Printables
Freeology

I Have a Dream Poster

For Teachers 1st - 12th
An image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a line from his famous “I Have A Dream” speech will inspire your pupils to look beyond skin color and consider the character of others.
Lesson Plan
C-SPAN

1968: The Poor People's Campaign

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
The Poor People's Campaign of 1968 marked a shift in the civil rights movement to economic issues. Speakers in four C-SPAN video clips discuss different aspects of the campaign including Resurrection City, the Economic Bill of Rights,...
Assessment
California Education Partners

Letter From Birmingham Jail

For Students 9th Standards
To demonstrate their ability to comprehend complex text, ninth graders are asked to craft an essay in which they use evidence drawn from "Letter From Birmingham Jail" to analyze how Martin Luther King, Jr. uses rhetorical devices...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Minority Groups

For Teachers 12th
Explore the contributions individuals have made in the lives of American minority groups. Twelfth graders write a five-page expository piece providing a social history, examples of discrimination, and patterns of assimilation for an...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Martin Luther King Jr. Lesson Plans

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Martin Luther King Jr. lesson plans can provide a way to delve into history and a discussion of what it takes to make a difference.
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

The Many Shades of Our World

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students discover diversity. In this civil rights lesson, students consider that skin color is unique and that diversity is common in the world as they complete artwork that reflects the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Thanks Be To You

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research U.S. history by completing a worksheet activity in class. In this historical figure lesson, students identify the contributions and risks taken by the former African-American leader Martin Luther King Jr. Students read...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ordinary People, Ordinary Places: The Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze Martin Luther King's message of nonviolent protest discover how individuals adapted his message to their own communities and situations.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Martin Luther King Jr.: Day 6

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr. In this research skills lesson, students read Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport. Students then research selected...
Lesson Plan
Rancocas Valley Regional High School

Teaching American History for All

For Students 11th Standards
Although Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X both work for equal rights, social change, and political empowerment, their approaches were radically different. To better understand these contrasts, class members compare King's "I...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

The Music of African American History

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In King's Words

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students analyze writings of Mr. Martin Luther King Jr. They read and discuss an article, and in pairs, research and analyze a written work or speech by Dr. King, create a mixed media collage to represent the text, and write an artist...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

THEMATIC ESSAY

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students Compare and contrast the beliefs and methodology of three leaders of the Civil Rights movement. Using specific examples, discuss how these leaders were either successful or unsuccessful in attaining their goals.
Lesson Plan
Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program

A Mini lesson on Semicolons

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" serves as an exemplar for a mini-lesson on semicolons. Working alone or in small groups, class members first circle all the semicolons in the letter, and then consider how this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore human rights issues. In this social justice instructional activity, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Greensboro Sit-Ins: A Continuing Tradition of Nonviolent Protest

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners watch a video about nonviolent protests during the Civil Rights Movement. They discuss and write about the Greensboro sit-ins while deciding the effectiveness of this type of protest.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights Leaders

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders investigate three American leaders from the Civil Rights Movement while they examine the early 1960's and the topic of racial equality. They listen to music from the era, read speeches, and look at images of Martin Luther...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Continuing Gandhi's Legacy of Cross-Cultural Understanding: Central Asia and the Middle East

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students investigate the lifestyle of Gandhi by creating a Venn Diagram.  In this biographical lesson, students compare the philosophies of Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi while discussing their teaching methods.  Students...
Writing
3
3
K12 Reader

I Have a Dream… Personal Narrative: Writing About Your Dream for the World.

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
How do your pupils want to change the world? Find out with this writing prompt, inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s well-known speech. The resource provides the prompt and lines for writing.
Interactive
ABCya

Martin Luther King Word Search

For Students 1st - 5th Standards
Reinforce key terms surrounding Martin Luther King, Jr. with a helpful online word search. Class members choose a small (easier) or big (harder) version and search for words like freedom, leader, and equality.
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Letter from Birmingham Jail: The Power of Nonviolent Direct Action

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
What strategies are most effective in changing an unjust law? Class members examine the tactics used in the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 (Project C) to achieve social justice and social transformation. After examining documents that...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Contributions that Martin Luther King Jr. Made to Society

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discover the positive effects Martin Luther King, Jr. had on society. In this U.S. history lesson, 2nd graders investigate racial tensions from sixty to seventy years ago and view a video about MLK, Jr. Students discuss...
Organizer
Curated OER

Understanding King's Use of Metaphors in the

For Students 7th - 10th
One of the most famous and well-crafted speeches of all time, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, consists of rich metaphors and rhetorical language. Using a provided graphic organizer, students analyze five quotes...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Two Different African-American Visions: W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
The strategies civil rights activists Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois proposed for blacks to achieve racial progress is the focus of an activity in which class groups identify the strategies as well as the benefits and drawbacks...