2016 Dr. King Celebration Video

As promised, our 2016 Dr. King celebration video.  Please take a minute to view it.
Happy Dr. King day!

Martin Luther King Resources and COOL Video....

Oh, how I love Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

In our school district we have school.  For many years I was frustrated by this fact.  I, and my students must go to school, when I should be free from work to celebrate this wonderful day. A day of reflection, a day participating in local marches, and a day when I could be with my family.

But then, after some reflection I have had a change of heart.  After all, this day is a day of ACTION.  A day to share with vision of Dr. King.  So, what better place to share it than with my students! So we have activities dealing around Dr. King's message of love, tolerance, and acceptance.
So, at my school, I am in charge of the Dr. King celebration.

This being the case, let me share a wonderful video I and my students made and we showed during our Dr. King celebration.    This video was a powerful message about Dr. King's message of love and nonviolence.  The students enjoyed making and it engaged them in the message! Please feel free to use this video if you like. :)

This year we will make another video....stay tune for the new video in the next few days! The message will be a little different than this video....I can't wait to share.

Also, if you are looking for some classroom activities for Martin Luther King Day, please feel free to use any of these.

         

Click here for Spot the Imposture

Click here for MLK Text Dependent Questions activity

             

Preparing for Martin Luther King Day

As I returned from Christmas break, my mind is pondering about our school's annual MLK Celebration.  It's a time when I try to make Dr. King's message relate to my student's life in a meaningful way.  To get my students understand, in a world so full of hated and yelling, that Dr. King's message is POWERFUL today.

To help me remember Dr. King's message I have been listening to his Methodist Student Leadership Conference Address.  Unlike his I Have A Dream speech, this speech is more lengthy.  So, I've been listening to it on my lunch breaks and on my prep.  Yes, more than once.

In this speech Dr King explains the success of the non-violence movement and the power of love. He explains why as a society we must care of each other.

Also, this speech addresses why I am a teacher (maybe you too).  Why it is important to help ALL my students succeed.  Why public education is so important to our society.  Finally, if you listen carefully to this speech, we can hear the whispers of the I Have A Dream Speech and his Mountain Top speech in this speech.

As a fellow educator, I know how busy your day is and how you have so much to accomplish...But take a few minutes and listen to this speech. MLK's Methodist Student Leadership Conference Address

Also, if you are looking for some engaging MLK Day lessons, check out the Social Studies Super Store.  Here is one lesson you might want to review.  MLK Lesson

It's Never Too Early to Think About MLK Day Assignments

Sometimes as teachers we think, "how do we begin a lesson?"  There is no better way, then using the Dave Letterman's format-a top ten list.

So, here a is a helpful website that gives your students a quick overview of MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech in a top ten ten list.

So facts are well known, such as the march on Washington in 1963 was not the first march planned.  But fact number eight was new to me. Check it out!

Also, this Constitutional Center website has a link to the entire texts of Dr. King's Speech.  This would be a great opportunty for students to view a primary source. 

Finally, please visit the Social Studies Super Store for an execellent, no-prep, close reading of exserpts of Dr. King's speech.  I Have A Dream Speech Close Reading Assignment

I hope this helps.

I Have A Dream Speech Link