In Memory of Dr. King

In Memory of Dr. King

NEW VOCABULARY

Let's learn some new vocabulary for this text.

memorial

• A memorial is something built to honor, and to help people remember, a person who has died.

• A memorial can also be something to help people remember an important event that has happened in the past.

• A memorial is often made of stone and stands in a public place.

• A memorial can also be a ceremony that honors a person who has passed away.

segregate

to require or enforce the separation or isolation of (a race, religious sect, class, or the like) from the dominant group in a society or from the society at large.

Multiple Select

What is a memorial?

(select ALL answers that apply)

• something built to honor, and to help people remember, a person who has died

• a ceremony that honors a person who has passed away

• to require or enforce the separation or isolation

Multiple Choice

Which picture shows "segregation"

tribute

something given, done, or said to show respect or thanks

examples: a statue, a gift, a poem or letter written

Open Ended

What is a tribute?

Now, let's read the text.

Title: In Memory of Dr. King

The King memorial takes shape on the National Mall. A piece of the nation's capital honors an important leader—Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A memorial for King was built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It was the first memorial on the Mall to honor an African American.

A ceremony was held on November 13, 2006 to mark the start of construction. President George W. Bush and other leaders were among the thousands of people who gathered for the event.

Multiple Choice

Why did the author included the map?

• to show the reader how to get to Washington, D.C.

• to show the architects where to place the statue

• to show the reader where the statue is located

• to show the president where to go to give his speech

"When the work is done, the King memorial will be a fitting tribute—powerful and hopeful and poetic—like the man it honors," Bush said at the ceremony.

The memorial was completed and opened to the public in 2011. It has trees, flowing water, and a 30-foot statue of King. Quotes from King's speeches are carved into a stone wall.

A Great Leader

King (1929—1968) grew up in the U.S. South. At that time, the South was segregated, or separated by race. Under the law, black people were not allowed to attend the same schools as white people. They were forced to sit in the backseats of buses. They also had to use separate restrooms and drinking fountains.

Multiple Choice

Complete the following sentence:

________________ African Americans were forced to drink from different water fountains than white people.

• During segregation

• After segregation

• Both during and after segregation

• Neither during nor after segregation

A Great Leader

King worked to change the laws by giving speeches and leading peaceful marches. Thanks to King and other leaders, civil rights laws were passed. Those laws make sure that all Americans are treated equally.

Multiple Choice

How did the civil rights laws make sure that people were treated equally?

• The laws said no discriminating against someone based on race.

• The laws said that African American women can now run for office.

• The laws said that African Americans are now able to vote.

• The laws said that everyone had to like each other.

I Have a Dream

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech in Washington, D.C. A crowd of more than 200,000 people came to hear him. In his speech, King said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Multiple Select

What is a memorial?

(select ALL answers that apply)

• something built to honor, and to help people remember, a person who has died

• a ceremony that honors a person who has passed away

• to require or enforce the separation or isolation

Multiple Select

Why was a statue of Dr. King placed on the National Mall?

(Check ALL answers that apply)

• Dr. King deserves to be nationally recognized

• looking at the statue will remind people about equal rights

• children will learn about Dr. King by visiting the memorial

• Politicians wanted Dr. King to be forgotten

Open Ended

In your own words, explain what King meant in his speech when he said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."