Engage. Educate. Entertain. I Have a Dream:

The Life and Times of

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Curriculum aligned to the Florida Standards

Wednesday, February 6, 2019

11:00 a.m.

The Mahaffey Theater at

The Duke Energy Center for the Arts

Kim Dennison Curriculum Research & Design

Directions to the

Mahaffey Theater

Take I-275 (south from Tampa, north from Bradenton/Sarasota) to exit 22 (I-175).

Follow Route I-175 (it will become

5th Avenue South) to 1st Street South.

The Mahaffey Theater will be in front of you. 1st Street South and 2nd Street South are

two-way streets.

Follow the directions given by the parking attendants.

Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts, Inc. is committed to supporting and presenting all genres of the Performing

Arts at The Mahaffey Theater and throughout the St. Petersburg, Florida area; funding arts education for school

children and providing its member patrons with unequaled services, entertainment, and cultural experiences.

How to Reach Us

Class Acts, Mahaffey Theater 400 1st Street South

St. Petersburg, FL 33701-4346 Attn: Class Acts/Perkins Elementary School

Pony Route #3

Phone: (727)892-5800

Fax: (727)892-5770

An electronic version of this guide can be found at stpeteclassacts.com.

This project is sponsored in part by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts

and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. (Section 286.25, Florida Statutes)

About the Show

I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Martin Luther King, Jr.

By Bruce Miller Virginia Repertory Theatre is proud to present I Have a Dream: The

Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This compelling

dramatization of the life and times of one of the most influential and

charismatic leaders of the “American Century” and the Civil Rights

movement will inspire your students as they experience this great

leader’s struggle and his dream of lifting “our nation from the

quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.” The

play traces Dr. King’s life from his humble beginnings in Atlanta,

Georgia through his extraordinary evolution into one of the 20th

century’s foremost figures.

Theatre IV, a division of Virginia Repertory Theatre

Theatre IV provides outstanding educational

entertainment designed to tour and innovative

instructional programs that enrich our nation's schools. We

perform live before over 1/2 million children, teens, parents and teachers across America

every year.

A Note from the Producers

At Virginia Rep on Tour, it is always our intention to enrich young audiences by portraying history accurately. It is never our intention to be irresponsible or to promote unacceptable language or behavior. On the contrary, we believe once young people encounter the historic context and hurtful impact of epithets through the empathetic experience of drama, they will become more thoughtful and reject hate-speech as deeply unacceptable. The Children's Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama was the final turning point that pursuaded the majority of U.S. citizens that Southern Segregation was cruel and evil, and that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was indeed on the side of justice, goodness and truth. During what was otherwise a peaceful demonstration, Bull Connor, the Commissioner of Public Safety in Birmingham Alabama, ordered fire hoses and police dogs turned on the young marchers. As the marchers ran for cover from the brutality of the hoses and dogs, Bull Connor was televised into living rooms across America yelling, “Look at those niggers run!” This moment, seen by so many Americans right in their living rooms, couldn’t be denied. It helped turn the tide of white American support for Civil Rights. Here is an excerpt from our script: Actor 5 The world watched as television cameras recorded for all time the clash between Bull Connor and the Black children of

Birmingham. On May 2, more than 1,000 children assembled at 16th Street Baptist Church. M. L. King Jr.: Are you willing to follow me today in a march for freedom? All: Yes. M. L. King Jr.: Are you willing to go to jail if Mr. Connor arrests you? All: Yes. M. L. King Jr.: And most importantly of all, are you willing to resist all temptation to fight or to hate or engage in any violent activity? All: Yes. M. L. King Jr.: Then my children, we can conquer the world. Actor 3: On the 1st day, under orders from Bull Connor, 959 children were arrested and jailed. On the 2nd day, 2,000 more children

and parents came forward to replace their brothers and sisters. Actor 5: Bull Connor was ready. When the marchers rounded a city corner, Bull Connor ordered city fireman to batter the crowd of

children with 100-pound pressure fire hoses. After the children were slammed to the ground and against brick walls by the raging water, Connor freed all his police dogs, which attacked the battered children without mercy. Millions of Americans watched on television as Bull Connor laughed and shouted to the camera, "Look at those niggers run."

M. L. King Jr.: Don't worry my children. God is on our side. We will not hate, but we will not obey a hateful law. We shall overcome. Actor 2: On the 3rd day, an even larger crowd faced the dogs and fire hoses. And on the 4th day, over 3,000 children began their

final peaceful march to the jail. Actor 5: But Bull Connor waited for them on the steps. "Turn on the hoses" he cried. (pause) "Turn on the hoses." Actor 4: But the firemen refused to obey the order. Actor 2: The policemen refused to budge. Actor 3: The marchers came forward, and the policemen and fireman, with tears in their eyes, parted and let the marchers through. Actor 2: Within days, the leaders of Birmingham voted official segregation out of Birmingham forever. Three months later, Dr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He put down his note cards, and spoke from his heart, and from that moment on, our country has never forgotten his words.

A quote of that significance in American history should be heard and understood.

Eric Williams Director of Tour Operations Virginia Rep on Tour ewilliams@virginiarep.org

Virginia Rep on Tour—Why we say it:

Before the Show

Analyzing Primary Sources: The Text of “I Have a Dream”

A primary source is a document or object written or created during the time under study. Primary sources offer an inside view from the context of a particular time in history. Primary sources can be documents such as diaries, speeches, letters, or interviews. They can be photographs, or music. They can also be artifacts such as pottery, clothing, or paintings.

During the August 28, 1963 March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech on the steps of the

Lincoln Memorial that became known as the “I Have a Dream” speech. Studying the text of the speech, a

primary source document, provides us insight into the goals of the marchers, the emotions of that day, and into the

social climate that precipitated Dr. King’s ideas as expressed in the speech.

Excerpt of “I Have a Dream”

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we

face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still

have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the

American dream. I have a dream that one day

this nation will rise up and live out the true

meaning of its creed, “We hold these truths to be

self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I

have a dream that one day on the red hills of

Georgia, sons of former slaves and the sons of

former slaveowners will be able to sit down

together at the table of brotherhood. I have a

dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a

state sweltering with the heat of injustice,

sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be

transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 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.

Leaders of the march posing in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, 08/28/1963. National Archives and Records Administration.

Discussion Questions:

Dr. King says that his dream “is a dream deeply

rooted in the American dream.” What is the

“American dream,” and what do you think Dr.

King means by this statement?

Dr. King uses Mississippi as an example of “a

state sweltering with the heat of injustice,

sweltering with the heat of oppression....” What

injustices and oppression were occurring in

Mississippi (and other places) at this time in his-

tory?

In your opinion, has Dr. King’s dream come

true? Why or why not?

Read Dr. King’s full speech at http://

teachingamericanhistory.org/library/

document/i-have-a-dream-speech/. What do

you think he means when he says, in paragraph

7, “We cannot walk alone.”?

Extension - Primary Sources Pinned

Take the virtual History Pin tour entitled “The March on Washington” to see

powerful images from the march pinned to a map and displayed upon the

backdrop of those historic places today.

Access the tour at https://www.historypin.org/en/civil-rights-march-on-

washington-d-c/geo/38.889545,-77.044386,5/bounds/23.944349,-

85.899366,51.246967,-68.189406

Before the Show

Theater etiquette is an important part of attending a live stage production. So

that all patrons have an enjoyable experience at the theater, please share these

guidelines with your students prior to attending the performance. Remind

students to be respectful of the performers and other audience members by

engaging in responsible behavior.

• You agree to be on time. Theater is great! It's live! It happens in the moment. You can't

rewind it. You are an important part of the show and you need to be there from the very

beginning. The actors are there, so you need to be there, too. Arriving 20 minutes before

show time is the standard rule.

• You agree to use the restroom before the show starts to avoid getting up and disrupting

the performance while it's happening. Once a class is seated, you may visit the restroom in

small groups prior to show time. Young students must be escorted.

• You agree not to talk or whisper during the show. If you whisper to your friends during the

show, you disrupt those around you, and quite possibly the actors. And, you might

miss something!

• You agree to participate. This includes laughing at appropriate times, clapping in

appreciation for the things and actors you like, and doing other things when invited by the

actors to do so. It also means paying attention to what's going on by listening and

watching closely.

• You agree to turn off all cell phones and other gadgets that may make noise during

the show.

• You agree not to take pictures or use recording devices of any kind during the show . The

material performed on stage is copyrighted material, and therefore protected under

copyright law from reproduction of any kind without written permission. In addition, the

Mahaffey Theater is a union house, and union rules prohibit the use of photography and

recording devices without prior consent.

• Finally, you agree to give the actors a full curtain call . A curtain call is the actors' final bow

at the end of the performance. It's your opportunity to show your appreciation for what

they've shared with you. Please wait until all the actors have taken their final bow before

exiting the theater. The ushers will assist you in finding the best route out of theater!

Use these lessons from CPALMS to deepen students’ understanding of Martin Luther King,

Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement:

3rd and 4th Grade: Sparkling Speeches (can be adapted for 3rd Graders)

Sparkling is the word! In this lesson, students will investigate transforming an exciting

student-created expository into an engaging and quality speech using resources from the

classroom and the school media center. Students will listen to a remarkable Martin Luther

King speech provided by YouTube, confer with classmates on speech construction, and use a

variety of easy to access materials (included with this lesson) during the construction of their

speech.

The lesson allows for in-depth trials and experiments with expository writing and speech

writing. In one exciting option, students may use a "Speech Forum" to safely practice their

unique speeches in front of a small non-assessing audience of fellow students. A complete

exploration and comprehension of introductions, main ideas with support details, and an

engaging conclusion transformed into a student speech with a written exam are the final

assessments for this memorable lesson.

http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/39020

5th Grade: From Text to Art: Exploring the Civil Rights Dreams of Abraham Lincoln and

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In this lesson, students will determine the main ideas in two informational texts about the

work and dreams of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. The culminating activity will

require students to show understanding of the information presented and the relationship

between the two men's dreams by 1) selecting one of three pieces of art to best represent

their civil rights dreams, and 2) writing an opinion piece explaining their choice.

http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/40211

3rd-8th Grades: Teaching Tolerance: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil

Rights Movement

This collection of teaching ideas offers multiple activities to support rich classroom

discussions on Dr. King and the events of the Civil Rights Movement. Writing, WebQuests, and

other extension ideas are included in this resource.

http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceUrl/Preview/31273

http://www.tolerance.org/activity/lesson-dr-king-and-movement

After the Show

Florida Standards & Sources

LAFS.3.RI.1.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

LAFS.3.SL.2.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

LAFS.4.RI.1.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

LAFS.4.SL.2.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

LAFS.5.RI.1.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

LAFS.6.RI.1.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

LAFS.7.RI.1.3 Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

LAFS.8.RI.1.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

TH.3.O.2.1 Describe what happened in a play, using age-appropriate theatre terminology.

TH.4.H.3.2 Compare a historical play with actual historical events.

TH.5.H.2.1 Recognize theatre works as a reflection of societal beliefs and values.

TH.68.H.1.5 Describe one’s own personal responses to a theatrical work and show respect for the responses of others.

Sources for This Study Guide

CPALMS http://www.cpalms.org/Public/

Theatre IV Study Guides & Photographs http://www.theatreiv.org/guides.html