January 8, 2024
Agenda
Essential Question: “How has society changed (or not changed) since 1960, regarding social justice?”
Bell Ringer: 1/8/24
Directions: Complete the worksheet.
“I Have a Dream”: Historical and Rhetorical Context
Break students into four groups and have them number from one to four.
Distribute the handout.
Each person will be assigned a question:
How are individuals being treated?
Who is in power? How are the people governed?
Who is the author’s intended audience?
What texts are referenced or quoted?
You will be given 2-3 minutes to review your question and draw from prior knowledge to answer the question that corresponds to your number
You will have a chance to share what you wrote.
Watch the video.
Listen to the “I Have a Dream” speech (option #2) and complete the graphic organizer.
Graphic Organizer Instructions: Key Words are very important contributors to understanding the text. They are usually nouns or verbs. Don’t pick "connector" words (are, is, the, and, so, etc.). The number of Key Words depends on the length of the original selection. This selection is 249 words long so you can pick up to ten Key Words. The students must know what their Key Words mean, so there will be opportunities to teach students how to use context clues, word analysis, and dictionary skills to discover word meanings.
Survey the class to find out what the most popular choices were. After some discussion and with your guidance, the class should decide on ten Key Words. For example, let’s say that the class decides on the following words: freedom, Emancipation Proclamation (two words that together make up a single idea can be selected if it makes sense in context), hope, Negro, segregation, discrimination, shameful, Declaration of Independence, promise, and unalienable rights. Now, no matter which words the students had previously selected, have them write the words agreed upon by the class or chosen by you into the Key Word list.
Explain that the class will use these Key Words to write a brief summary (one or two sentences) that demonstrates an understanding of what King was saying. This exercise should be a whole-class discussion-and-negotiation process. For example, "The Emancipation Proclamation brought hope, but segregation and discrimination are still part of Negro life. That is shameful because the Declaration of Independence promised all people unalienable rights." You might find that the class doesn’t need some of the Key Words, which will make the summary even more streamlined. This is part of the negotiation process. The final sentence(s) should be copied into the organizer.
Now guide the students in putting the summary sentence(s) into their own words. Again, this is a class negotiation process. For example "African Americans were promised the same rights as everyone else, but that hasn’t happened yet."
Exit Ticket - 1/8/24
Respond to the following questions.
What is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream, and according to Dr. King how could it become a reality?
In his speech Dr. King says that "we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check." What does he mean by this and what, as he sees it, will be the result of this action?
In his speech, how does Dr. King respond to the question, "When will you be satisfied?" Explain both the reason for this question put to civil rights activists and Dr. King’s response.
You will need this speech for an upcoming Socratic Seminar!
