Letter from Birmingham Jail by Connor Cunningham
February is Black History Month in the US, an important time of year to honor the contributions of black Americans to society, remember the sacrifices of those involved in the Civil Rights Movement, and remind us that although progress has been made since the founding of our country, we are still far from an egalitarian society.
If you’re looking for a way to incorporate discussion of Black History Month into your ESL classroom, check out this lesson plan on Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Uruguay ETA Connor Cunningham (originally posted on the Latin American Teaching Collab site). This lesson for advanced-level students includes a think-pair-share activity using images from the Civil Rights Movement, as well as a reading comprehension exercise with an abridged version of King’s famous letter. You can download materials for the lesson below: