Doug Lemov's field notes

Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

08.28.13 On Teaching (and Close Reading) the “I Have a Dream” Speech

Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is among my favorite pieces of writing- not just for personal inspiration but also as a text for teaching in the classroom—as a reading text.  It’s an ideal text for close reading—beautifully crafted; artfully constructed; perfectly argued; full of the deft rhetorical detail that characterizes so much of King’s…