Lesson Plan
Center For Civic Education

Center for Civic Education: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Three lessons for recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day, taken from the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution curriculum. These materials will help inform students about the national struggle for civil rights and equal...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Changing America

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each story or article is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see...
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For Students 3rd - 8th
Read about the life of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Includes video.
Unit Plan
New York Times

New York Times: Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
An outstanding collection of materials for learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights movement. Students can engage in a text-to-text analysis of 'I Have a Dream' and 'The Lasting Power of Dr. King's Dream Speech'
Website
University of Maryland

Voices of Democracy: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "How Long? Not Long" 1965

For Students 9th - 10th
On March 25, 1965, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on a flatbed truck and delivered his "How Long? Not Long?" speech. The speech was delivered at the conclusion of the Selma-to-Montgomery march. Included are the full text...
Article
DOGO Media

Dogo News: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For Students 3rd - 8th
January 16, 2017 the United States celebrated a day of honor for Martin Luther King Jr.'s contributions to American history in his fight for civil rights during a difficult era.
Handout
Other

Mlksb: Why We Honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn why we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a holiday. Also gives a brief description on the life and work of Dr. King.
Website
Other

The Death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
In this website you will read about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Part one deals with the riot in Chicago immediately following his death, while part two looks at the funeral in Atlanta. The site includes photos of the...
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader Video

For Students 3rd - 8th
In the second half of the 20th century, racial tensions rose in the US as African Americans began to challenge unjust laws that supported discrimination and segregation. This movement found its leader in the patient and inspiring...
Lesson Plan
Council for Economic Education

Econ Ed Link: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson provides links for students to use as they explore history behind the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day observance and the Civil Rights Movement. A strong focus is given to the economic barriers faced by African Americans.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream"

For Students 9th - 10th
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to hundreds of thousands of Americans at what is known as the March on Washington. This now-famous speech was both an apex and catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement in...
Primary
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Robert F. Kennedy Speech on the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Audio available
Primary
Michigan State University

Michigan State University: Letter From Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
This site will let you hear from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his own words in a letter written from a Birmingham jail cell in April of 1963. In this letter, Dr. King defends himself against accusations that he is an "outsider" and...
Article
CommonLit

Common Lit: "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Changing America" by Barbara Radner

For Students 4th - 6th
This is an informational article about how Martin Luther King Jr. worked toward changing America in the 1950s and 1960s. It includes a short bio of Dr. King and a reading purpose: As you read, take notes on the problems that African...
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Martin Luther King

For Students 3rd - 8th
This article gives a brief overview of the life of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while discussing the concept of non-violent resistance.
Unit Plan
Polk Brothers Foundation Center for Urban Education at DePaul University

De Paul University: Center for Urban Education: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [Pdf]

For Teachers 4th - 6th
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." is a one page, biographical passage about Martin Luther King, Jr. It is followed by an open-ended question which requires students to provide evidence from the story; it includes determining the author's...
Handout
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Harcourt: Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 3rd - 8th
This biography of Martin Luther King Jr. includes a timeline and addresses the life of the civil rights leader from childhood to the legacy he left behind.
Primary
Other

Mlkcc: Famous Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from The Martin Luther King Celebration Committee Inc. has three of Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous speeches. You will need a "Real Audio Player," to listen to them. The three speeches are "I Have a Dream," "March on...
Primary
Other

Afscme: "I've Been to the Mountaintop" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the the events of the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike which drew Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Memphis, which is where he was soon to be assassinated. Excellent source of primary sources and first hand accounts of the...
Unknown Type
Other

Seattle Times: Martin Luther King Jr. Quiz

For Students 9th - 10th
Test your knowledge on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by taking this quiz.
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech to over 250,000 people from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. In this speech, King discusses racial...
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Letter From Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
While in jail, King responded in a letter written on the margins of a newspaper, because it was the only paper available. King gave the letter to his lawyers, who published what is now known as the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail."...
Handout
Robin Chew

Lucidcafe: Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader

For Students 9th - 10th
Informative biographical sketch of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with links to Gandhi and good information about the philosophy of nonviolent social protest. Includes links to text of "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and the "I Have a Dream"...
Unit Plan
Read Works

Read Works: Excerpt From Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

For Teachers 5th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This primary source features a letter excerpt from Dr. Martin King, Jr. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece that reinforces essential reading skills and strategies. Scaffolding for vocabulary...