MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. IDEAS
I bring in a dozen brown eggs and a dozen white eggs. The children
break into pairs, observe the eggs, and then open them up. The message
is very clear. While the eggs are different on the outside, they are
the same on the inside, just like people. We then cook the eggs for a
snack. I hope that this idea helps you.
Something I do in my classroom is I bring in several different presents,
some wrapped very pretty, simple and then just a plain box, inside they
all have the same gift; I usually put in stickers. The children look at the
boxes we talk about them and then open them. Same message while the
presents are all wrapped different, the inside is the same; again like people.
We also do a people collage; cut outs from magazines of all different people.
Self-portraits.
We also paint peanuts all different. colors and again
the outsides are
different but the insides are the same.
We read a wonderful book called "We are all alike --
We are all Different"
It is very simple and easy for 3's and 4's to
understand. We make peace crowns: white paper
circle (size of frozen OJ lid) Small paper plate,
cut in half With one of the half circles,
cut again The small circle is the dove's head, the
half circle is the body, and the two-quarter circle
pieces are the wings. We glue these together, add
eyes and glitter and then staple them to the headbands.
Our kids love to wear any kind of crowns!
Dr King Had a Dream
(tune: Old MacDonald)
Dr. King had a dream for p-e-a-c-e.
He wanted people to be friends and live in harmony.
He had lots of love to share.
He spread kindness everywhere!
Dr. King had a dream for p-e-a-c-e!
During the week of MLK's birthday, we talk about peace, brotherhood,
and love. We talk about how MLK wanted people to be able to go places
together, share food together, and love one another in peace. He worked
hard for freedom and helped many people gain it. We sing happy birthday
to MLK and have a special snack for his birthday party. We talk a little
about the Nobel Peace prize and have the children make small medals to
wear.
A Picture Book of MLK Jr. by David Adler
MLK Jr. by Jacqueline Woodson
tune Twinkle Twinkle
Freedom, freedom, let it ring.
Let it ring said Dr King
Let us live in harmony.
Peace and love for you and me.
Freedom, freedom let it ring.
Let it ring said Dr King.
tune Jingle Bells
Friends hold hands, Freinds hold hands
Friends hold hands and smile.
All our classmates are our friends.
Let's sing with them a while.
Make bulletin board "Children have Dreams" and "Parents have Dreams"
make cutouts of doves..on far wing write "I have a dream...." on the
larger closer one allow the children to write or tell you so you can
write what they tell you. Send one home for parents too to put on their
board.
I too will read a very simple Martin L. King book and discuss what dreams
we all might have to make this world a better place to live in.
ACTIVITY
King Crowns
Cut out paper crowns for each child. Ask then to draw a picture
of their dreams for a better world.
Handprints option
We do what I call Buddy Prints;
Each child paints their hands and makes prints on a large piece of paper
I cut them out in funny shapes around them and label each child's handprint
than I put them down my door and title it our buddy prints. Parents seem to ahh
over them on their way in and the kids know which one belongs to whom. Carrie
Hands around and Room
Cut several long strips on white shelf/butchers paper about 8" wide.
Lay the paper on the floor or table. Pour different colors of tempera paint
into a shallow container such as a pie pan. Set the paint near the paper.
Have the children make pairs of handprints along the strips, leaving
space between the pairs to write each child's name. After the paints have
fried, ask each child how they are nice to others and what they do to help
others. Write each child's thoughts under their name.
Hang the "Hands around the Room" near the ceiling, at eye level or along
the baseboard. When you take it down, cut each pair apart and let the children
take them home.
Working Together Activities
Cut a large poster shape into a puzzle. Give a piece to each child and
let them work together, each one placing one their own piece, to put
the puzzle together.
Give each child a black or a box and let them work together to build a
spaceship, a skyscraper or some other structure.
Snack
My class took skin colored construction paper and traced their hands on
the paper that best fits their skin tone. We cut out 10 of each child's hand
(one for each friend). Everyone exchanged their hand prints and glued the
handprints on a paper plate wreath. For the finishing touch, they cut out 3 red
hearts and glued them onto their wreaths. Afterwards, we talked about how Martin
Luther King was a great man who wanted everyone to get along no matter what their
skin color was. And then we go into a discussion of everyone is different. Some
people wear glasses, some people have red hair...etc.
We are fortunate enough to have a storyteller come to us each month. I'm not sure if
you are familiar with Linda Brown from the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education suit.
But when she was little she was not able to attend a school that was a few blocks away
from her because of her race. Her parents sued and won the right for Linda to attend the
school that was a few blocks away, instead of travelling clear across town to an all black
school. Anyway, in January, (before her visit) my class and I discuss what happened to her
when she was little. When Miss Linda comes to read us a story, they ask questions and
she discusses with us what it was like. What a wonderful learning experience for my class!
A Song About Martin Luther King
(sung to Yankee Doodle)
Dr. King was a man
Who came frm Atlanta Georgia.
Had a dream that he preached
For all men to be equal.
Dr King was so brave
Martin was a hero.
Won the fight for everyone
To end discrimination.
Freedom Freedom Let it Ring
(sung to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star)
Freedom, Freedom let it ring
"Let it ring", said Dr King
Let us live in harmony
Peace and love for you and me
Freedom freedom let it ring
"Let it ring", said Dr King.
Last year, after discussing that we can be whatever we want to be when we grow
up as long as we try HARD and be GOOD "citizens", we made paper body aprons.
I printed (in large bubble letters) "I Have A Dream"...each child colored the letters
and under them each drew what he/she hopes to be. We had doctors, a "library lady"
teachers and even an astronaut! They really were great and we were asked
to show the 1st and 2nd grade classes!!!
We always do a friendship mural. The children make handprints in different colors
and make a rainbow shape. The kids really love it.
For MLK I give each child a piece of white construction paper...
.then they can rip and tear it into a shape of a cloud (somewhat)
I make a bulletin board for these to go on....each child can decorate
their cloud with glitter etc.....leaving the middle blank.
I then go around to each child and ask what their dream is and record
them onto the clouds. It really turns out cute!!
MLK Bracelets
Materials Needed:
supply of black and white beads
construction paper herts (hole punched out in center)
yarn
Have each child to string some black and white beads and some construction
paper hearts onto their piece of yarn (about 6 inches in length). Tie the ends of
yarn together...thus making the bracelet. We wore our bracelets while
we sang Happy Birthday to MLK!
Talk about his Nobel Peace Prize then make one out of a hard drying dough
that the kids can make, string on a necklace. Then have a contest all day.
Whoever is caught doing a peaceful negotiation during the day wins their
peace prize. (It has a dove with fully open wings with a olive twig in it's
mouth)
Get an outline of his sillhuette(sp?). Cut out of black. Let kids glue onto
white paper and then you list the peaceful ways the kids handle their
problems OR have them tell you and you write it for them.
To get along better with others I can.....
I can get along with my friends at school by.....
If someone treats me unfairly I can.....
To help a friend who is sad I could.....
Here's a short poem and a song.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
A man with a dream,
A hope and a prayer.
King wanted equal rights,
For people everywhere.
Sung to the tune of "Yankee Doodle"
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. KING
Dr. King was a wan
Who had a special dream.
He dreamed of a world filled with love
And peace and harmony.
Happy Birthday, Dr. King,
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday, Dr. King.
We love you, yes, we do.
here's a song to the tune of Yankee Doodle
Dr. King was a man
Who came from Atlanta, Georgia.
Had a dream that he preached
For all men to be equal.
Dr. King was so brave,
Martin was a hero.
Won the fight for everyone-
To end discrimination.
Here are some songs that I use during January. *I'm also looking for
some other important people for black history month that have poems or
songs for them, especially Matthew Henson, Jackie Robinson.... projects
also!!! Thanks and here goes!!!
A MAN NAMED KING
(michael, row your boat ashore)
Once there was a man named King, Alleleuia;
They called him Martin luther King, Alleleuia
King was wise and he was good, Alleleuia
He believed in brotherhood, Alleleuia
He had a dream for you and me, Alleleuia
He knew that all men must be free Alleleuia
The freedom road is weary and long Alleleuia
But Martin sang a freedom son, Alleleuia
We must keep the dream alive, Alleleuia
Freedom's song can never die, Alleleuia
Once there was a man named King Alleleuia
They called him Martin Luther King, Alleleuia
FREE AT LAST (this old man)
This young man had a dream; In his eye he had a gleam.
We must love each other to survive; Let us keep his dream alive.
He believed man was good; He had dreams of brotherhood.
We must love each other to survive; Let us keep his dream alive.
All join hands, let us sing; Let the bells of freedom ring.
We must love each other to survive; Let us keep his dream alive.
We can learn from the past; then we'll all be "FREE AT LAST!"
We must love each other to survive; Let us keep his dream alive.
Martin Luther King Jr.
A man with a dream
A hope and a prayer
King wanted equal rights
For people everywhere
Here is a MLK song I found today.
Martin Luther King Jr.
(sung to the tune of "Kum Ba Yah")
Martin Luther King had a plan
Of equality for every man.
Had a dream that we all could
Make a world of brotherhood.
Dr. King knew it was not too late
To erase the prejudice of hate.
Judge a man by his character
And not by his skin color.
He was killed, but his dream lives on
At "the threshold of a new dawn."
He said, "Use the weapon of love"
And be peaceful like the dove.
There is a lesson about segregation that goes with this.
Before you do the activity, it would be best to explain segregation to the children.
Explain to the children that MLK led nonviolent protests. He did this to protest
segregation and discrimination against black Americans. Black Americans were
not allow to sit in the same waiting rooms as whites, use the same toilets, drink
from the same drinking fountains, eat in the same restaurants, sit down on the bus
unless all the Whites were seated first. They had to ride in the back of the bus and
go to separate schools from Whites. Black Americans were not allowed to attend
colleges. Many black Americans were afraid to register to vote because of violent
threats made to them by Whites or because of fear of losing their jobs.
Churches were segregated.
This activity is called Alphas and Omegas
This activity will help children see segregation in action in their own classroom.
Count the number of children in class. Cut enough small slips of paper so that
each child will be able to draw one. One out of every ten slips(ex.) write the
word OMEGA. and the others will have the word ALPHA. Give each Alpha a
yellow ribbon and the Omega's a green ribbon. Now let the segregation rules follow.
The Alphas may sit anywhere they desire, and even take seats away from the Omegas.
Omegas can not use the same water fountain, so they will have to use a different fountain.
The two groups will be unable to eat together during snack time, the Omegas will be
unable to make any classroom decisions. The Alphas will line up first when leaving the room.
Limiting the time to an hour is probably a good idea with the young children.
What may happen during this activity?
Omegas may feel progressively isolated and alienated.
Alphas may make remarks or tease the Omegas.
Alphas may begin to feel superior to the Omegas and take
advantage of their position.
Our class learned about kindness. We read about Martin Luther King, Jr.
We wrote:
I am fair to others.
I want peace.
I am proud to be an American.
I love others.
I am a good friend.
We cut our handprints from colored paper and added them to our posters
with the sentences above.
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