Ideas from http://www.educationworld.

com/
The life of American hero Martin Luther King Jr. offers many teaching opportunities. - See more at:
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Martin Luther King

Each year, on the third Monday in January, people in the United States pause to honor the life and dreams of
Martin Luther King Jr. Many classroom teachers also pause in the weeks leading up to Martin Luther King Day to
take advantage of an opportunity to teach about the King legacy of tolerance, equality, and respect. - See more
at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson248.shtml#sthash.QhhEoVxE.dpuf
Finally, if you've been searching for an authoritative collection of links to online classroom resources about Dr.
King, we recommend Martin Luther King Jr., from 42Explore

http://www.42explore2.com/king.htm

Martin Luther King, Jr. led the Civil Rights Movement of the
1960s. He organized nonviolent marches to protest
segregation and racial injustice. This peaceful means of
protest is known as passive resistance. His 1963 "I Have a
Dream" speech dealing with peace and racial equality is one
of the most powerful speeches in American history. Dr. King
was assassinated by a gunman in 1968.

Martin Luther King Jr.: A Fact or Opinion Activity

Subjects: Arts & Humanities, Civics, Holidays, Language Arts, Social Studies, U.S. History
Grades: 3-5, 6-8
Brief Description
A brief biography of Martin Luther King Jr. reinforces students' understanding of the difference between fact and
opinion.
Objectives
Students

discuss the difference between fact and opinion.

read or listen to a brief biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

complete the Martin Luther King Jr.: Fact or Opinion? work sheet.
Keywords

civil rights, critical thinking, fact, Martin Luther King, opinion

Materials Needed[shopmaterials]

brief biography of Martin Luther King Jr. at http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jan/king.html

Martin Luther King Jr.: Fact or Opinion? work sheet.

Lesson Plan
Do your students understand the difference between fact and opinion? Explain to students that a fact is real or
true and its truth can be verified. An opinion is a belief or judgment that cannot be verified; it may or may not be
true.
If the concepts of fact and opinion are new for your students, complete the first four steps of the activity below
together. If students have been exposed to the concept previously, organize them into small groups and have
them complete those steps independently.

Choose a book or movie that all students can use as a frame of reference. Ask students to share what
they know about the book or movie. Write their statements on a chalkboard, a chart, or an overhead
transparency.

Create a simple two-column graphic organizer; labeling the columns "Fact" and "Opinion." The graphic
organizer headline should reflect the title of the book or movie being discussed.

Read each of the students' statements about the book or movie, and ask students to determine
whether the statement is a fact or an opinion.

Write each statement in the correct column on the graphic organizer.

Explain to students that they will apply their understanding of fact and opinion to a story about the life of
Martin Luther King Jr.

Share with students a brief online biography of Martin Luther King Jr. Read aloud the biography page,
and project the Internet page for all to see. If possible, print a copy of the page for each student.

Distribute the Martin Luther King Jr.: Fact or Opinion? work sheet and have students complete the work
sheet individually or in small groups.
Assessment
Students correctly identify eight of the ten statements as fact or opinion. The correct answers are: 1. F, 2. O, 3.
O, 4. F, 5. F, 6. O, 7. O, 8. F, 9. O, 10. O.
- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp248-01.shtml#sthash.cX9px5qo.dpuf

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in

moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at
times of challenge and controversy.
- MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Civil-Rights Leader, 1929 - 1968
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929 at his family home in Atlanta, Georgia. King
was an eloquent Baptist minister and leader of the civil-rights movement in America from the Mid1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. King promoted non-violent means to achieve civilrights reform and was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
King's grandfather was a Baptist preacher. His father was pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist

Church. King earned his own Bachelor of Divinity degree from Crozier Theological Seminary in 1951
and earned his Doctor of Philosophy from Boston University in 1955.
While at seminary King became acquainted with Mohandas Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent
social protest. On a trip to India in 1959 King met with followers of Gandhi. During these discussions
he became more convinced than ever that nonviolent resistance was the most potent weapon
available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.
As a pastor of a Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama, King lead a Black bus boycott. He and
ninety others were arrested and indicted under the provisions of a law making it illegal to conspire to
obstruct the operation of a business. King and several others were found guilty, but appealed their
case. As the bus boycott dragged on, King was gaining a national reputation. The ultimate success of
the Montgomery bus boycott made King a national hero.
Dr. King's 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail inspired a growing national civil rights movement. In
Birmingham, the goal was to completely end the system of segregation in every aspect of public life
(stores, no separate bathrooms and drinking fountains, etc.) and in job discrimination. Also in 1963,
King led a massive march on Washington DC where he delivered his now famous, I Have A
Dream speech. King's tactics of active nonviolence (sit-ins, protest marches) had put civil-rights
squarely on the national agenda.
On April 4, 1968, King was shot by James Earl Ray while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine
Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39 at the time of his death. Dr. King was turning his
attention to a nationwide campaign to help the poor at the time of his assassination. He had never
wavered in his insistence that nonviolence must remain the central tactic of the civil-rights
movement, nor in his faith that everyone in America would some day attain equal justice.

Back to Article

Martin Luther King Jr.: Fact or Opinion?

DIRECTIONS: Read each statement below. Decide whether each

statement tells a fact or an opinion about Martin Luther King Jr.
Write F on the line before each statement that tells a fact. Write O on
the line before each statement that tells an opinion.
1. ________ Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929.
2. ________ King became a preacher because his father and
grandfather were preachers.
3. ________ King was one of the smartest students in his class at
Boston University.
4. ________ In 1959, King traveled to India to meet followers of
Mohandas Gandhi.
5. ________ King believed Gandhi's ideas could help black people
in the United States.

6. ________ The Montgomery bus boycott was the most important

event in King's life.
7. ________ King's "I Have a Dream" speech was the best speech
he ever gave.
8. ________ Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize
in 1964.
9. ________ James Earl Ray should have been sentenced to die
for killing King.
10.
________ Nobody had more impact on the civil rights
movement than King did.

Lesson: Mapping Martin Luther King, Jr.

Subjects: Educational Technology, Geography, Holidays, Social Studies, U.S. History

Grades: 3-5, 6-8
Brief Description
Students explore places that were important in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Objectives
Students

use a variety of print and online resources to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.

search for information about places that were important in King's life.

create a U.S. map that shows where those places are.

Keywords
geography, Martin Luther King, U.S. map
Materials Needed[shopmaterials]

Books, Internet sources, and other resources about Martin Luther King, Jr.

A blank U.S. map (try this map or this map)

Lesson Plan
Note: Students can complete this activity independently, in pairs, or in small groups.

Point out to students that cities such as Atlanta, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and
Washington, D.C. figured prominently in the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Ask: What other places can you think of
that are closely associated with Martin Luther King? Write the name of each important location on the
chalkboard. Challenge students to research a variety of print and online resources to find information about each
of those places.
Tell students that as they locate each place of importance, they should

affix a star to a blank U.S. map to indicate that place's location.

write the name of the location next to the star on the map.

record on a separate Map Key a sentence or two of explanation about the importance of that place in
Dr. King's life.
When students complete their maps, provide a time for them to display their maps and share what they learned
with their classmates.
Assessment
Students complete a simple teacher-created quiz in which they match a place name with the reason that place
was important in King's life.
- See more at: http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/02/lp248-02.shtml#sthash.RKKKWm5E.dpuf