Top 10 Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activities

Post By

Saumya M.

Reviewed By

Jo S., Faheem H., and Marc T.

Post By

Saumya M.

Reviewed By

Jo S., Faheem H., and Marc T.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a brave man who redefined the history of the USA. He played a great role in fighting against inequality but he quite literally changed people’s lives. So today, the World’s #1 Source of Research-Based Content, The Daily Top 10 will explore the Top 10 Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activities.

Martin Luther King Jr. was an influential leader in the Civil Rights Movement, known for his advocacy for nonviolent resistance and racial equality. His activism and leadership played a critical role in advancing civil rights for African Americans in the United States. King’s famous speeches, including “I Have a Dream,” continue to inspire people around the world to fight for social justice and equality.

For this reason, we have brought together the Top 10 Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activities. If you enjoy this, be sure to check out other articles on our website like the Top 10 Reasons Why We Celebrate National Flag Day in Mexico, the Top 10 America’s Biggest Political Scandals of All Time, and the Top 10 Best Places for First-Time Travelers to Visit in Mexico.

What is the Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activity?

Martin Luther King Jr. was a pioneer in the civil rights struggle in the United States. As the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he planned several nonviolent demonstrations, including the 1963 March on Washington. Most importantly, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, making him the youngest recipient ever at the time.

So, let us jump directly to the Top 10 Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activities. Although, you better stick around till the end of the article since we always save the best for last!

10

Read 'The Story of Ruby Bridges’

Students learn fast if history is taught to them in the form of stories. So, reading a story to your students about Martin Luther King Jr. Day can be a good classroom activity. In this way, the young students can learn who he was and what his history was.

Ruby Bridges was the first African-American child to desegregate an all-white school. This young girl in a white school faced the height of discrimination, but she stood firm with bravery and courage. So, the story of this brave girl is motivational for young learners and an enduring symbol of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy.

9

Burst Discrimination Balloons

This is an exciting classroom activity, which engages the students on how to stand against the evil of discrimination in society. Discrimination is an important topic to touch on since it leads to the destruction of society. Martin Luther King Jr. realized this fact and stood firm against it.

For this activity, the learners will write discrimination on balloons. According to Teaching Expertise, balloons can be of any size and color, because the idea is just to make students learn the importance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the evil of discrimination. Students will debunk the balloons, shouting loud as “No Discrimination”.

8

Read Books

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrates the life and struggles of this warrior for the civil rights work of Black Americans. It is an officially recognized National Day of Service in the USA. Accordingly, another classroom activity for this day is reading books on the life and struggles of Martin Luther to the children.

According to Reading Rockets, there are many books about Martin Luther and his contributions. A few of them are, “A Place To Land: Martin Luther King Jr. And the Speech that Inspired “A Nation”, “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Down”, and “Because They Marched”. All these books are inspirational to this day and help create motivation among students.

7

Hands-On Activity

Next, we have this Hands-on activity which makes for an exciting classroom project to celebrate this day. An article published on Parents, explains the importance of hands-on activity. This activity helps students to give awareness that all humans are equal.

So, the purpose of this activity is to teach students about external differences and internal similarities. Learners can discuss external differences like skin color, hair color, and eye color, but learn about the most important internal qualities that make all of us the same. Similar internal qualities are dreams and hopes.

6

Make a Timeline

Another fun plus learning classroom activity to learn about the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. Day is to make a timeline. According to an article published in Education, the learners are arranged in groups. Each group would make a timeline of major moments in the life of Martin Luther.

Once the timeline is made, the students can share it with the class. They will explain the reason behind choosing a certain event from the timeline. In this way, the students get awareness about each event of the great Martin Luther King Jr. struggles.

5

Write a Speech

The teachers can also read the famous speech, “I Have a Dream”, by Martin Luther King Jr to their students. It’s because this speech is a milestone in the history of the USA and has many layers to it that can be unraveled through healthy discussions. Next, the teachers may ask the students to write their own, “I Have a Dream” speech.

This way, students get to dig deep inside their hearts and brains and find what it is they are passionate about in the world. Using a fill-in-the-blanks worksheet, have them express their dreams for the world in a format similar to King’s speech. This activity can make the students learn what they want to achieve in their lives, and how they can fulfill their dreams.

4

Sing a Song of Peace

Singing a song that celebrates peace and brotherhood is another fun plus learning activity to do in a classroom during Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Lessons given through activities such as songs and dancing don’t feel like your typical boring classroom lectures. Realizing the importance of this big day and the efforts of Martin Luther King Jr. against the evil of discrimination through this activity allow learning to become fun and easy.

According to an article published on Sing Up, Rise UP is a fun song that celebrates peace, hope, and brotherhood. The song is sung by a lovely artist named Jack Hartmann. So, it is a powerful activity for children to feel the spirit and dedication that Martin Luther King Jr. Brought to his cause.

3

Read the Nonviolent Resistance Movement

We bring up a reading activity again since children learn more when they listen to history in the form of a story. It makes the past events more interesting and easier to remember. In addition, the classwork doesn’t feel like work anymore.

The purpose of this activity is to introduce the children to other leaders who used the same peaceful method of protest. According to Twinkl, Martin Luther King Jr. stood up for the rights of black Americans. Moreover, he was accompanied by other leaders like Ralph Abernathy, Fred Shuttlesworth, Joseph Lowery, and other civil rights activists.

2

Reflect on Personal Contributions

Our children today are the youth of tomorrow as they will grow up to be leaders and lawmakers. This is why the learning of children plays an important role in the development of our tomorrow. Accordingly, this Martin Luther King Jr. Classroom activity is about learning and communicating!

Now that children have watched, read, and learned about the contributions of Martin Luther, it is time to discuss their contributions. The learners can reflect on ways that they too can contribute to their communities. Learning about how to pay back to the community we are living in, at a very early age helps nurture a responsible youth. Articles of Oxbridge Essays share tips and tricks about how to write a self-reflective essay.

1

Take a Virtual Field Trip

On top of the list as the Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activity, we have positioned a Virtual Field Trip for this day. The reason behind this is that students love and learn more via a virtual field trip. Sitting in a classroom, with a virtual tour, the learners can learn the same as they can learn from an on-site tour.

Teachers can ask each student to make a list of things they want to learn on the trip and a list of things they already know. After a detailed tour, students can all sit in a circle and share what new things they ended up learning. This makes for an interesting discussion.

What are the Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activities?

Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement and supported the anti-war and workers’ rights movements, among other social justice concerns. He firmly believed in the ability of grassroots activism and community organizing to bring about change. His work, to this day, influences many around the globe and it would only be right to incorporate activities that reflect what he stood for on the day he is celebrated.

Let’s have a quick look at the Top 10 Best Martin Luther King Jr. Day Classroom Activities:

Take a Virtual Field Trip
Reflect on Personal Contributions
Read the Nonviolent Resistance Movement
Sing a Song of Peace
Write a Speech
Make a Timeline
Hands-On Activity
Read Books
Burst Discrimination Balloons
Read “The Story of Ruby Bridges“

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is an iconic day in the history of the USA as every year this day is celebrated across all the states of the USA to remember the struggles of Martin Luther King Jr. In addition, the other purpose of it is to make the children learn the significance of this day. So, the above-mentioned best of Martin Luther King Jr. Day classroom activities will be inspirational.

If you find this article useful, please visit The Daily Top 10, for more informative content like the Top 10 Asia’s Best and Greatest Inventors of All Time, the Top 10 Asia’s Best Job Market News and Trends in 2023, and the Top 10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Single Awareness Day Alone.

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Author: Saumya M.

Saumya M. is a passionate content writer known for her impeccable storytelling and research. She has covered topics ranging from travel and lifestyle to entertainment, community, and education. She helps people live their best lives and reach their full potential.