A Man With a Dream Guided Reading Level Ī - - No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Written by Alyse Sweeney Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi Designed by Maria Lilja ISBN-13: 978-0-439-77419-2 ISBN-10: 0-439-77419-5 Copyright 2007 by Scholastic Inc. Published by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in China. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 62 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
Martin Luther King, Jr., was a leader in the struggle for equal rights. He lived from 1929 to 1968. Martin Luther King, Jr., lived when there were unfair laws in our country. These laws gave African Americans fewer rights than white people. Dr. King worked to change these laws.
Martin s older sister s name was Christine. Martin s brother, Alfred Daniel, was born after him. Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. His family called him M.L.
Martin liked to ride his bike and play baseball. He also liked to read and sing. The Kings house was full of games, stories, and fun. The neighborhood children liked to play there.
These were some of the unfair laws during Martin Luther King s life. African Americans had to sit at the back of the bus. At that time, there were unfair laws in the United States. These laws were found mostly in southern states.
African-American children could not go to the same schools as white children. African Americans could not drink from the same water fountains as white people. Under these laws, African Americans could not go to the same places as white people. This is called segregation.
Martin didn t understand why the color of his skin mattered to people. Two of Martin s friends were white. Martin used to meet them at their family s store. One day they said they couldn t play with Martin anymore because he was African-American.
Martin talked to his mother about it. She said that some people didn t understand that everyone is equal. She also said that someday things would get better.
Martin believed segregation was wrong and that all people should be treated the same way. Martin decided he was going to work to end segregation. He told his mother, I m going to turn this world upside down.
Like his father, Martin spoke about standing up for what is right. Martin worked hard in school. He studied religion. His studies helped him find peaceful ways to fight segregation. In 1948, he became a pastor, like his father.
In 1951, Martin went to Boston University. While he was in Boston, he met his future wife, Coretta Scott. They later moved to Alabama. There Dr. King worked as a pastor. 10
In Montgomery, Alabama, African Americans had to give up their seats on buses to white people. It was the law. In 1955, a woman named Rosa Parks wouldn t give up her seat on a bus to a white person. She was taken to jail. After that, African-American leaders planned a bus boycott. 11
Many African Americans walked instead of taking the bus. Dr. King led the boycott. For months, most African Americans did not ride the bus in Montgomery. After one year, the law was changed. Now all people had the right to sit anywhere on the bus. 12
In a famous speech, Dr. 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. The protest had worked! Dr. King led more peaceful protests. He led peaceful marches. He gave speeches about people living together peacefully. 13
In 1964, Dr. King was given a very important award called the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King was admired around the world. He was given many awards for his work. Millions of people mourned when he was killed on April 4, 1968. 14
Our country remembers Dr. King and his dream. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is a national holiday in January. Today our country is a better place because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King helped change the laws. He taught people about fairness and kindness. Thank you, Dr. King. 15
Glossary boycott (noun) a group s refusal to deal with a business or person, in order to bring about change equal (adjective) the same as someone or something else law (noun) a rule made by the government that people must follow mourned (verb) felt or showed sadness after a loss, such as a death pastor (noun) a minister or priest in charge of a church protest (noun) an action taken against something to show disagreement segregation (noun) the separation of people based on race, religion, or another reason 16
Guided Reading Level: I Word Count: 707 Average Words Per Page: 44 Spotlight Nonfiction Feature: Illustrated Examples With Captions Martin Luther King, Jr. A Man With a Dream Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 1968), led the way to equality for all Americans. Growing up in Georgia, King suffered the effects of racism and segregation. He vowed that one day he would make our country a better place to live and he did. With peaceful determination, Dr. King worked to make his dream come true. Introduce the concept of peaceful problem solving by asking: If you felt that a classmate was treating you unfairly, what could you do? Lead children to see that people can stand up for their rights without fighting. Introducing the Book Explain that in some parts of our country, there were unfair laws for African Americans. Today they will read about a great man who helped solve this problem peacefully. Spotlight Nonfiction Feature: Illustrated Examples With Captions Review with children that a sentence that appears above, below, or beside a picture is called a caption. The picture helps readers visualize the information, and the caption tells readers what the picture shows. Have children turn to pages 4 5. Explain that sometimes, one main idea can be shown with several different pictures. Read the heading at the top of page 4, pointing out that it tells the main idea. Next, have children point to each small picture and read the captions aloud. Emphasize that each picture and caption gives an example, or detail, about the main idea. Explain the signs used in the third picture. Tell children that the word colored was used to refer to African Americans because of the color of their skin. Using the Reproducible Pass out copies of page 35 and talk about King s dreams for making America a better place. Ask: What were some problems that he wanted to solve? Next, ask children: What dream do you have to make our country better? Have children draw their face in the oval at the bottom of the page and then write about their own dream. Book Links A For more information on Martin Luther King, Jr., try these titles: Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo (Scholastic, 1993) Martin s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport (Hyperion, 2001) My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up With the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Christine King Farris (Simon & Schuster, 2002) 34
Name American Dreams Date Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream to make America a better place for all people. Write about his dream in the first bubble. Then think about your own dream for America. Draw your face in the oval. Then write your dream in the second bubble. Dr. King s Dream for America My Dream for America Scholastic Teaching Resources, page 35
Name Date Sequencing Timeline Write the person s name on the line. Then write important events in the order in which they happened. Important Events in s Life
Name Vocabulary Chart Date Record new words on the chart. First, write the vocabulary word. Next, write what it means. Then, use the word in your own sentence. Word What It Means Sentence Using Word
Name Date Character Map Write the person s name in the center box. Then fill in the other boxes. Important Events in the Person s Life: His or Her Accomplishments: Name: What the Person Was Like: How I Feel About the Person:
Name Date Venn Diagram Write one person s name over each circle. Write facts about this person in that circle. In the center, write what the two people had in common. Name Name Both