Explore how the events and cultural and political changes that occurred in 1968 came to represent the upheaval and dramatic changes in American life during the 1960s.

In this lesson, through guided practice, the students use two texts about Martin Luther King to compare the similarities and differences between those texts. Includes videos of the lesson in action, printable charts, and a graphic organizer.

Young learners really struggle with multi-meaning words. Using Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, students will become familiar with 'dream' as the concept of 'dreaming' in the sense of a want rather than just something they do when they sleep. Included in this lesson is a video link, printable cut-outs for an art project, and a writing prompt.

Multimedia collection of video, primary text documents and audio on Civil Rights, especially Brown vs. Board of Education.

This eight-minute video illustrates the achievements of the civil rights movement, as well as the enduring challenges facing black Americans, by focusing on the small community of Gee's Bend, Ala., a town that attracted the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s. The video helps students draw a line between the battles fought by King's movement nearly five decades ago and the barriers to equality and opportunity that residents of Gee's Bend face today. For lessons focused on the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the video serves as a bridge between the past and the present, and sets up a discussion about the unfinished agenda of King's movement. [8:15]

The 12th grade learning experience consists of 7 mostly month-long units aligned to the Common Core State Standards, with available course material for teachers and students easily accessible online. Over the course of the year there is a steady progression in text complexity levels, sophistication of writing tasks, speaking and listening activities, and increased opportunities for independent and collaborative work. Rubrics and student models accompany many writing assignments.Throughout the 12th grade year, in addition to the Common Read texts that the whole class reads together, students each select an Independent Reading book and engage with peers in group Book Talks. Language study is embedded in every 12th grade unit as students use annotation to closely review aspects of each text. Teacher resources provide additional materials to support each unit.

The laws that govern and the social norms that regulate society are not always fair, legal, moral, or ethical. What is a person to do about all this injustice? What are the hazards of righting injustices or changing social norms? And what are the dangers of doing nothing?

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Students read and annotate Antigone, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” and Pygmalion.
Students write a literary analysis showing the effect of social class or the law on a character’s life.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

These questions are a guide to stimulate thinking, discussion, and writing on the themes and ideas in the unit. For complete and thoughtful answers and for meaningful discussions, students must use evidence based on careful reading of the texts.

How do social class and legal institutions shape literary characters’ lives (and presumably our lives)?
How does social class affect a person in dealing with the law (protect a person, hurt a person)?
How is social class determined in America and in other places in the world?

BENCHMARK ASSESSMENT: Cold Read

During this unit, on a day of your choosing, we recommend you administer a Cold Read to assess students’ reading comprehension. For this assessment, students read a text they have never seen before and then respond to multiple-choice and constructed-response questions. The assessment is not included in this course materials.

In this lesson, students finish reading, annotating, and discussing Antigone. Then they will meet in their Independent Reading Groups for the first time.

In this lesson, students discuss the ending of Antigone and retake the survey about justice that they took in Lesson 1. They will also write about how the laws in Thebes have shaped the lives of the characters who live there.

In this lesson, students will take the second in a series of three Cold Write assessments in the narrative genre. The Benchmark Assessment (Cold Write) is an unassisted and unrevised piece of writing with the purpose of providing a quick gauge of the student’s mastery of the characteristics of a given genre. Today’s Benchmark Assessment (Cold Write) measures and provides a benchmark of students’ mastery of narrative writing. They’ll also continue reading, annotating, and discussing “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Then they’ll focus on the charges made against Dr. King and how he refutes them.

In this lesson, students look at “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” again, focusing on Dr. King’s writing style. Then students will try to write a paragraph using his style of repeating passages or phrases to build a convincing argument.

In this lesson, students learn about civil disobedience—about people purposefully disobeying a law that they feel to be unjust. They’ll read from two examples that address the issue: Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.”

This online lesson attempts to teach students the power of Martin Luther King's words in his "I Have a Dream" speech and others. Students create a diamante poem (seven-line diamond-shaped poem) to analyze and evaluate his words and message. Includes links to writing interactives and audio and video versions of this speech. RL.9-10.10a&b text complexity

Historically significant collection of political cartoons featuring U.S. Presidents from Library of Congress online teacher-student resources.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This resource provides information about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s impact on American history. In addition, there are links to related topics.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Stanford University professor Clayborne Carson shares his experience at the March on Washington, his first trip to the national capital in August, 1963. Carson takes viewers on a virtual tour of the march adding a personal touch of his own familiarity of the event. [15:01]

Students will identify how Martin Luther King JrŐs dream of nonviolent conflict-resolution is reinterpreted in modern texts. Homework is differentiated to prompt discussion on how nonviolence is portrayed through characterization and conflict. Students will be formally assessed on a thesis essay that addresses the Six Kingian Principles of Nonviolence.

Contains plans for mini-lessons that ask students to put the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in action by performing 100 acts of kindness. In addition to objectives and standards, this instructional plan contains links to sites used in the lessons as well as assessment and reflection activities.

Lesson that attempts to help younger students understand and identify with Martin Luther King, Jr. through reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities. Encourages students to attempt to live out King's "Dream," in their own lives.

Students will explore how King's deep-seated commitment to nonviolence contributed to the expansion of social justice in the United States, particularly for African Americans.