Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for Kids
New resolutions mean forming new habits right? I am trying to be more intentional about lesson planning and not waiting until the last minute to turn in deadlines. So, I went ahead and compiled some Martin Luther King Jr. activities to help me have a smoother return. Hopefully, you can grab some ideas to help you teach about Martin Luther King Jr.
MLK Vocabulary Resources
First, I like to start off by introducing the vocabulary to the class. We are going to use these vocabulary cards I made, they are in my Martin Luther King Jr. Activities pack. I usually print them on card stock and hang them on my whiteboard for the week. They will get their own copy of the definitions to keep in their folder and throughout the week we complete different vocabulary activities.
5 Martin Luther King Jr. Books for Kids
When we study people in class, I like to set aside a separate library bin with books for the students. They are able to use them as a resource to go along with different Martin Luther King Jr. activities. These are some of the books I have in my library that my kids like to read. I like to make sure that I include a variety of books to meet the needs of the different reading levels I have in my class. A great book to start out with is either “The Story of Martin Luther King Jr.” or “Martin’s Big Words”. I love the pictures in both books and it is written in a kid-friendly way for younger listeners to grasp. Here is a great read-aloud on Youtube of “Martin’s Big Words.”
FROM TOP LEFT TO RIGHT / BOTTOM LEFT TO RIGHT:
THE STORY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. / MY UNCLE MARTIN’S BIG HEART / WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.? / MARTIN’S BIG WORDS: THE LIFE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
Martin Luther King Jr. Anchor Chart
I am not sure what it is about a box of fresh juicy markers and crayons. They really make my heart sing (I know I am weird). When we study people I like to create anchor charts that are interactive for the students. In the past, I start by creating a KWL chart. I have the students share what they know and want to learn. Then, they add what they have learned about the person throughout the week. I always have a stack of sticky notes close by. My students can freely grab one and write down facts to add to the chart. I feel like this helps create higher interest for my reluctant readers.
Grab a FREE Social Studies Curriculum guide HERE!
Grab some fun free MLK anchor chart templates to help you teach about Martin Luther King jr.
Websites About MLK for Kids
Digital activities are a top hit in my class. One of their favorite Martin Luther King Jr. activities to do is the MLK QR codes. I keep these in our early finisher bucket. They are super easy to use, and they allow students some independent time to research MLK on their own.
Grab a FREE Social Studies Curriculum guide HERE!
Fitting It All In
There usually is not enough time to get everything done. To help fit it all in, and maximize our time, I like to leave extra resources that we didn’t get to in our early finisher bins. We also end the week with a few drawing / writing prompts to wrap it up. Side note: the writing prompts make great homework activities!
