I have a dream lesson plan middle school

A person walks past a mural of Martin Luther King Jr. during the celebration of MLK Community Service Day in Washington D.C., days ahead of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, U.S. January 18, 2021. REUTERS/Brandon Bell

Subjects

Estimated Time

Grade Level

Introduction

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Students will examine why the speech was a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and explain their analysis through a visual drawing or illustration.

Warm-up activity

• Watch on History’s Vimeo channel: “Bet You Didn’t Know — March on Washington” by (2:33) CLICKING HERE. Give students the “I HAVE A DREAM” FACT PAGE to gauge their knowledge about the speech.
• Once they have finished answering the questions go back and read the correct answers to them from the ANSWER KEY.

Main Activity

“I Have a Dream” speech

Hand out a copy of the “I HAVE A DREAM” speech to each student in class. Tell them to follow along as they listen to Martin Luther King Jr. give his famous speech and try to picture the rich imagery from his words in their head. To listen to the speech CLICK HERE.

After the speech is over give students the following assignment:

• Select your favorite phrase or line as your title…THEN illustrate it!
• Use color, creativity, design…try to express what that phrase means or why it is so powerful or important.
• Use of technology and digital work are encouraged.
• Be prepared to explain it to your teacher or classmates.

Written by Tina Yalen, NBCT, Early Adolescence: Social Studies/History, in 2016.

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