Lystra M. Richardson
Objective
Students will evaluate Dr. King’s speech in relation to their lives to determine what progress African Americans have made since the speech.
Material
Students’ essays from previous assignment. Julius Lester’s
To Be A Slave.
Procedure
Students will read and discuss their essays in small heterogeneous groups. Teacher will write the major ideas from Dr. King’s speech on the board. Working in groups students will discuss each idea and write their answers to the question whether each aspect of the dream has been achieved, and if not how can it be achieved? Each group will share its responses with the entire class.
The teacher will then introduce the book
To Be A Slave,
and explain that slavery and its legacy, the major forces that necessitated Dr. King’s speech, will be examined through Lester’s work. The teacher will lead a discussion on the origins of slavery before reading the prologue of the book. The teacher should also explain that this book will help students understand the significance of Dr. King’s speech, and let students know that they may find some parts of the book to be disturbing. However, the classroom atmosphere should be one in which students will feel comfortable sharing their feelings.
Closure
In preparation for the text, the teacher will ask students to write one page on what they imagine slavery was like for a slave family.
