I Have a Dream… Speech
English 11
I have a dream
Martin Luther King, Jr. had a great dream about the possibility of
equality in our country, and he called on Americans to act with dignity
and respect as the journey toward justice and freedom was made. King
also entreated his listeners to look ahead and not back to continue
making progress.
Do you have a dream?
Martin Luther King, Jr. achieved status because he stood up for what he
believed in, and ultimately, this stand brought his death. Now I am
asking you to take a stand for what you believe and to share your dream
with your peers.
You need to prepare a speech that details the following:
1) Choose a social, political, local, national, international, etc. issue that is occurring right now in our
world. Expound on this issue, giving your classmates background on what is going on. Inform them
of your issue. Make sure to choose something interesting to you so that you are interested as you are
researching and writing your speech. Also be sure to say where you got the information from if you
looked it up on the Internet. (According to…) **You must use at least two outside sources (i.e. not
you).
2) Elaborate on what your dream is for this issue. Look at King’s speech for ideas. How would you solve
it? What should people involved do to get what they want/what they need? Appeal to your
classmates in an interested and invested way. Put serious thought into this; don’t treat it like any old
assignment. I am asking for your deep feelings to come forward as you share your opinions.
3) Create an attractive poster or easy-to-follow visual aid (consider a Prezi!) that demonstrates your issue
and what your dream is for your issue. This will serve as your visual aid during your speech.
You will be graded on the following:
Thoughtful and detailed explanation of issue
At least two outside sources clearly referenced
Obvious introduction, body, conclusion in speech
Interesting elaboration on “your dream” for this issue
Solid paragraph of ideas
Correctly completed Works Cited page
Public speaking skills (posture, eye contact, tone of voice, etc.)
Engaging and relevant visual aid
Citations listed on last slide
Three to five minutes in length
15
5
10
10
7
3
TOTAL: 50 points
**You will present your speeches in class __________________________________________
**You will earn a 10% deduction per day if you are not prepared to go on your due date. Speeches will
not be accepted after the last due date, so you need to be responsible and timely.
**Throughout this process, Mrs. Brown will check your progress before you are to present. At this
time you must have an idea of what you are speaking about and two sources; you must be prepared to
show her that you have been working. This speech will conclude our Harlem Renaissance/Civil
Rights Movement unit.
IDEAS:
North Korea inhumanity
Same-gender issues
Abortion
Animal experimentation
Presidential race
Child abuse
Cloning
Domestic violence
Obesity
Eating disorders
Environmental issues
Global warming
Gambling
Gangs
Gun control
Hate crimes
Health care
Homelessness
Human Rights
Immigration
Mental health
National security
Political corruption
Suicide
Teen Pregnancy
Bullying
Poverty
Racism
School Violence
Sexual harassment
Terrorism
Welfare
Women’s rights
**Don’t feel limited to this list; these are just ideas. Pick something you are passionate about. But please
remember: Be appropriate.