Blogs The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. It honors a great hero whose values of nonviolence, equality, service and justice was taught to us through his inspiring words, vision, and actions. On this day we commemorate Dr. King’s dream of a vibrant, multiracial nation united in justice, peace and reconciliation. To help honor this day, we have compiled a list of resources for you to use to help students put in perspective Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, his impact on the Civil Rights Movement, and his significance to American culture and history.
Below are 10 of our favorite resources to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and help teach your students about the life and legacy of Dr. King.
- Best Books to teach about MLK Day courtesy of Education World. A list of literature to support classroom instruction about Martin Luther King, Jr. http://www.educationworld.com/a_bestbooks/students/students104.shtml
- Martin Luther King Jr. Speech & activities courtesy of Teachers Pay Teachers (Free Download) Activities aligned with the Common Core Standards for grades 6-12 and include: copy of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, social studies research project, writing prompt, word scramble, readers theaterscript example, service project & additional activities to use in each class. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Dream-Speech-Activities-FREE-63800
- Martin Luther King Jr. Interactive Timeline courtesy of Scholastic. After listening to a reading of a Picture Book of Martin Luther King Jr. by David A. Adler, students in grade 3-6 use sequencing skills to create a timeline of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/martin-luther-king-jr-interactive-timeline
- Test Your Knowledge Quiz- MLK Quiz created by the Seattle Times. Use this self-correcting quiz once the study unit is completed, or better yet, use the quiz as a starting point. Provide the questions and have your students work together to find resources to locate the answers. http://old.seattletimes.com/special/mlk/classroom/MLKquiz.html
- 28 Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes courtesy of Clickypix: http://www.clickypix.com/28-martin-luther-king-jr-quotes/
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Videos courtesy of TeacherVision. Collection of videos and extension activities to give students an overview of the civil rights movement, racial tensions, and the life and legacy of Dr. King. https://www.teachervision.com/martin-luther-king-jr/video/73143.html
- Dr. King’s Dream Lesson Activity courtesy of EDSITEment. Students in grades K-2 will learn about the life and work of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Have students listen to a brief biography, view photos of the March on Washington, hear a portion of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and discuss what King’s words mean to them. Finally, have them create picture books about their own dreams of freedom for Americans today. http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/dr-kings-dream
- MLK Day activities courtesy of Activity Village. A variety of MLK Day activities to suit all ages, looking at the historical perspective, the man himself, his most famous words, equality and peace. Activities include; coloring pages, MLK printables, MLK Day worksheets, crafts, puzzles, songs and much more! http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/mlk-day
- Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying with a Hero lesson plan courtesy of readwritethink. This lesson explores ways to help identify with Dr. King through reading, writing, listening and speaking activities that provide a glimpse into Dr. King’s life. http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/martin-luther-king-identifying-257.html
- Do’s and Don’ts of Celebrating MLK Day courtesy of Teaching Tolerance. Teaching Tolerance provides a great overview list on how the holiday should be observed. Coretta Scott King provided a vision in The Washington Post in 1983 of how the holiday honoring her husband should be observed: “The holiday must be substantive as well as symbolic. It must be more than a day of celebration, but also a day of reflection, a day of teaching nonviolent philosophy and strategy, a day of getting involved in nonviolent action for social and economic progress.” This list is divided into three aspects of daily school and classroom settings: displays, curriculum and discussions. http://www.tolerance.org/supplement/dos-and-donts-celebrating-mlk-day
