Every January, I’m on the lookout for new MLK Day activities. This can be a challenge when you teach the littles. His work, and the events leading up to the civil rights movement, are really big ideas for first graders. One of the best ways to support kids with this topic is through rich, thoughtful discussions and I usually turn to picture books to help me get started. One of our favorites is My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Written by Dr. King’s oldest son, the book introduces us to Martin “the dad,” making him more relatable for my students than Martin “the activist.” As readers, we get to peek inside their family. We get to see that, even in the middle of marches and speeches, he was a playful and protective father.
GETTING TO THE HEART OF IT
The book is really good at setting the stage for our class conversation and the questions I know will follow. I don’t get too direct with my prompts because I’d rather see how the children are processing the text without me steering it right off the bat. Start with broad questions like:
- What are your reactions? How does this story make you feel? Why?
- How would you describe Martin Luther King’s inner character?
- Why do you think the author wrote this book?
- Do you have any personal connections to this story?
Then, you can go deeper with:
- Martin was a husband, father, and preacher, but he was also an activist. Let’s talk about what that means and why his work was important.
This is a good time to help kids begin to understand new vocabulary like equality, injustice, and protest. If you can’t find this book in your school or local library, try one of these other titles:
- A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David Adler
- Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport
- I am Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brad Meltzer
- I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Kadir Nelson
JUST-RIGHT ACTIVITIES FOR MLK DAY
This short video, THE STORY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. by KID PRESIDENT, is always in my MLK Day plans. We love Kid President and the way he breaks down the history is perfect for my kids.
We also love art, so I don’t shy away from it. No matter what the mandated schedule says, I always find a way to incorporate it. These PEACE DOVES from Teach Them to Fly are so beautiful and they give me a chance to teach how doves are a symbol of peace. Go take a look!
Jennifer White, from Blue Skies, has a DR. KING DIRECTED DRAWING activity that’s perfect for MLK Day. It’s a great exercise in following verbal directions and they always turn out well. When we’re done, we glue them on to homemade folders that hold all the work from the day.
To reinforce the idea that we are better together, I love this idea from Gabrielle at Teaching Special Learners. Her class DIVERSITY WREATH is a visual reminder of how our unique differences can coexist beautifully within a larger community. Pro tip for this one… if you don’t want to invest in a multicultural paper pack, use a variety of paint shades to make handprints you can cut out later.
FLIPPING OVER MLK, JR.
I love all these MLK Day activities, but at some point in the day, I’ll also want my kids to do something a little more concrete. This MLK FLIP BOOK is one of my go-to activities each year. It’s easy to print and assemble and helps children review key concepts through the context of nonfiction text features like timelines and captions.
It’s interactive in design and has a text difficulty level that’s just right for 1st graders and 2nd grade children who may need a little extra support. The content is comprehensive, so we break it up into 3 mini-lessons, allowing the kids to process one page at a time.
If you want a biography your students can read and take home, check out WHO WAS DR. KING? It combines early sight words with key words like fairness, rights, and segregated, as well as excerpts from his well-known I HAVE A DREAM speech. Comprehension sheets are also included which can double as an assessment, if needed.
Your students may also be interested in a set of biographies… they’re just right for Black History Month and feature texts about Harriet Tubman, Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, Wilma Rudolph, and MLK, Jr. Check it out HERE.
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Happy teaching!
