Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored and remembered on the third Monday of January. He was an inspirational orator who had a heart for African Americans and spent much of his life fighting for civil rights through peaceful protests.
His speeches and the movements he led brought about change for African Americans, so it is important that children learn about the significance of his life.
Here are eight activities that will help your students to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reading Passages
If you're looking for a reading passage for your 8-12 year olds, then have a look at this differentiated set of reading passages.
There are three levels, along with comprehension questions, vocabulary work, and word wall cards to support your students' understanding of vocabulary about civil rights.
Graphic Organizer
When children have done their research, there are lots of ways to present their knowledge.
This one-page biography graphic organizer is an easy way for students to record the key facts in an interesting way.
There are options with a portrait of Martin Luther King, Jr. and without so that children can do their own drawing.
These would look great displayed on a bulletin board.
3D Craft
Here is really fun way for children to present their information about Martin Luther King, Jr.
With this activity, they get to make a 3D craft of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On one side, they color a portrait. On another side, they write key facts. On the next side, they write about his achievements, and on the final side, they write about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
But you may like to use the editable version to write your own prompts for writing.
There are three line sizes too, so it's easy to choose the line size you need for your children.
Word Search
Kids love word searches, so they're always a good option as an activity to do after reading, or for setting up at a center, or for early finishers.
You can download this word search freebie if you'd like this activity for your students.
Quiz
I love quizzes for introducing children to a topic, and for finishing a topic too! They're also a great motivator for learning more information in order to answer the questions.
As an introduction, it's great when children work in teams to see how much they know, but it works just as well individually as well. Children may know the answers to a few questions, but after learning more about Martin Luther King, Jr., they'll be able to answer the questions easily, and they'll feel great about seeing their progress.
You could also use the quiz as the starting point for research. Children can answer as many questions as they can, and then research the answers to any questions they don't know.
When your children are finishing learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., putting the kids into teams and having them race to finish the quiz with as many questions answered correctly as possible, is always a fun way to end a topic.
You can grab the FREE quiz here.
Fortune Teller
I love hands-on activities, and fortune tellers are great for reviewing new information.
This FREE fortune teller will be a fun way for your children to see how much they can remember about Martin Luther King, Jr. when they play either by themselves, or even better, with a friend.
Even if children can't remember all the facts, they end up learning them through repetition when they play the game several times.
Classroom Posters
I just love Martin Luther King, Jr.'s way with words, and he had such a gift for encouraging others to be their best and make a difference.
So, if you're looking for a way to inspire your students with Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous words, then check out this set of six posters.
The posters are 8.5x11 and come in ink saver, and a range of stunning color palettes.
Add them to your bulletin board or hallway as a great way to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., and to inspire the next generation with his words.
Crafts Inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Quotes
If you're looking to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s quotes even more meaningful for your students, then you'll love this bulletin board kit which comes with three of his inspiring quotes, three photos, and three different crafts to make.
Each inspiring quote has a craft that children can write on, color and cut out to go on the bulletin board.
These crafts encourage our children to think about their gifts and talents, and how they can use them to make a difference in the world.
You can grab the bulletin board kit here.
I hope that gives you lots of ideas for teaching your students about Martin Luther King, Jr.
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