Spotlight on Sources:
Welcome to Renzulli Learning’s Spotlight on Sources, some of our most engaging resources to excite and inspire your students!
On Monday, January 18th the United States celebrates the life and work of Martin Luther King Jr. His leadership was essential in furthering the non-violent social justice reform of the American Civil Rights movement. Creating lessons about his impact to help your students learn and understand why we celebrate his life every year has never been easier! Renzulli Learning offers activities for every type of learner’s interest area and product style.Check out a few of our favorite activities below!
Great for All Students Grades K-12
On August 28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his most famous speech. The words live on: "I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Listen to the whole speech here, just as it was delivered on that stirring occasion. Click the Play (right arrow) button to begin.
K-2
Journal Drawing and Text Page - Creativity Training
Use this page to have your students add a page to their journal! This blank journal page is perfect for your students to write about Martin Luther King Jr. and what they learned about him!
What is Character? - Videos and Podcasts
What is your character? Do you think you have good character? What does it take to have good character? Learn about self-knowledge, wise decisions, heroism, and getting involved by watching this video. Use this video to talk about Martin Luther King Jr.’s character!
What is Character?
Martin Luther King, Jr. - Nonfiction Books
Dr. King led a civil rights movement in the first half of the 20th century. He was well respected for his peaceful methods of protest. On this website, you can read or listen to the story, your choice! Happy reading!
3-5
Civil Rights Activity Book – Projects and Independent Study
Learn about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Learn songs, solve puzzles, design a protest sign, and more!
Martin Luther King, Jr. – Websites
Martin Luther King, Jr. was a civil rights activist in the 1950s and 1960s. He led non-violent protests to fight for the rights of all people including African Americans. He hoped that America and the world could become a colorblind society where race would not impact a person's civil rights. He is considered one of the great orators of modern times, and his speeches still inspire many to this day.
National Geographic Kids: Martin Luther King Facts – Websites
Meet the civil rights leader in our Martin Luther King facts and discover how he changed history for millions of African-American people during the Civil Rights Movement.
6-9
The Pan-Africanists by Dudley Thompson – Nonfiction Books
This book explores the contributions of black leaders to the liberty and unification of African people around the world. There are biographies of 17 leaders.
I have a Dream Speech – Websites
Martin Luther King Jr's I have a Dream speech is an iconic hallmark of the Civil Rights Movement. On this website you can both read and listen to this powerful speech.
Civil Rights Movement Timeline – Online Activity
Do you know the year in which Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous "I have a dream" speech? Do you know the different events involved in the Civil Rights Movement? This interactive timeline invites you to explore key milestones of the Civil Rights Movement from 1939 to 1965, with special emphasis on 1963.
10-12
Martin Luther - The Reluctant Revolutionary – Critical Thinking
Few people have changed the course of history as dramatically as Martin Luther. His study of the Bible, prompted by a desperate search for personal salvation, led to his 95 Theses challenging the Catholic Church. Learn about a leader whose teachings sparked modern revolutions and beliefs about individual freedom — even though Luther himself remained in many ways a man of the Middle Ages. You can even explore the connections between Luther and his namesake, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!
Birmingham Civil Rights Union – Critical Thinking
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s won people of different races the human rights that we enjoy today. While we know about the segregation, racism, and color barriers that existed in the past, the truths of those difficult times are far more powerful when discussed by people who lived through them. Check out this website for oral histories and interactive resources that focus on the Civil Rights Movement.
Citizen King – Videos and Podcasts
This is a two-hour documentary that explores the last five years in the life of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Personal recollections and eyewitness accounts of friends, movement associates, journalists, law enforcement officers, and historians illuminate this little-known chapter in the story of America's most influential moral leader in the 20th century.
The American Experience: Citizen King
Each week, we will send you teaching suggestions and a few examples of our best and most popular resources. For more ideas to infuse enrichment activities with your curriculum, please visit the Unit Supplements on the Teacher Site, under “Teach.” We can also link these enrichment resources to your regular curriculum if you send us a theme or topic.
Thanks for being a part of the Renzulli Learning family and we hope you find these resources helpful.
Your Renzulli Learning Team