Martin Luther King Day

Lessons and classroom activities to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students explore new angles on the life and ideas of Martin Luther King Jr., and consider their own responses and (re)commitments to justice. 

A collection of classroom activities to explore the life, ideas, and strategies of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students watch videos with Martin Luther King III and Rev. William Barber, co-founder of today’s Poor People’s Campaign, and discuss the continuing fight for economic and racial justice.

Did the Civil Rights Movement only involve the South? Was it the product of a few great leaders? In this lesson, students deepen their understanding of the civil rights movement, explore some mythologies surrounding it, and consider how sometimes "history" distorts the truth.   

This lesson uses current civil disobedience actions by the Poor People's Campaign as an invitation to explore why people engage in civil disobedience. Students consider the goals, pros and cons, and risks of this type of action through small group discussion, video, and other methods.  (Also see thi...

Students learn about Martin Luther King's Poor People's Campaign, and about the newer Poor People's Campaign, which is also aimed at addressing racism and economic inequality. 

This lesson explores how, historically and today, love combined with nonviolent action has helped people fight injustice and work towards what Dr. King referred to as "the beloved community."  

History has a way of smoothing out the complexities of real-life events. This brief TeachableInstant lesson explores some forgotten or misrepresented facts about the movement for civil rights.  

The movie Selma depicts the struggle for voting rights for African Americans that led to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In this lesson, students examine a primary source document to help them understand why so few southern blacks could vote in 1965. Students explore why voting rights were so important...

This summer marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. In this lesson, students explore the interplay of this legislation with the Civil Rights Movement, and consider what role everyday people play in making change.