ReadWriteThink: August 28, 2009: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

August 28, 2009

		A crowd of more than 200,000 people assembled at Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, for the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”—though most of us think of it as the date that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. The speech was the culminating event of a day of singing, talking, and political activism. image © 2009 www.clipart.com

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITY

One of the projects that Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech has inspired is the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides tutoring and mentoring to children from low-income areas.

Have your students explore the Foundation’s website, and brainstorm ways that they can help others at your school—or even themselves—achieve their educational dreams. Have students create a list of three to five goals to work toward and keep track of their progress during the year. Goals might range from establishing school reading projects to organizing homework help for younger students. Students can use the ReadWriteThink Printing Press to create flyers or brochures that promote their projects and encourage others to meet their educational goals.

Lesson Plans

How Big Are Martin’s Big Words? Thinking Big About the Future
This lesson for grades 3–5 highlights the book Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which tells of King’s childhood determination to use “big words.”

Living the Dream: 100 Acts of Kindness
In this lesson for grades K–2, students study about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and apply those lessons to a month-long project.

Entering History: Nikki Giovanni and Martin Luther King, Jr.
In this lesson, middle school students read King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in conjunction with Nikki Giovanni’s poem “The Funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.” in order to better understand the speech and its impact.

Exploring the Power of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Words through Diamante Poetry
This high school lesson explores the ways that powerful and passionate words communicate the concepts of freedom, justice, discrimination, and the American Dream in King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Web Links

We Shall Overcome: Lincoln Memorial
One of the “historical places of the Civil Rights movement,” the Lincoln Memorial was the site of many civil rights demonstrations. This webpage includes details on Dr. King’s speech and the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.”

Behind the Scenes of the March on Washington
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the March on Washington, this NPR Morning Edition series provides numerous audio files and photographs that document the event.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University
No matter what you’re looking for regarding Dr. King’s life, you’re bound to find it on this Stanford University site, which includes an interactive chronology of his life, an encyclopedia of related resources, lesson plans, and much more!

200,000 March for Civil Rights in Orderly Washington Rally; President Sees Gain for Negro
The New York Times Learning Network offers this historical article about the March on Washington in which King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech.

Texts

Winget, Kate. 2003. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lerner Publications.
This biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. is appropriate for elementary students.

Graves, Kerry A. 2004. I Have a Dream: The Story Behind Martin Luther King Jr.’s Most Famous Speech. Chelsea Clubhouse.
This book uses simple text and historical photographs to tell the story of the 1963 March on Washington and King’s famous speech.

King, Jr., Martin Luther. 2003. A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Harper.
Readers will find a collection of Dr. King’s writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections.

McIntire, Suzanne. 2001. The American Heritage Book of Great American Speeches for Young People. Jossey-Bass.
This collection offers over 100 speeches, spanning the years from 1609 to 2000. A wide variety of speeches are included, from orators ranging from Martin Luther King, Jr. to Lou Gehrig.