Making a Mark: Marching & Leaping Towards Reform

Overview
Students make connections between protest, reform, and legacy through investigation of the 1963 March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, the poem “Crossing” by Jericho Brown, and an excerpt of a conversation about leaving a legacy to your country with poet, teacher, and activist Sonia Sanchez. After, students consider civic actions they might take that would support the promise of American democracy.
Related Resources
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Sonia Sanchez and Major Jackson on Legacy and the Joys of Teaching
video excerpts -
Primary Source Learning: Protest & Reform Primary Source Set
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Today in History: March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
background information & primary sources -
Today in History: Martin Luther King, Jr.
background information & primary sources -
I Have a Dream Image Sequencing Activity
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Academy of American Poet Lessons on Citizen U
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Primary Source Learning: Poets & Poetry
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Primary Source Spotlight: Poetry
Grade
High School, Middle School
Subjects
Civics, English Language Arts, Social Studies
Length
90-120 minutes
Topics
American dream, American promise, civic action, civil rights, Crossing, democracy, I Have a Dream, Jericho Brown, legacy, March on Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., poem, poetry, Sonia Sanchez
Author
Academy of American Poets