The document provides background and discussion questions about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. It prompts students to reflect on how key terms and ideas from the speech relate to civil rights and equality. Students are then asked to write a letter to Dr. King explaining how they think society would be different if the Civil Rights Movement had not occurred. Additional sources are provided for students to learn more about Dr. King and his other speeches.

1. I Have A Dream
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
THE QUESTION: What is the importance of
this dream?
To understand the significance of this famous speech, you must
read several main excerpts and determine:
- What words and ideas speak to you personally about civil
rights, equality, and our society
*AND*
- How would our society be different if we didn’t have people
like Dr. King and other civil rights advocates?

2. For the full text of the speech, refer to this website:
http://tiny.cc/htlt0
THE INFORMATION
SOURCES:
See above for the URL to the
speech
Read all but FOCUS ON lines
from : “Let us not wallow in
the valley of despair . . . “
TO THE SECOND “I have a
dream today!”

3. THE STUDENT ACTIVITY:
*What words and ideas speak to you personally about civil rights,
equality, and our society?*
JOT DOWN some of the key terms and what you think they mean.
FOR EXAMPLE: American Dream – Opportunity, freedom, success, etc.
THINK ABOUT: How are these terms important to Civil Rights?

4. The Assessment Activity:
Now write a letter to Dr. King.
* * *
- Tell him why you think his speech is
important and what it means to you!
* * *
*Be sure to mention how you think our
society would be different if the Civil Rights
Movement never took place!*

5. Enrichment Activities
To learn more about Dr. King or to read OR
HEAR more of his speeches, use the following
websites as sources:
http://www.martinlutherking.org/
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/l
aureates/1964/king-bio.html
http://www.mlkonline.net/speeches.html
http://www.npr.org/news/specials/march4
0th/speeches.html
OR do your own research in libraries or on the
net!

6. Teacher Support Materials
State standards addressed by this lesson:
CONNECTICUT
Historical Thinking – f. use primary source documents to analyze multiple perspectives
Local, US, and World History – c. explain relationships among the events and trends
studied in local, national and world history.
Historical Themes – e. describe, explain and analyze political, economic and social
consequences that came about as the resolution of a conflict
Applying History – a. initiate questions and hypotheses about historic events they are
studying