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In 1984 President Ronald Reagan declared the 3rd Monday in January a federal holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, in honor of one of the most influential civil rights leaders of our time. So, every year in January we have the opportunity to remember this great man and the mark he left on history.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was vital to the civil rights movement in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. His non-violent and inspirational activism played an essential role in putting an end to the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the United States. His help was also critical in passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, affecting great change in our nation.
Below I’ve compiled links to primary resources, videos, articles, lesson plans, and biographical information about Dr. King’s life for you to use in your homes or classrooms this January as we remember and celebrate his life. Also, I’ve put together a FREE printable timeline of his life that’s in our subscriber freebie library.
Dr. King Biography and Timeline Resources
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born Michael King on January 15th, 1929 in Atlanta, GA. Below is a link to a virtual tour of his childhood home.
Virtual Tour of King’s childhood Home – NPS
After King’s death in 1968, his wife Coretta Scott King founded The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in honor of her husband and his life. The links in the section below are from The King Center.
About Dr. King – The King Center
About Mrs. King – The King Center
The King Philosophy – The King Center
Glossary of Non-Violence – The King Center
This glossary includes so many terms relating to non-violent activism. This is a great chance to learn some new and important vocabulary terms in your classroom or home.
King Timeline
Major King Events Chronology – Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Stanford University
You can also grab a FREE copy of the timeline activity I created for my kiddos at the bottom of this post!
Lesson Plans and Teaching Materials
Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute provides many lesson plans for learning more about Dr. King and civil rights. Below is a link to their lesson plans related to the civil rights movement.
Liberation Curriculum Lesson Plans This page includes links to over 15 lesson plans focusing on King’s life and civil rights.
Primary Source Documents including King’s birth certificate and other documents from his life and the Civil Rights Movement.
I have a Dream Speech
In August of 1963, Dr. King joined 250,000 people in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. This would be where King would deliver his inspiring and memorable, ‘I have a Dream’ Speech.
One of the most fantastic resources I found about this speech is Freedom’s Ring from Standford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute.
It is an interactive recording of King’s speech that compares the text to his actual spoken words during the speech. But, it is a storehouse of resources as well, with clickable links throughout, you can go down as many rabbit holes as you’d like and dig deeper into the details of this day in history.
This resource is perfect for older kids working with primary resources. But, it also includes audio and is all done in front of a reel of moving drawings so will appeal to younger children as well, making it great for teaching multiple ages.
Text & Videos of ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
Full text of the speech
Video
Details on the March for Jobs and Freedom
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom – National Park Service
Letter from Birmingham Jail
In April of 1963 King was arrested and spent almost 2 weeks in the Birmingham, AL jail. It was here that he penned his famous, Letter from Birmingham Jail. This letter is a fantastic primary resource to use while studying the life of MLK and the history of the civil rights movement.
A full-text version of the letter
This primary source is of an earlier copy of the letter and King’s reading of the final letter.
Nobel Peace Prize
In 1964, King was awarded the Noble Peace Prize for his work in leading the non-violent protest against segregation and racism in our country. At 35, he became the youngest to ever be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
After winning he said he would give “every penny” of the $54,000 prize to the civil rights movement.
Find out facts about the award and read his Nobel lecture.
Listen to the full audio of his Nobel lecture.
Video of his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize.
King Wins the Nobel Peace Prize – History Channel
Martin Luther King, Jr. Book List
Below I’ve compiled a list of children’s books on Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport
This is a picture book biography introducing young kids to King’s life.
I Have a Dream (Book & CD) by Martin Luther King, Jr.
This is a picture book edition of King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech.
My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by Martin Luther King III
This intimate story, written by the son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., shares personal stories from their family and what it was like to grow up the son of a famous civil rights leader.
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader
This chapter book for younger children is part of the well known Who Was? Series.
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr. by David A. Adler
A biographical picture book of King’s life with beautiful illustrations.
Love Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Six Guiding Beliefs by Angela Farris Watkins
This picture book, written by King’s niece, features the 6 principles that guided King’s non-violent civil rights activism.
MLK Cut & Paste Timeline Activity
This timeline includes:
- 2-Page Cut & Paste Timeline Activity
- 10 Events from MLK’s Life
- Answer Key
Grab Your FREE Timeline Below!
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I hope that having all of these resources on one page makes it easier for you to share the stories of Dr. King’s life with your students and spend less time searching for it.
Have fun learning about Martin Luther King Jr.!
