In anticipation of聽Martin Luther King Jr. Day, engage with these聽classroom resources focused on Dr. King and texts he wrote. The materials below, all聽from , range from mini-lessons to complete units and span聽all grade bands.
- . (Grades K鈥�12)
Students study Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech and work in groups to create a mural that depicts Dr. King鈥檚 vision of peace. - (Grades K鈥�2)
This lesson provides the 鈥渁ction piece鈥� for any study of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In this project, students participate in Dr. King鈥檚 dream by doing 100 acts of kindness. - (Grades K鈥�2)
This lesson provides ideas for celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day by encouraging students to explore the connections between Dr. King and themselves through journaling and inquiry-based research. - (Grades 2-8)聽Teachers guide students to carefully view images from the Civil Rights Movement and write captions that accurately describe the images and/or their probable purposes.
- (Grades 3鈥�5)
Inspired by the book Martin鈥檚 Big Words, students explore information on Dr. King to think about his 鈥渂ig鈥� words, then they write about their own 鈥渂ig鈥� words and dreams. - (Grades 6鈥�8)
Nikki Giovanni鈥檚 poem 鈥淭he Funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.鈥� is paired with Dr. King鈥檚 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech, taking students on a quest through time to the Civil Rights movement. - (Grades 6鈥�8)
Students analyze stylistic choices and grammar use in authentic writing, focusing on the use of the semicolon in Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 鈥淟etter from Birmingham Jail.鈥� - (Grades 9鈥�12)
Students identify the rhetorical strategies in a famous speech and the specific purpose for each chosen device. - (Grades 9鈥�12)
Students will identify how Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 dream of nonviolent conflict resolution is reinterpreted in modern texts. Homework is differentiated to prompt discussion on how nonviolence is portrayed through characterization and conflict. Students will be formally assessed on a thesis essay that addresses - (Grades 9鈥�12)
Students explore the ways that powerful and passionate words communicate the concepts of freedom, justice, discrimination, and the American Dream in Martin Luther King Jr.鈥檚 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� speech. - (Grades K鈥�12)
Students explore the 鈥淚 Have a Dream鈥� Foundation鈥檚 website and brainstorm ways they can help themselves or others at their school achieve their educational dreams. - or (Grades 3鈥�12)
Word Mover allows children and teens to create 鈥渇ound poetry鈥� by choosing from word banks and existing famous works, including “I Have a Dream.” Additionally, users can add new words to create a piece of poetry by moving/manipulating the text.