Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is observed annually in the United States on the third Monday in January. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American Baptist minister and played a major role in the Civil Rights Movement from 1954 until his assassination in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. A firm believer in non-violent protest and civil disobedience, Dr. King's work towards equality for all changed America forever.

We have gathered a collection of resources from across the web for you to use in your studies or to create a mini-unit study on the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

General Information:

• Wikipedia: Martin Luther King Jr. - encyclopedia-type entry
•  Stanford - The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute - provides PDFs, images, and audios of "King's most significant correspondence, sermons, speeches, published writings, and unpublished manuscripts" as well as lesson plans, a Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia, a timeline, a must-see interactive exploration of his "I Have a Dream" speech and much more.
• The History Channel: Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Biography Channel: Martin Luther King, Jr. - texts, videos, photo galleries, and more
• The Seattle Times: Martin Luther King, Jr. An Extraordinary Life - educational materials from the newspaper that features a biography with images and audios as well as a timeline, lesson plans, online quiz, a study guide, and resources.
• National Geographic Kids: Martin Luther King, Jr. - a brief biography with images geared to younger students, lesson plans, teacher guides, and more.

Virtual Tours:

• Students with King Virtual Tour - With this YouTube video students can take a guided virtual tour of Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birth home.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial - photo tour of the memorial

Videos:

• Scholastic: The Man Who Changed America - mini-biography video for grades 3-5
• Flocabulary: Martin Luther King, Jr. & Leadership - his life presented with song and excerpts from his "I Have a Dream" speech. Also includes lyrics and audio versions. (Please note other features require a paid membership to their site.)
• Cornell University Library Martin Luther King, Jr. Resources: Films/Speeches - video of major speeches including "The Other America", "The Three Evils of Society", "I've Been to the Mountaintop", and "I Have a Dream." There are also a lot more resources available using the upper menu including guides, primary sources, and links to other websites.
• BrainPOP Martin Luther King, Jr. - video and activities

Activities and Printables:

• Scholastic Printable "I Have a Dream" Mobile
• The Notebooking Nook - notebooking pages and mini book
• Surfnetkids Martin Luther King, Jr. Printable Crossword
• ABCYA.com Martin Luther King Word Search - interactive word searches with sound
• ThoughtCo. 8 Printout Activities for Martin Luther King Day - includes PDF coloring pages, a draw and write page, alphabetical order activity, multiple-choice challenge, vocabulary sheet, word search, and crossword puzzles
• Apples4theteacher: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - information, coloring pages, printables, worksheets, puzzles, reading lists, and more

We have also created a free downloadable collection of lined copywork pages of quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. in manuscript, modern manuscript, and cursive formats for you to use in your studies. Some pages also include a block for your student to illustrate the quote.

A Copybook of Quotations from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Other link collections for your studies:

• Mama's Learning Corner: Martin Luther King, Jr. Unit Study Resources with Free Worksheets - links, reading list, PDF worksheets, and more geared towards 2nd and 3rd graders
• National Education Association: Classroom Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - lesson plans, activities, and resources sorted by grade level
• The Homeschool Mom: Martin Luther King, Jr. - notebooking unit and links to other related resources with grade levels noted
• Encouraging Moms at Home: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Ultimate Resource List - links to printables, coloring pages, lesson plans, activities, videos, audios and more.

*As always, please be sure to preview these sites prior to allowing children to visit them to determine appropriateness for your family.

We hope that these resources provide a good starting point for your study of Martin Luther King, Jr.