Collections Grade 10 Guiding Questions
Collection 6
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr.
Read the argument “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr. Then, reread the lines indicated with each question below. Answer each question, citing text evidence.
Lines 2–12: What is one claim opposing King’s work to which he is responding in the first paragraph of the letter? To whom is he responding, and why is this audience significant?
Lines 17–43: King provides three different types of reasons in his letter to justify his presence in Birmingham: organizational reasons, religious or historical reasons, and moral reasons. Choose one type of reason and cite an example from these lines. Explain why the example fits your chosen reason.
Lines 17–43: What is a religious reason King gives on this page? Why did King include religious allusions in his letter?
Lines 66–101: Why might King hav