On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy learned that Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated. Mr. Kennedy was then on the campaign trail in order to secure the Democratic presidential nomination and was due to speak that evening in Indianapolis, Indiana. The speech he gave that night has been considered by many to be one of the greatest speeches in the history of the United States.
As a 5th grade social studies teacher, I hope to help my students perceive the importance of this speech at this difficult, tragic, and tense moment in US history, as well as the value of the message in dealing with issues of difference today. I hope, in designing this BookBuilder version of the speech, to enable my fairly young students to comprehend the issues surrounding Mr. Kennedy and why his speaking on this occasion was a courageous act, while concurrently encouraging them to also act bravely when necessary.
To assist my students, I have embedded the following supports into the BookBuilder:
- Descriptions of the historical and cultural context of the speech as they appear in the speech and transcript via Coach Mike.
- Explanations of the application of the speech to modern life through Coach Susan.
- Summaries of main ideas by Coach Bot. This is intended to assist students with learning or reading difficulties to understand the core ideas of each passage.
- Hyperlinks to definitions or other media that will enhance students' learning and explain difficult words and concepts.
- Recordings of the audio of the speech or on-screen text to assist low-vision or dyslexic students to access the material.
- Questions for application on each page to assist students apply the ideas to modern conditions and their own lives.
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