American Centuries

Pocumtuck Valley
Memorial Association

American Centuries > Lessons > History Lessons By Teachers > Martin Luther King and Civil Rights

Martin Luther King and Civil Rights

Details

Author
Barbara Lozanski-Byrnes
Topic/Subject Area
African American, Black Life; Civil Rights, Protest, Dissent
Historical Era
Counterculture, Civil Rights, and Cold War, 1946–1989
Grade Level
Elementary (K–5)
Creation Date
2010
Last Revision Date
2024

Related items

About This Lesson

Summary and Objective

In this lesson students will understand that Martin Luther King had a dream of a world free of hate, prejudice, and violence. The class will study the “I have a dream speech,” and learn why we celebrate Martin Luther King’s Birthday Day. Students will have the opportunity to read newspaper articles on Dr. King. They can use the facts they learn in their own small books or slide presentation. Students will be familiar with some of the events that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement. This lesson is important because it will help students understand the events of the past, develop a historical perspective about those events and learn that Dr. King’s movement was non-violent.

Materials & Resources

Collection Items
Movie
Website

Teaching Plan

  1. Begin by posing the question: “Who was Dr. Martin Luther King and how did he fight for civil rights?” On the board, write down any and all information given by the students about Martin Luther King Jr. Next, ask why do we have a holiday on his birthday?
  2. Display the images on the American Centuries website listed under Materials & Resources. Read the following articles:
    1. “King’s Dream Speech In 1963 Urged Full Rights For Negroes” article from Greenfield Recorder newspaper
    2. “Leaders of March Still Have Not Attained Goal” article from Greenfield Recorder-Gazette newspaper
    3. “Gun Controls” editorial in Greenfield Recorder newspaper
    4. “Black Tragedy-” editorial from Greenfield Recorder newspaper
    5. “And White As Well” editorial from Greenfield Recorder newspaper
  3. The students can be divided into groups and each group can review one of the articles and write down a few interesting facts to share with their classmates.
  4. Introduce the words “discriminate” and “prejudice” by putting them on the board. Ask the learners if they have ever been afraid of someone the first time they saw the person because this person was different in some way. Talk about prejudging someone who is fat or wears different clothes.
  5.  Students should create a web and write down 6 – 8 interesting facts that they found on Dr. King, civil rights, and non-violence.
  6. Using paper and pencil, students should create their own “Small Book” or slide presentation, with a title page and some pictures. This can be created using PowerPoint, Word, or paper and pencil.
  7. Students will share their books or slide show with their classmates.
  8. As a class, the teacher will have a brief discussion about nonviolence as a means of resolving conflict and how this related to Dr. King’s movement. The teacher will explain how MLK Jr. spoke out for civil rights and led non-violent protests and marches demanding fair laws for ALL PEOPLE.
  9. Extension Activity: Have students watch the movie “Our Friend, Martin.”