Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: Identifying with a Hero
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Overview
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day provides a great opportunity to teach about heroes. This lesson explores ways to help students identify with Dr. King—an American hero who lived and died long before they were even born—through reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities that provide a glimpse into Dr. King's life. Students record what they know about Dr. King on a KWL chart. They then read aloud the picture book My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers and add information to the KWL. They take a virtual tour of King's birth home and compare it to their own homes. Throughout the week, they explore Websites and other sources of information about Dr. King, record new information on the KWL chart, and keep a journal of their own thoughts and ideas. As a culminating activity, they plan a birthday party for Dr. King to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Featured Resources
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me: This journal template encourages students to make connections between themselves and Martin Luther King, Jr. by providing space for students to write and draw information about themselves after corresponding information about Dr. King provided on the printout.
From Theory to Practice
In their book Mosaic of Thought, Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmermann discuss the importance of "connecting the known to the new," in other words, the importance of helping students increase their understanding and involvement in what they are learning by making connections. Keene and Zimmermann encourage teachers to help students "relate unfamiliar text to their prior world knowledge and/or personal experience" (55). They stress creating strong mental images as we read and listen to a text, using all five senses as well as our emotions, to make the story come alive (141) .
As we introduce young students to history, our goal is to engage them fully and deeply in the story of real people like themselves, helping them build connections between their own lives and the lives of the people they are studying. By encouraging students to form these connections, teachers can help students understand an American hero like Dr. King, even though their world is quite different from the time, place, and life of Dr. King.
Further Reading
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
- 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
- 2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
- 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
- 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
- 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
- 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
- 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
- 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Materials and Technology
- My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by Christine King Farris (Simon and Schuster, 2003)
- Other books and other information sources about Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Chart tablets and writing materials for the KWL chart
- Writing materials and art supplies
- Party supplies
Printouts
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me journal template
Websites
Preparation
- Obtain the book My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers.
- Collect other sources of information about Dr. King. Other books that might be used during this study include
- Young Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream by Joanne Mattern (Troll Books, 1991).
- Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport (Jump Sun, 2001).
- Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo (Scholastic, 1993).
- Let’s Read About...Martin Luther King, Jr. by Courtney Baker (Scholastic, 2001).
- Resources from Weekly Reader, Time for Kids, Scholastic’s Let’s Find Out, etc.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Poster Book published by Kids Books, Inc.
- If You Lived in the Time of Martin Luther King by Ellen Levine (Scholastic, 1994). Note: This book is word intensive and designed for older students, but it provides good information when used as a resource or reference book.
- Young Martin Luther King, Jr.: I Have a Dream by Joanne Mattern (Troll Books, 1991).
- Visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home Virtual Tour on your computer to ensure that you have Java enabled and can explore the site with students.
- Explore and bookmark appropriate resources from the Websites section. Note that the sites include information and images which may be confusing or upsetting for students (for instance, the Life site's photo labeled "Arrested for 'loitering' and being manhandled by Montgomery, Alabama police"). Be sure to check the sites carefully to ensure that they are appropriate for your students and that they fit your district's standards.
- Make copies of the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me Journal Template for students. Adapt the journal, as necessary, to meet the age and ability levels of your class. For instance, the "Our Families" page is an alternative for older students. Younger students can use the "Who We Are" page.
- Collect writing and drawing materials, and art supplies.
- Obtain a chart tablet for a KWL chart ; divide chart into three sections:
- What you already Know,
- What you Wonder about (or Want to know)
- What you Learned
- What you already Know,
- Plan and prepare for the party to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday.
Student Objectives
Students will
- participate in read aloud and in inquiry-based research activities.
- compare and contrast their lives to the early life of Martin Luther King, Jr., through their journals (using pictures and words as developmentally appropriate).
- share their journals with an authentic audience.
- explore various sources of information about Dr. King and share the discoveries of their research, recording them on a class KWL chart.
- create art and plan a party to celebrate Dr. King's birthday.
Instruction and Activities
- Use the January classroom calendar to introduce the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Begin a countdown of days till the holiday.
- Encourage the students to share what they know about Dr. King, recording this information on the KWL chart.
- Introduce the book My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by telling the children that the author is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s older sister.
- Take a picture walk through the book. The illustrations in the book are special because friends and members of the King family were used as models for the various characters in the book. (See the illustrator’s notes in the back of the book.) Encourage the students to predict what they think is happening in the story and what the text will say as you explore the illustrations.
- Read the book together as a read aloud.
- Reread the book and stop frequently to discuss the events depicted in the book. Encourage students to share the connections they are forming between King’s life as a child and their own lives. You may choose to revisit the book several times over the course of the week.
- Add information to the KWL chart based on your exploration of the book.
- Using an LCD projector or working in small groups around a computer, use the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birth Home Virtual Tour to walk students through King's first home virtually. Invite students to compare what they see in King's home to their own house (as well as the homes of family members they have visited).
- Add information to the KWL chart based on your interactive exploration of King's birth home.
- Distribute the Martin Luther King, Jr. and Me journal template, and help students begin their journals. Encourage them to use detailed pictures and words to communicate their thoughts and ideas, helping or acting as scribe when necessary. Students will work on their journals each day and complete the journal during the week.
- Share other sources of information about Dr. King, including information from the Websites listed in the Resources section.
- Continue to update the KWL chart as students pose questions about Dr. King and as they research and find answers to their questions.
- Have class meetings at the end of each day for Reflection Time. Have the students reflect on what they are learning and the connections they are making between their own lives and the life of Dr. King.
- Have the students help you plan a birthday party for Dr. King on either January 15 (his actual birthday) or on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
- Decide who will be your invited guests: another class, family members, business and education partners, etc.
- Students will share their journals with their guests at the party. They should complete the journals and practice sharing them in preparation for the party.
- They may also make decorations such as a banner made with hand prints to spell out “peace”, “love”, “freedom”, “equality”, or other appropriate words. You can choose to make the hand prints with paint mixed to match different skin tones.
- Make invitations and holiday cards for their guests.
- Decide who will be your invited guests: another class, family members, business and education partners, etc.
- Enjoy your party as you celebrate all that you've learned with your guests. Happy Birthday, Dr. King!
Extensions
- Assemble a class book on Dr. King. The last two pages of the journal are perfect for this community publishing activity: one to share ways that individuals can participate in making Dr. King’s dream come true, and one to share the students’ own dreams for making our world a better place.
- Students might like to to send e-mail cards to special family members or friends in honor of Dr. King’s birthday, using 123Greetings Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Cards.
- Find links to lesson plans and classroom activities that can be used to supplement or extend this lesson from the January 15 entry from the ReadWriteThink calendar celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
- Encourage students to explore Dr. King's dream further with the K-2 lesson plan Living the Dream: 100 Acts of Kindness.
Student Assessment / Reflections
Much of the success of this lesson is based on the students' ability to reflect on what they are learning and assess their own level of participation and achievement.
Meet individually or in small groups with students to help them self-assess their work during this theme using the following scale:
Score Description Visual Symbol 4 I did my best and am very proud of my work! star 3 I did a good job most of the time. happy face 2 I did OK, but could do better. neutral face drawn in the O of OK 1 I could do lots better. check mark
As you pose the following questions, children can hold up the appropriate number of fingers to show how they would rate themselves. Encourage students to be honest in their assessments and require that they support their ratings with evidence from their work when appropriate.
- In your journal, did you draw detailed pictures and do your best to write your ideas?
- Did you share your ideas with the class during discussions and Reflection Time?
- Did you listen attentively to other students when they shared their ideas?
- Did you listen attentively when we read books and stories about Dr. King?
- Did you share your ideas when we discussed the books we read?
- Did you help with our birthday party for Dr. King?
An additional assessment piece comes as you kidwatch during the party and observe the students sharing their journals, the KWL chart, and their art with the guests. This is when students have an opportunity to really share what they learned with an authentic audience.
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