Episode 25
3rd September 2013
Activity
Martin Luther King
Key Learning
Students will investigate how vocabulary can express meaning, feeling and opinion. Students will learn about
Martin Luther King and the impact of his “I Have a Dream’ speech on civil rights.
The Australian Curriculum
English / Language / Language variation and change
Investigate how vocabulary choices, including evaluative
language can express shades of meaning, feeling and
opinion (ACELA1525)
Understand the use of vocabulary to express greater precision
of meaning, and know that words can have different meanings
in different contexts(ACELA1512)
Incorporate new vocabulary from a range of sources into
students’ own texts including vocabulary encountered in
research (ACELA1498)
English / Literature / Literature and context
Identify and explore ideas and viewpoints about events, issues
and characters represented in texts drawn from different
historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1619)
Make connections between students’ own experiences and
those of characters and events represented in texts drawn from
different historical, social and cultural contexts (ACELT1613)
Identify aspects of literary texts that convey details or
information about particular social, cultural and historical
contexts (ACELT1608)
English / Literacy / Creating texts
Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive
texts, selecting aspects of subject matter and particular
language, visual, and audio features to convey information and
ideas (ACELY1725)
Discussion Questions
1. In Australia it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their race. True or false?
2. What was Martin Luther King’s famous speech called?
3. What year did Martin Luther King make his “I Have a Dream” speech?
4. Martin Luther King was an American civil rights activist, what does this mean?
5. Give some examples of segregation that occurred in America in the 1950s.
6. In which American state was Martin Luther King born? Find using Google Maps.
7. Martin Luther King led peaceful protests in the 1950s. What is a peaceful protest?
8. Name the Australian civil rights leader that was inspired by Martin Luther King.
9. When did segregation laws end in the United States?
10. What prestigious award did Martin Luther King win for his role in the Civil Rights Movement?
©ABC 2013
Activities
Classroom discussion
After watching the BtN Martin Luther King story hold a class discussion, using some of the following
questions.
Discussion questions
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When and where do you think this speech was made?
How did this speech make you feel?
What makes Martin Luther King’s speech memorable?
What do you think are the things that are most important when making a speech?
Images: tes.co.uk – The Martin Luther King Story (by David Adler)
As a class listen to Martin Luther King’s famous speech, ‘I Have a Dream’. Ask students to circle the
following words as they hear them. Record any unfamiliar words.
Civil Rights
Independence
Freedom
Racial Injustice
Justice
Liberty
Equality
Segregation
Emancipation
Ask students to write what they think is the meaning of each word (including unfamiliar words). Swap
definitions with a partner and ask them to add to or change the definition. Check these against the dictionary
definition. As a class investigate how vocabulary can express meaning, feeling and opinion.
Further activities for students:
 Make your own word search
 Use these words in your own sentences
I have a dream
Ask students to write their own “I have a dream” speech, and then illustrate using the template on the
following page.
©ABC 2013
I have a dream
because
©ABC 2013
Who is Martin Luther King?
Students will develop a biography on Martin Luther King. Establish what students already know about Martin
Luther King. What sort of information is included in a biography? What does a biography tell us about a
person?
The following website has examples of biographies for students to look at
http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/contemporary_gallery,14538.html
The following plan provides a guide for students when writing a biography.
 Research
 Set a direction for your biography
 Create a plan
 Start writing
 Edit
For a more detailed plan download this pdf document. http://planningwithkids.com/wp-content/2012/06/PWKHow-to-write-a-Biography-v1.0.pdf
Research questions
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When was Martin Luther King born and when did he die?
Where was he born?
What was his occupation?
Who did he marry and did he have any children?
What political movement was he a part of?
Describe the language of his “I Have a Dream” speech.
What awards did he win?
Describe the impact that Martin Luther King had on civil rights in the United Stated of America.
Create a timeline – highlight important events that occurred during Martin Luther King’s life on a
timeline. Include some other key or interesting events that occurred during the same time.
Encourage students to present their research using maps, timelines, drawings and photographs in an
interesting way, for example using:
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Prezi http://prezi.com/index/
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Glogster http://www.glogster.com/
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Bio Cube Creator http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/
Remind students that they will need to cite all references in a bibliography at the end of their biography.
 Related Research Links
ABC News – US marks 50 years since Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-29/us-mark27s-50-years-since-martin-luther-king27-27i-have-adr/4920336
ABC News – Martin Luther King delivers his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-08-29/martin-luther-king-i-have-a-dream-speech/4920434
©ABC 2013
ABC Splash – What makes a great speech?
http://splash.abc.net.au/media?id=28620
Behind the News – Racism
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3825539.htm
Behind the News – Discrimination
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2219578.htm
©ABC 2013