Identifying the Central Idea

Which statement identifies the central idea of the text?

• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s commitment to nonviolent protest resulted in many achievements for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.

• Despite Martin Luther King, Jr.’s passion for nonviolent protest, nonviolent protests were not enough to achieve what activists desired during the Civil Rights Movement.

• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s opinions and dreams were not widely accepted during his time.

• Martin Luther King, Jr.’s fight for equal rights for African Americans was supported by the government, both nationally and locally.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was at the same time one of the most beloved and one of the most hated men of his time. (Paragraph 2)

• Since the end of World War II, there had been 60 unsolved bombings of African American churches and homes. (Paragraph 4)

• Finally, President Johnson ordered the National Guard to protect the demonstrators from attack, and King was able to complete the long march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery. (Paragraph 6)

• In 1964, he won the Nobel Peace Prize and was described as 'the first person in the Western world to have shown us that a struggle can be waged without violence.' (Paragraph 8)

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CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

How does paragraph 3 contribute to the development of ideas in the text?

• It proves how intelligent Martin Luther King Jr. was from a young age.

• It shows how many world leaders ended up impacting the Civil Rights Movement.

• It shows how Martin Luther King Jr.'s upbringing contributed to his commitment to activism and religious leadership.

• It shows that Martin Luther King, Jr.’s beliefs were not his own, but that his ideas were largely borrowed from other lesser-known leaders.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which quote from paragraph 3 best supports the answer to Part A?

• King was raised in an activist family. His father was deeply influenced by Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa Movement in the 1920s.

• As a student, King excelled. He easily moved through grade levels and entered Morehouse College, his father's alma mater, at the age of fifteen.

• While he was pursuing his doctorate at Boston University, he met and married Coretta Scott.

• After receiving his Ph.D. in 1955, King accepted an appointment to the Dexter Street Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

In paragraphs three and four, Dr. King uses an analogy to illustrate America’s broken promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to “her citizens of color.” What is this analogy?

• A. A promissory note--a check that has come back marked “insufficient funds”

• B. A dark empty well with a bottomless bucket tied to a frayed rope

• C. A crossroads in a dark forest

• D. A vast stretch of sand occasionally interrupted by lakes--which prove to be illusions

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CCSS.RI.7.8

CCSS.RI.8.1

CCSS.RI.8.8

CCSS.RL.8.1

CCSS.RL.9-10.1

Martin Luther King, Jr. uses the image of "the valley" in paragraph 6 to represent

• justice

• bad times

• the future

• peace

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

What is the claim Dr. King makes in his speech?

• I am happy to join with you today in...a demonstration for freedom...

• It is a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity

• The Negro still is not free

• We have come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now.

Throughout the speech, Dr. King uses repetition for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

• to emphasize his ideas

• to make the speech longer

• to appeal to the audience

• to ensure understanding

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

Which of the following identifies the central idea of the text?

• King believes that African Americans should not be denied their civil rights, and encourages others to be relentless in their non-violent fight for freedom.

• King’s dream is for African Americans to be free, and makes it clear he will do anything to achieve this, no matter the consequences.

• King does not believe that America is ready to grant African Americans their freedom, but is hopeful for a future in which this is possible.

• King knows that equality is not something he will see during his lifetime, but is confident that his children will eventually live in a world of equality.

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CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.8.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination

• In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred

• I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells

• 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

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CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3