Dr. Martin Luther King Jr ELA PARCC Practice Bundle

This is a lesson that usually takes me several days. I use several short texts both historical and literary to introduce American Civil Rights Literature. Documents like these can end up on the new standardized tests like the PARCC. This material has been organized to resemble the PARCC Research Simulation Task. They will present the students with 2-3 readings (I have given them 4), ask a series of multiple choice questions focusing on textual evidence (I have given them both multiple choice and short answer questions) and then ask them to write an essay synthesizing at least two readings (sources) while making sure students develop their essays by providing textual evidence from both texts. I have given them 3 different writing prompts based on the material.
Included with this packet:

The following primary documents:

•“I Have a Dream” Speech as delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. August 28, 1963 Washington DC and Scavenger Hunt Questions with Answer Key. I also sell the Scavenger Hunt lesson by itself in my store.
•Excerpt from “I've Been to the Mountaintop” as delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. April 3, 1968, Mason Temple (Church of God in Christ Headquarters), Memphis, Tennessee with both multiple choice and short answer questions.
•Image: Martin Luther King leading the march from Selma to Montgomery to protest lack of voting rights for African Americans. Beside King is John Lewis, Reverend Jesse Douglas, James Forman and Ralph Abernathy- Photo taken March 1965-with corresponding close reading questions and accompanying Narrative Writing Prompt.

The following secondary/literary sources:

•“Echoes of 1968: Remembering MLK's Prophetic 'Mountaintop' Speech.” NPR.org April 3, 2008. With accompanying close reading questions.
•“SELMA TO MONTGOMERY MARCH” An introductory article from History.com to accompany the image of Dr. King leading the march from Selma to Montgomery.

•All questions are designed to focus readers on finding their answers in the text and be able to use the text to support any of those answers. An Answer Key for all Close Reading Questions is included at the end of the document- some answers are subjective and you must use your judgment to decide whether or not the student has based their answer in the text.

The Following Writing Prompts:

•Narrative Writing Task
•Literary Analysis Task
•Research Simulation Task
•A rubric for the essays based on the AP Literature and Composition rubric.

I also have a graphic organizer for the Literary Analysis Task- Prose Constructed Response Essay available in my store. Please take a look.