A A HISTORICAL FIGURES

Martin Luther King Jr.

PRE-INTERMEDIATE
Lesson code: U5TE-P2U8-V7PR (A2-B1)
American English

1 Warm-up
What do you know about Martin Luther King Jr.?

2 Vocabulary
Read the sentences below and try to understand the underlined words.

1. My grandfather was a popular preacher. People traveled long distances to listen to him.
2. Joe believes in equal rights for everyone. It doesn't matter if you are black, white, yellow or brown.
3. Gandhi always promoted non-violent solutions. He hated fighting.
4. At the age of 25, Alison graduated from Cambridge University.
5. The staff is very professional here. They always find the best product for you.
6. Billy was arrested by the police after he tried to steal a car.
7. The younger generation smokes less than their parents did.
8. The protesters were shouting outside the White House. They're not happy with the president's
decision.

Now match the words on the left with the definitions on the right. Check with your partner.

1. a preacher a. a person who gives religious speeches

2. equal rights b. people of about the same age in a society or a country
3. non-violent c. someone who publicly shows that they disagree with something by
standing somewhere, shouting, carrying signs, etc.
4. graduate d. taken by the police because you broke the law
5. staff e. the idea that everybody should be treated the same
6. arrested f. the people who work for a business or organization
7. generation g. to complete a degree, i.e. college, high school
8. a protester h. without using force
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 Martin Luther King Jr.
A A A A HISTORICAL FIGURES

3 Before you listen

Read the statements below and decide what could be true and false. Talk about it with your partner
and then listen to a historian talking about Martin Luther King Jr.'s life.

1. Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Africa and then moved to America.
2. He got a good education.
3. He was killed by a sniper.
4. Dr. King won two Nobel Peace Prizes.
5. Martin Luther King Day is celebrated every year in January.

4 Checking understanding
Read the questions below and listen again to check what you remember about Martin Luther King.
Answer the questions and compare them with your partner.

1. When was Martin Luther King born?

a. in 1909 b. in 1919 c. in 1929

2. What happened in 1960?

a. He gave an famous speech.
b. He was arrested in the restaurant of a department store.
c. He was murdered.

3. How many protesters were arrested in the Magnolia Room?

a. 17 b. 51 c. 75

4. How did Martin Luther King's famous speech begin?

a. `This is my dream.' b. `I had a dream.' c. `I have a dream.'

5. Where did it take place?

a. in Washington D.C. b. in New York c. in Alabama

6. Where was Martin Luther King murdered?

a. in a department store b. in his apartment c. on a balcony

5 Speaking
Discuss any of the questions below.
1. What did you learn about Martin Luther King Jr. that you didn't know before?
2. What do you think life was like for African Americans in the time of Martin Luther King?
3. How is American society different now because of Dr. King?
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 Martin Luther King Jr. - Transcripts
A A A A HISTORICAL FIGURES

3- Before you listen

Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929. He was born into a religious family,
and his father was a preacher. When King was growing up, black people in the southern part of the
U.S. did not have equal rights. But he believed in non-violent solutions to this problem, and he was
involved in many social and political events. He went to a good religious school in Pennsylvania
where his teachers saw him as an excellent student. Later, he was accepted by many universities,
including Yale, but he chose to go to Boston University. He graduated at the age of 25 and became
a pastor in Alabama.
King was very good at public speaking. He became a leader for many black people who believed in
freedom for everyone. In 1960, he and 50 other African Americans went into a department store
and asked to be treated like white people. At that time, African Americans could purchase items
from the store but they were not allowed to try on clothes or sit at a table in the restaurant, which
was called the Magnolia Room. The 51 protesters sat in the Magnolia Room until the police arrived
and arrested every one of them.
King worked hard to organize a big demonstration in 1963 in Washington D.C. There were over
200,000 people and it was there that he gave his famous speech `I have a dream'. This started the
big change across the country, and in 1964 he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. King wanted bigger and faster changes. He wanted white and black people to live together in
peace.
On April 4, 1968, while standing on a balcony in Memphis, he was shot dead by a sniper. After his
murder, people of different skin color were crying and equal treatment finally began.
Every year on the third Monday of January, Americans celebrate his birthday.

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 Martin Luther King Jr. - Key
A A A A HISTORICAL FIGURES

1- Warm-up

Encourage a brief discussion.

2- Vocabulary

1. a 2. e 3. h 4. g 5. f 6. d 7. b 8. c

3- Before you listen

1. F 2. T 3. T 4. F 5. T

4- Checking understanding

Students can listen to the audio two or three times. For lower ability groups, show the transcript and play the
audio for the third time if necessary.
1. c
2. b
3. b
4. c
5. a
6. c

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Review your flashcards at least 3-5 times a week for 20 minutes to keep the material fresh in your memory.
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