Martin Luther King Milestones

crayola supplies

household supplies

Why?

Create a time line with colorized copies of photos of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Steps

  1. 1. Work with a small group of classmates to research the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Each child researches a different aspect of King's life: family events, education, career, political involvement, speeches, historic moments. As a group, combine your information about key events to understand how his work propelled the Civil Rights Movement.
  2. 2. Create a pictorial time line on a long sheet of roll paper. Show each aspect of King's life with a different color of Crayola® Marker. Include a key to the colors.
  3. 3. Use Crayola Colored Pencils to fill open areas with key phrases from King's public addresses. To make his inspirational words resonate, fill in lettering with closely-spaced parallel lines in bright two-color combinations.
  4. 4. Find photographs to add to your time line. Colorize them with Crayola Crayons. Mount photographs on construction paper with a Crayola Glue Stick. Trim with Crayola Scissors.
  5. 5. Tape yarn to each photo. Glue photos to the roll paper. Run yarn from photos to the appropriate places on the time line.

adaptations

Students find an event in King's life that took place on their birth date during his lifetime. Create posters indicating where he was on that date, what he did, and how it affected his life and/or the lives of others. Design appropriate visuals and add colorful text with markers.

Create math questions using data from the time lines. Find numerical facts from King's life to incorporate into questions, such as how many people attended speeches and miles traveled from city to city.

benefits

Students research information about Martin Luther King Jr.'s key role in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Children identify at least 10 major events in King's life and his influence on the Civil Rights Movement.

Students create a pictorial time line of these historical events with dates, photographs, and excerpts from speeches.

grades

Grades 4 to 6
Grades 7 to 12

subjects

Math
Social Studies
Visual Arts
Language Arts

time

Multiple Sessions

curriculum standards links

US: Research U.S. Standards
UK: Research UK Standards
Canada: Research Canada Standards

safety guidelines

Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.

String-Like Materials—Includes string, raffia, lacing, yarn, ribbon, and other similar material. Children 3 years and younger should not be given any string-like material that is longer than 12 inches. Close adult supervision is essential whenever children use string-like material. When crafts are to be worn around the necks of children 8 years and younger, attach the ends of the “string-like material” with clear adhesive tape, which allows easy release of the bond if the craft becomes entangled or caught on equipment. For children older than 8 years, the ends of the “string-like material” may be tied and knotted.

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