Martin Luther King Jr. Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie

What do you know about the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s? (Tap prior knowledge)

Who was Martin Luther King, Jr.? (Summarize)

During the Movie (Pause Points)

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:16: What were Jim Crow laws? What were the consequences of breaking these laws? (Recall / Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 2:53: What was the result of the Montgomery bus boycott? (Identify cause/effect)

Timecode 3:41: What is King’s dream in the “I Have a Dream” Speech? (Identify main idea and details)

After the Movie

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Martin Luther King, Jr. topic. (Make connections)

Why do you think there was such a violent response to peaceful protests? (Draw conclusions)

In what ways might Dr. King organize civil rights protests today? (Make inferences)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Martin Luther King, Jr Topic Page to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.