As Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday draws near, it's a great time to teach your students about this remarkable man and why there is a holiday dedicated to him. This lesson has everything you need to teach your students about Martin Luther King Jr.'s life and dream. It includes recommended read alouds, an anchor chart (download the free anchor chart printables HERE), and a writing craft for your students to make.
Before teaching the lesson, you will want to make the anchor chart by cutting and gluing the headings onto the top of a horizontal piece of Pacon® Heavy-Duty Unruled Anchor Chart Paper. You can download the headings for free HERE. To make the "Martin Luther King Jr." heading you will need to cut and glue the 3 pieces together. I like to use the Tombow Mono Adhesive 2-Sided Tape to attach the pieces together and adhere them onto the anchor chart. During the lesson you will want to hang the anchor chart on an easel or board, so that you can write the students' answers on it.
To begin the lesson, ask your students the question: "Who was Martin Luther King Jr. and what was his dream?" You can have students share what they know already to activate their prior knowledge.
There are many great books to use to teach about Martin Luther King Jr., but two of my favorite ones to use are Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport and I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr. The first book teaches about Martin Luther King Jr. and the second book is his "I Have a Dream" famous speech paired with beautiful paintings by Kadir Nelson. You will definitely want to read, at least, the first book in order to do the anchor chart. Before reading, tell students to be listening for who he was, what he believed, and what he dreamed.
After learning about Martin Luther King Jr., have students share what they learned about who he was, what he believed, and what he dreamed. I like to have students share with their partner for each category before we share out loud as a class. Record students' answers onto the anchor chart.
To end the lesson, I like to help students make a connection and realize that they can also make a difference, just like Martin Luther King Jr.! They too can have a dream for our world and choose to have the courage to stand up for what is right. Have students brainstorm ideas of dreams they have to make our world a better place. Then, have them write down their dream on the paper included in my I Have a Dream, Martin Luther King Jr. Craftivity This resource includes all of the printables your students will need to make the craft.
To make the hands for the craft, print the hand templates onto white cardstock and have students trace them onto two shades of paper from the Pacon® Multicultural Construction Paper. For younger students you may want to do the tracing and cutting of the hands before the lesson. I absolutely love the range of skin tone colors provided in this pack! Print the "I Have a Dream" hearts onto pink paper and have students cut them out. Students will glue all of the pieces and their writing onto a piece of Black Pacon® Riverside® Construction Paper. I love how these crafts turn out every year! They make a great display for the hallway too!
I love teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. and every year am amazed at the connection my students make with him after we learn about his life! It's so important for them to learn about people, like Martin Luther King Jr., so that they can see examples of courageous men and women who made a difference by standing up for what they believed in!
