I Have a Dream Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

DIRECTIONS: Complete the following items after you have read the text.

RI. 9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
1. Support an inference drawn from the text.
Reread paragraph 1. What “great American” is Dr. King referring to in this
paragraph? What did that great American do that was important to the American
people, including the people listening to King’s speech? Use evidence from the
text to support your answer.


RI. 9-10.9 Analyze seminal U. S. documents of historical and literary significance (e. g.,
Washington’s Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech,
King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including how they address related themes and concepts.
2. A key theme in Dr. King’s speech is that America has not lived up to its ideals.
Reread paragraphs 4–5, and explain how King develops this theme in these
paragraphs.


RI. 9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
3. Explain what the text says explicitly.
Reread paragraph 6 of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. What vision does
King have for change? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

FIRST READ EXTENSION QUESTIONS
I Have a Dream

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Author’s Choice: Argument

DIRECTIONS: Complete the following activity as either a written response or a group
discussion.

RI. 9-10.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author
uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
4. Identify Dr. King’s purpose in writing his “I Have a Dream” speech. Then
explain how he uses charged language, parallelism, repetition, and analogy to
help achieve that purpose.
Use these guidelines in your writing or discussion.
 Identify Dr. King’s specific purpose in writing his “I Have a Dream” speech.
What does he want his audience to believe or do?
 Identify examples of charged language, or language that appeals to emotions,
and explain how they advance Dr. King’s purpose. What emotions might they
stir up in his audience?
 Identify examples of parallelism, or repeated grammatical structures, and
explain how they advance Dr. King’s purpose. What ideas do they emphasize?
How do they affect the rhythm of the speech?
 Identify examples of repetition, and explain how they advance Dr. King’s
purpose. What ideas do they emphasize?
 Identify examples of analogy, or comparisons, and explain how they advance
Dr. King’s purpose. What similarities or differences do they develop? What
ideas do they emphasize?

TIP FOR WRITTEN RESPONSE
Use transitions to guide your reader through your essay and help them focus on your
main ideas.
TIP FOR DISCUSSION
Connect your ideas to the ideas of other discussion participants.