To demonstrate their ability to comprehend complex text, ninth graders are asked to craft an essay in which they use evidence drawn from "Letter From Birmingham Jail" to analyze how Martin Luther King, Jr. uses rhetorical devices such as tone, diction, and analogy to develop and strengthen his argument.

Concepts

civil rights, martin luther king jr., reading comprehension, reading comprehension strategies

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Additional Tags

english language arts

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Instructional Ideas

• Include in a study of the American Civil Rights Movement
• Use the module as a pre-assessment to aid in designing lessons or as a formative assessment of student learning

Classroom Considerations

• The third in a series of six assessment modules designed specifically to assess ninth grade Common Core standards

Pros

• The packet includes background information for instructors, a step-by-step plan, and templates for the letter, worksheets, and the writing prompt
• The Word document is editable

Cons

• None

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.9-10.4 RI.9-10.6 RI.9-10.9 W.9-10.2.a W.9-10.4 W.9-10.9.a SL.9-10.1.a