I have a dream” section. We will practice choral reading with this section, with students repeating “I have a dream” along with the teacher. We will then discuss the first of the “dreams” together this one being: I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
- We will then move on to the other five dreams:
- I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
- I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
- I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
- I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
- I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."
- I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
- For the “red hills,” “state of Mississippi,” and “Alabama” which all involve imagery, we will define vocabulary words and then draw each scene. This will help in the explanation of the imagery. For the “oasis” we will have to first define “oasis” then draw the pictures. The last of the “dream” sections will be explained through co-construction of the meaning.
- As a class we will go over the remaining sections of the text, including the “faith” section and the “let freedom ring” section. For the “freedom ring” section, we will point out areas on a geographic map of the United States.
Post-reading
- Students will watch the speech again, following along with the text. This time they should understand more of what is being said along with getting the feeling of the speech.
- Students will construct their own version of the “I have a dream” speech. They will be encouraged to relate their dream to helping someone other than just themselves. This could be for one family member or for the country or world. They will use the form “I have a dream that...” More advanced members of the class may choose to try to use imagery in their text. They might go about doing so by drawing a picture to symbolize something and working off of that.
- Students will present their speech to the class. This can be done in a number of ways.
- The first way is the traditional speech reading in front of the class.
- The second is recording themselves on videotape presenting the speech. This will work better for those who get nervous in front of the class.
- The third option is to make a photostory using pictures and recording their voice reading the speech. This is the option for those students particularly nervous about being in front of the class, and also those more computer-oriented. We have previously used Photostory, but only those students comfortable with it would like opt for this choice.
- Note: If the first choice, students will be recorded as they present so that parents will be able to see their progress later on.
- The first way is the traditional speech reading in front of the class.