Martin Luther King Jr.

The three day weekend has come and gone, but I wanted to remember the hero that helped change the way people were treated in this country. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an ordinary man who did extraordinary acts of bravery. All last week and this week, my first graders talk about, write about, and listen to stories about this ordinary hero. My hope is that they understand that ordinary people can be heros. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Ruby Bridges were ordinary, but because they had the courage to do what was right, they are considered heroes. When learning about these amazing people, I want my students to start to understand that if they choose to have the courage to what is right especially around bullying, that they are being heroes.

We read Martin's Big Words, a picture book about his life. His words captivated people. He is considered one of the greatest public speakers in the history of the United States. The book is filled with words like inspire, freedom, togetherness, love, dream, etc. We spend time trying to define these words, and I talk about their importance to the Civil Rights Movement. The artwork is award winning and the story is simple enough to reach the younger students. You can find the story read for you on youtube if you click below.

After we have discussed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, we discuss his dream for the future. I ask my students to think about their dreams for themselves and the world. We brainstorm what they want for the future. They think of everything. It really shows that they understand the issues in todays world like pollution, traffic, deforestation, extinction, oil spills, hunger, war, homelessness, etc. It always surprises and amazes me when we create our list. Although they are young, they listen when adults discuss issues going on in the world. They observe their environment. They have their own opinions and ideas for how to make the world better. They are optimistic. It comforts me to know that the next generation cares about the world we live in. 

The students write a paragraph discussing three of the ways that they want to improve themselves or the world. I give them a choice because some students really want to become excellent readers while others want to talk about ways to improve upon todays current pollution issue. Both choices speak to the determination of my young students to make things better. 

We complete a craftivity to accompany the writing. The students create a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. figure complete with suit and tie. They are all different, but equally as adorable.