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Martin Luther King Milestones

Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished much in his short life. Students will learn about his civil rights work and create a timeline of some of the memorable events associated with him. 

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Craft Paper on a Roll

Steps

  • Step 1

    Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement. He organized peaceful protests, led marches, played a major role in the creation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act. Have students research King's life and accomplishments. Who were some of his champions? Who opposed his practices? How did the 1963 March on Washington affect and propel the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

  • Step 2

    Provide student teams with a section of paper from a craft roll and ask students to coordinate how each team will contribute to a timeline of some of accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr. They can illustrate the timeline by hand or attach copies of pictures that feature him at various events.

  • Step 3

    Have students present their portion of the timeline and discuss the strides and accomplishments made by King and also the work that still needs to be done.

Standards

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Analyze the causes and consequences of past events and developments, and place these in the context of the institutions, values and beliefs of the period in which they took place. 

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Read, reconstruct, and interpret the past. Imagine the future. Place oneself in various times and spaces and reflect on change. 

SS: Power, Authority, and Governance: Develop awareness of rights and responsibilities of people, in specific contexts.  

Adaptations

Have students investigate the Brown v. Board of Education decision that ruled that racial desegregation in public schools is unconstitutional. What was the "separate but equal" doctrine? Who was Oliver Brown? Who was Ruby Bridges?  

Ask students to read or listen to a recorded recitation of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Have them discuss how his words still resonate today.