8th Grade MLK Writing First Draft

The following is a list of the ideas we came up with in class to help in structuring your first draft:


OPENING
o Personal connection to Obama and his election—Congratulations; meaning of his election; Obama and a new
understanding of multiculturalism; creation of new cultural identities; next steps in fight for civil rights
o Specific example of anecdote related to topic; imagining a world where you didn’t have …; connect topic to an everyday
situation; giving the issue a face
o Overview of the topic: Both general info and info about Obama’s plan regarding this issue

BODY
o How this topic connects to the neighborhood we’re marching in.
o Your specific ideas about your subtopic: ideas, responses and critiques of Obama’s plan
o Present the problem and highlight the specific ways he plans to address the issue and respond to his plans: agree/
disagree, criticize, explain its strong points, what you would add/change/expand on. How would the issue affect
Americans and people in the neighborhood we’re marching through?
o Connection to civil rights and MLK

CONCLUSION
o Wrap up what your main ideas are, make sure the audience gets it
o End with a powerful story or anecdote