Whether you're doing it this week or next, there are some great resources to explain why we celebrate MLK Jr. Day to our elementary kids. And it's not just to have a day off, though that's nice too. Here are some of my favorite books for celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
I just snatched this book up for my future classroom and as soon as you flip open the cover, you'll want one too. Kadir Nelson's gorgeous paintings of the March on Washington are accompanied by King's iconic "I Have A Dream" speech. It's a very visual book and will help your older elementary students connect to the speech and open a discussion of King's hopes and dreams.
Written by Martin Luther King Jr.'s sister Christine, this book describes what it was like to be a part of the march and how King took his ideas and dreams and formed them into his speech. This book will help second, third, and fourth graders make a connection to Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport is a wonderful picture book biography of Martin Luther King Jr. While detailing his life, Rappaport highlights key phrases from his important speech. It will help our youngest learners connect to King as it describes his childhood and how it shaped him into being a leader.
In addition to these wonderful books, I always like to look on Scholastic to see what kind of interactive lesson ideas they have for each and every important holiday. I especially like their ideas for grades 3-5 in planning a service learning lesson. I think teaching our students to help our community is a perfect way to honor the legacy of Dr. King.
And not to forget our littlest learners: I love this video made by a kindergartner found on Chalk Talk and it's the perfect way to bring the holiday and its significance to their level.
Hope you got some great ideas for celebrating MLK day! Make sure you click on the books for a link to purchasing them.
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