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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore human rights issues. In this social justice lesson, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications, and play a human...
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Unit Plan
Vocabulary.com

Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter From a Birmingham Jail" (1963)

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This site contains a list of 96 words from Martin Luther King, Jr.'s writing, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a piece written in 1963. Teachers can digitally assign this list to their students to reinforce the spellings, pronunciations,...
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Primary
Michigan State University

Michigan State University: Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
This site will let you hear from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his own words in a letter written from a Birmingham jail cell in April of 1963. In this letter, Dr. King defends himself against accusations that he is an "outsider" and...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Letter From Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
While in jail, King responded in a letter written on the margins of a newspaper, because it was the only paper available. King gave the letter to his lawyers, who published what is now known as the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail."...
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Unit Plan
Read Works

Read Works: Excerpt From Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

For Teachers 5th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This primary source features a letter excerpt from Dr. Martin King, Jr. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies. Scaffolding for vocabulary...
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Lesson Plan
ReadWriteThink

Read Write Think: A Mini Lesson on Semicolons

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Practical lesson on students' use of the semicolon, modeled on Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
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Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Stanford University: Lesson Plan on Letter From Birmingham Jail

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A comprehensive six-part lesson plan that encourages students to study the concept of non-violence as it was practiced during the confrontation that took place in Birmingham in 1963. This led to the famous letter written by Dr. King in...
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Primary
Other

Letter From Birminghham Jail [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This letter shares Martin Luther King's reflections about his involvement in peaceful demonstrations. The letter provides historical information about the plight of African Americans throughout history and why he and others are so...
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: American Transcendentalism: Civil Disobedience

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson from a unit on American Transcendentalism focuses on civil disobedience using "Essay on Civil Disobedience" by Henry David Thoreau and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. Links are provided to each of the...
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Unit Plan
Georgia Department of Education

Ga Virtual Learning: Nonfiction and Research: Nonfiction Reading

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson focuses on students reading nonfiction works including excerpts from: Night by Elie Wiesel, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, and Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Dr. Martin...
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eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Contesting Futures: America in 1960s: Civil Rights Movement Marches On

For Students 11th - 12th
An examination of the civil rights movement of African Americans in the 1960s. Discusses the different forms of protest, the influence of Martin Luther King, Jr., the rise of Black Power, the Black Panthers, and Malcolm X. This is...
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Article
Digital History

Digital History: Birmingham, Alabama: Bombingham

For Students 9th - 10th
The city that best exemplifies white resistance to integration and the tension and conflict of the civil rights movement is Birmingham, Alabama. Learn about events of and reactions to the civil rights movement of the early 1960s in...
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Article
A&E Television

History.com: Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a social activist and Baptist minister who played a key role in the American civil rights movement from the mid-1950s until his assassination in 1968. King sought equality and human rights for African...
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Handout
Robin Chew

Lucidcafe: Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader

For Students 9th - 10th
Informative biographical sketch of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with links to Gandhi and good information about the philosophy of nonviolent social protest. Includes links to text of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and the "I Have a Dream"...