Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with this printable pack for late elementary students.
Martin Luther King Jr. Activities for Late Elementary
January 17th is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This day commemorates a man who spent and gave his life fighting for the cause of equal rights for all men and women. King was a Baptist pastor whose blood boiled against the injustices he and other Black Americans were experiencing because of their skin color. He knew that it wasn’t right, and so he became a leader and founding member of the Civil Rights Movement. King renounced violence as a way to gain equality and instead touted strategies like peaceful protests, strikes on businesses, and marches.
These actions gained a lot of attention, both on American soil and abroad. His famous March on Washington in 1963 had 250,000 attendees, all of whom were present to hear King’s now-famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, being the youngest person at that time to receive this distinction. Despite his stance against violence, King was assassinated for his efforts on April 4, 1968. Today, we commemorate his invaluable contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and his desire for peace and equality on the third Monday of January each year. Outside of the United States, several other countries such as Canada, Japan, and Israel celebrate the life of this amazing man as well.
Students will enjoy learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this packet that’s perfect for late elementary grades 4-6. A short biography is accompanied by an engaging word search activity that ties in important vocabulary words to know. A cut-and-paste timeline of Dr. King’s life will help students learn about major events and when they occurred in history. Grab this MLK pack today!
To further increase your students’ knowledge of Martin Luther King Jr., check out these supplemental resources below!
Books
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King III
Martin Luther King Jr. III shares the special bond he had with his father in this book while discussing the importance of his father’s work. Learn about the King family and the legacy his father left not only for them but for their country.
Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr (book and CD)
In August of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr delivered a speech that would live on forever, generation through generation. This book covers his speech in an understandable and inspiring way for young kids.
More books about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement can be found here:
Check out these movies perfect for Black History Month:
