Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's so important to me each and every January to pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in my classroom. Yes, we have the day off each year in honor of him, but too many times, students dont stop to think about WHY we are honoring this great man.

There are some wonderful videos on YouTube that I show to my class every year. This one is one of my favorites. The cartoon drawings are so cute and the narration is wonderful (if a little fast). My students always enjoy it! They take notes on important facts they learn about him in this video. I often play it a few times because of the quick narration.

I often follow this video up with a puzzle activity that enables my students to learn even more about Dr. King. You can click on the picture below to be taken directly to this puzzle in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Another of my favorite videos features a cartoon version of Dr. King reciting his "I Have a Dream" speech. 

I often have my students identify what their own dreams are for the world. Students write about such topics as animal rights, pollution, equality, peace, environmental issues, etc. It allows them to see that even they, as middle school students, can have dreams about which they CAN do something.

I like to provide my students with an opportunity to read some of this great man's words. We read quotations by Dr. King and students reflect on their meanings for the world today. This makes a great small group or center activity as well and encourages deep thinking and excellent discussion. Click on the picture below to see this item in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

Happy January, friends!