Name___________________

Mr. Sheridan
Mr. McNaughton

Letter from Birmingham Jail Day 1 & 2

Do Now: Correct all the capitalization errors in the following sentence. (underline words that
should or should not be capitalized)

martin will be thirtyfive in september and will have worked as a bus driver with septa for
seven years.

Hook Question: What do you know about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.? Why do we remember
him? What did he stand for?
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

● Baptist minister and civil rights leader
● Born in Atlanta Georgia, 1929
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Birmingham Campaign
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Letter From Birmingham Jail

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1. What are two reasons Dr. King’s critics say he and his organization should not be in
Birmingham, Alabama? Provide textual evidence to prove both reasons.
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2. How does Dr. King justify his presence in Birmingham? Provide textual evidence to
support your answer.
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Annotation activity: On your copy of Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, make
annotations using the following key.
● Claim = C
● Ethos = E
● Pathos = P
● Logos = L
● Addressing the opposition = underline the section
● Figurative language = write the type of figurative language next to they example

In the first four pages of the letter, annotate at least four examples of any of the literary elements
above using the symbols listed. For example, if you see an example of pathos, write a “P” in the
margin near that example. Once you have found at least four examples, explain two of those
examples. What are they and how did you know?
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