Topic: Martin Luther King
Author: Jaimee Stern
Grade Level: Fourth – sixth
Goals: Students Will:
1. Understand why we celebrate Marting Luther King Jr.
2. Become familiar with Martin Luther King Jr.‘s I have a dream speech.
3. Student’s will write their own I have a dream speechs.
Essential Questions:
1. Who was Martin Luther King Jr.
2. What were the main idea’s in Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech.
Unit Summary:
Using various resources student’s will learn about Martin Luther King jr and the
effect he had to our world. Student’s will write a
Materials:
Worksheets (included in attached lesson plans)
Projector to show video clips or interactive white board
Computer
Subject Area(s): (list all subjects that apply) Social Studies and English
Connections: Racism, Prejudice, and students own dreams
Tags: Martin Luther King. Jr, Racism, Civil Rights Movement
Lesson Plan #
Lesson Plan Title
NBC archive related
1
Who is Martin Luther King?
2.
I have a dream
3.
I have a dream too
Civil Rights March on
Selma
Robert F. Kennedy speaks
on day of King
Assanination
Inspiring Reflections
Date:
Course:
Unit:
11/15/09
Objective:
Students will learn about civil rights, discuss the civil right movements and be given a brief
introduction to Martin Luther King JR.
Standards:
SS5.3
SS 5.2
ELA 5.1
ElA 5.2
ELA 5.3
ELA 5.4
Materials:
Bubble graphic organizer
Chart paper
Markers
Procedures:


Have students come in and take a bubble graphic organizer sheet. Students
then ask students to define civil rights in the middle bubble if they can
Show students the video from the NBC archive called Civil Rights March on
Selma

Critical Thinking:
Ask students to think about if they have ever experienced racism. Tell them on the the
back of there worksheet to explain the effects racism has on their culture, their country,
and their world. Give students a minute or two to write their response. Then break
students into groups of three our four students. Hand out chart paper. Have students
create a chart with the title of racism effects. Student’s will create three rows on their
chart, which will be effects on culture, our country, and the world.
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
Resources:
Date:
Course:
Unit:
11/15/09
Objective:
Students will learn about civil rights, discuss the civil right movements and be given a brief
introduction to Martin Luther King JR.
Standards:
SS5.3
SS 5.2
ELA 5.1
ElA 5.2
ELA 5.3
ELA 5.4
Materials:
Bubble graphic organizer
Chart paper
Markers
Procedures:


Have students come in and take a bubble graphic organizer sheet. Students
then ask students to define civil rights in the middle bubble if they can
Show students the video from the NBC archive called Civil Rights March on
Selma

Critical Thinking:
Ask students to think about if they have ever experienced racism. Tell them on the the
back of there worksheet to explain the effects racism has on their culture, their country,
and their world. Give students a minute or two to write their response. Then break
students into groups of three our four students. Hand out chart paper. Have students
create a chart with the title of racism effects. Student’s will create three rows on their
chart, which will be effects on culture, our country, and the world.
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
Resources:
Date: 11/15/09 Course:
Unit:
Objective:
Students will learn about civil rights, discuss the civil right movements and be given a brief introduction
to Martin Luther King JR.
Standards:
SS5.3
SS 5.2
ELA 5.1
ElA 5.2
ELA 5.3
ELA 5.4
Materials:
Mlk Worksheet
Videos:
Procedures:
 Have students come in and watch the video from nbc called Robert F. Kennedy



Speak on Days of King’s Assassination. Have students take out their journals
and answer the following question who is Martin Luther King jr.?
Ask a few students for their responses on who he was.
Hopefully one student, will mention MLK’s “I have a dream” speech.Inform
students they will now be watching a clip of that speech.
Show the youtube video located at this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yahGTU8G3g&feature=related
 Then have students

Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
Resources:
Assessments:
Students will hand in graphic organizers. They will also receive grades from the chart they create and
class and group discussions.
Date:
Course:
11/15/09
Objective:
Students will create their own I have a dream speechs.
Standards:
SS5.3
SS 5.2
ELA 5.1
ElA 5.2
ELA 5.3
ELA 5.4
Unit:
Materials:
“I have a dream too” worksheet
“I have a dream” speech print out
Procedures:
Have students come in and watch the video “Inspiring Reflections: Power of a Mirror on
a School Bulletin Board”
Hand out MLK Speech to students. Ask students why people might consider the speech
uplifting or influential?
Ask students to recall one part of the speech they remember and why. -Point out
specific dreams MLK Jr. mentioned, and relate them to the student’s lives to help
prepare them fill out the “I Have a Dream Too!” worksheet.

Critical Thinking:
Tell students that you would like them now to create their own “I have a dream” Hand out the
“I have a dream too” worksheet, As the students are working, the teacher will walk around
room and observe to make sure they are on task. When students are finished have
student’s go around and read their speechs.
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction:
“I have a dream too” worksheet can be put in simpilier writing If necessary, a printed version of
Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech may be provided for students to read along as they listen to the
tape. A low level English language learner might find this situation expecially intimidating. I
would make sure I met with the children who didn’t share there dreams with the class and
strongly encourage to read there dreams one on one with me. I ho[e tro make ally my students
comfortable enough to she their dreams and instill confidence with in them so they can reach
these dreams.
Resources:
Assessments:
There will be ongoing assessment throughout the lesson. I will be observing the students while
they are working and questioning their ideas and thoughts. The worksheets will be turned in at
the end of the day, graded and then displayed in the classroom