An Organized Collection of Teaching Activities for MLK Day
While things aren’t perfect, equality and diversity acceptance in the United States have come so far in the past few decades. The civil rights movement set off a change that has opened opportunities to so many members of our society. Martin Luther King Jr. Day gives us an opportunity to remember the sacrifices so many people made and to teach our children to strive to create a more just world.
Because I want to make sure my children are aware of the freedoms we are blessed with, I am planning to spend some time focused on civil rights and on MLK Jr. I’m organizing and sharing a few of my favorite resources here to save you time if you are looking for ideas for MLK Jr. Day too.
Favorite Teaching Activities
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Okay, this one was a tie. I just couldn’t decide. Both of these activities are great and they both make slightly different points.
1.I really love this egg demonstration from Kids Activities Blog. It is perfect for making the point that we may look different on the outside, but we are the same on the inside.
2. I also really love this play-dough exploration idea from Bonbon Break for using a play-dough rainbow to talk about diversity. Not only does it help kids see that color is just color. Play-dough is still play-dough no matter what color you make it. Though, it’s more fun to play with when you have lots of colors and that is perfect for helping kids see that diversity makes for a more interesting world.
Favorite Videos
Once again I had a hard time deciding on just one video. So, I am sharing two. The first is short and sweet. It does a good job of explaining who Martin Luther King Jr. was. The second is a full length movie and was my daughter’s favorite.
Favorite Books
There are so many great children’s books about Martin Luther King Jr., but I narrowed my list down to just three of the best. These all are geared for elementary school aged children.
1. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a great book for elementary school aged students. It has gorgeous illustrations that really make this book special.
2. My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr. is perfect for introducing Martin Luther King Jr. to very young children.
3. March On!: The Day My Bother Martin Changed the World shares his sister’s memories in a way that kids can relate to.
Favorite Writing Activities
It is important to give kids the opportunity to summarize and write about their learning. It helps their brains to process and make meaningful connections so that they can remember their learning later. Ashely has some wonderful and free graphic organizers and writing paper that are perfect to use after learning about MLK Jr.
Favorite Quotes
I also wanted to share a few of my favorite quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. with you. I’ve made them into free printable pages you can get here.
So many fabulous ideas, but I especially love the egg demonstration. What a powerful way to really drive the point home… simply, memorably, and clearly!
Thank you. I really loved that idea too.