Historically Responsive Lesson Plan Template

Name of Lesson: MLK and the Civil Rights Movement Grade Level: 11th
Length of Lesson: 46 minutes- One Day
Students’ Identities & Backgrounds: (Include any modifications or accommodations here)
Most students are white and from a middle-class socioeconomic background. There are some
students of color, but only a handful. This lesson was taught in a co-taught classroom setting.
In these classes, students with IEPs and 504s have some special accommodations, but the only
ones that affect the assignment would be the ability to turn it in later. The students are 1-to-1
with iPads so they can complete this work typed out or written if need be.
Learning Identities: Students of color will be able to see a person of color in a position of leadership
Goals and power. White students will be able to see how many Americans came together to fight
(Include standards segregation. Students of color will be seeing a different portrayal of a person of color than
where it fits or create they might see in the media. White students will be able to see a person dispelling
another section)
stereotypes of people of color. Young Black men will be able to see someone who looks like
them making a change in society. In analyzing Letter from a Birmingham Jail, students
will be able to see themselves in Dr. King’s writing through his lived experience and
connecting it to their own.

SS.H.7.9-12. Identify the role of individuals, groups, and institutions in people’s struggle
for safety, freedom, equality, and justice.

SS.H.8.9-12. Analyze key historical events and contributions of individuals through a

variety of perspectives, including those of historically underrepresented groups.
Skills: Through analyzing Letter From a Birmingham Jail, students will be pulling out the
Author’s purpose of writing the piece. This means students will be analyzing and
evaluating word choice of Dr. King to figure out what he means. They will also be using his
conclusion to evaluate the purpose. The students will also be conveying their thoughts
through writing.

SS.H.9.9-12. Analyze the relationship between historical sources and the secondary
interpretations made from them.

Intellect: The document being analyzed is being historicized by this lesson’s notes as well
as other lesson’s notes from the day before and the day after. This places MLK, Jr.’s arrest
for non-violent protesting in context of the much larger civil rights movement. The
students will see both the bad side of America during segregation, but also the Joy that is
brought by leaders in the Civil Rights movement.

SS.H.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical developments were shaped by time and place as
well as broader historical contexts.

Criticality: The primary source being analyzed falls into both the critical and racial literacy
categories. Letter From a Birmingham Jail allows students to understanding inequity
during the Civil Rights Movement and what people were fighting for. It also falls under
racial literacy as it quite literally is written in the lens of being aware of race in society.

SS.H.7.9-12. Identify the role of individuals, groups, and institutions in people’s struggle
for safety, freedom, equality, and justice.

Layered Texts Notes (Slides Presentation)

(Links, Titles with “I Have a Dream Speech”- MLK, Jr. (In Slides)
attachments, or Letter from a Birmingham jail-MLK Jr.
citations)
Vocabulary & Civil Rights – Rights and protections that are guaranteed under the law regardless of a
Concepts (with person’s race, religion, or other characteristics
definitions for Martin Luther King, Jr. – Civil Rights movement leader who preached Non-Violence
students) Non-Violence – Not using force to achieve social or political change
Mahatma Gandhi – Indian Independence movement leader who preached Non-Violence,
Influenced MLK, Jr.
Clergymen – Fellow church goers
Seldom- rarely occurring
Scintillating- shining brightly

Student Spark What is the teacher
(Start of the lesson) doing?
(6 minutes) Asking the students to
think about what they know
about MLK, Jr. and then
share it with the class.
Writing down answers
given by students. Asking
them how their prior
knowledge affects their
perception on MLK, Jr.
What are the students
doing?
Taking time to remember
prior knowledge of MLK, Jr.
Providing their prior
knowledge and elaborating
on how that creates their
perception on MLK, Jr.
Materials, Handouts,
Slide, etc.
White Board to write down
students’ prior knowledge
(could be a jamboard but my
students do not enjoy them)

Body of What is the teacher What are the students Materials, Handouts,
Lesson (Use doing? doing? Slide, etc.
bullet points to
outline, include time
• Lecture. Follow • Listening/Following Notes (17-20)
estimations) lecture notes. Ask along with provided Letter from a Birmingham
(30 minutes students what they notes, answering jail
total) know about Gandhi checks for
and Non-Violence. understanding
Ask students to throughout.
create a connection Evaluating Non-
to MLK, Jr. using Violence and
non-violence for connecting Gandhi’s
Civil rights. non-violence to MLK
Watching the I have Jr. Evaluating the
a dream speech purpose of Dr. King’s
highlight asking I Have a Dream
students what the Speech. (10 min)
purpose is. (10 min) • Working in their
• Assign Letter from a groups, reading
Birmingham Jail Letter From a
and split students Birmingham Jail,
into groups. Explain providing what they
to them where it fits had found for HIPP,
in the timeline of discussing with
the Civil Rights groups members (15
Movement. (15 min) min)
• Going over • Providing what they
formative had found for the
assessment. Guiding historical context,
students on how to intended audience,
analyze the source. purpose, and point
(5 min) of view. Pulling
evidence from the
 text to support their
answers. (5)
Closure What is the teacher What are the students Materials, Handouts,
(10 minutes) doing? doing? Slide, etc.
Asking students to make Looking back at previous Letter from a Birmingham
connections to the notes days notes that are provided jail
from the previous days on to them, looking at the
the Civil Rights movement formative assessment,
and the purpose of MLK, evaluating and creating
Jr.’s Letter from a connections between the
Birmingham Jail ideas and the purpose of
Letter from a Birmingham
Jail and the concepts
surrounding the Civil
Rights movement and MLK
Jr.’s approach of non-
violence.
Assessment Letter from a Birmingham This Formative Assessment
(Address how it ties Jail Analysis ties to the learning goals
back to learning through all facets. It
goals)
facilitates students making
connections between MLK
Jr.’s lived experience
through the lens of race
building identities. It has
students developing skills of
analyzing writing in
historical documents. It
builds intellect by having
students historicize this
document with the
supplemental notes for the
day. It also builds criticality
in evaluating inequalities
Dr. King brings up in his
letter.