Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (or simply, MLK) is perhaps best known for his “I Have a Dream” speech delivered during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. However, Dr. King was more than his memorable speeches. A pivotal leader during the American civil rights movement, Dr. King was also passionate about eliminating poverty. Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference announced the Poor People’s Campaign at the end of 1967 and began organizing a protest in Washington, D.C. Though Dr. King wasn’t able to see his plans realized, the Poor People’s Campaign continued. The following HISTORY® video provides insight into the Poor People’s Campaign after the assassination of MLK.
Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the Poor People’s Campaign are just two of his many accomplishments. How do you introduce your students to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? With such an enormous legacy, it can be a daunting task to properly honor Dr. King, his contributions to the civil rights movement, and his significance in American history and culture. So, we pulled together some Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. project ideas and activities for the classroom.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Activities
1. Make a Timeline
To put the work of MLK into perspective for students, create a timeline of major moments in his life. Assign student teams specific moments in Dr. King’s life to research. Each team can then present each event to the class in chronological order, forming a human timeline along the way. Some key moments to include are:
- 1955: Montgomery Bus Boycott, resulting in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that racial segregation in transportation was unconstitutional
- 1957: Dr. King elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
- 1963: Nonviolent campaign aimed at Birmingham, Alabama, including the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
- 1963: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and “I Have a Dream” speech
- 1964: Dr. King won the Nobel Peace Prize at 35 years old, the youngest person to ever receive the honor
- 1964: Congress passed the landmark Civil Rights Act
- 1965: Selma to Montgomery March for Voting Rights in Alabama
- 1965: Congress passed the Voting Rights Act
- 1967: Poor People’s Campaign announced
- 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was tragically assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee
2. Deliver Speeches
Listen to the “I Have a Dream” speech and encourage dialogue amongst students about Dr. King’s platform of nonviolence and peace. Consider how his path of nonviolence can still improve our world today. Then, ask students to think about their dreams for the future. How do they want to see the world improve? After time for reflection, have students write and present their own versions of the iconic speech.
3. Make Dreams a Reality Collage
If delivering “dream” speeches isn’t your class style, another entry point to teaching the “I Have a Dream” speech is with a sentence prompt. “I have a dream that ______” and “I can make my dream come true by ______” prompts are easy ways to provoke deeper thought. Turn the dreams into a reality (a real collage, at least) by having students trace their hands on paper of different colors. Cut out the handprints, write their dreams down on the many-colored hands, and arrange them into a beautiful collage of diverse dreams.
4. Write Your Own Hopeful Poem
Take inspiration from Dr. King’s poetic “I Have a Dream” speech and have students write a hopeful poem. Encourage them to try different formats like a haiku, a rap, or even an absurdist poem.
Start with a haiku poem—a Japanese form of poetry that is only three lines long. It follows a 5/7/5 syllable pattern, where the first and last lines are 5 syllables, and the second is 7 syllables. They don't need to rhyme, but writing one will challenge your students to be succinct.
5. Start a Quote Discussion
Help students put a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in historical context. After choosing a quote to analyze, they can consider these questions: What do the words mean to them? Why did he say this? Are his words still relevant today? Why or why not? Download the Quote Discussion Chart to help students gather their thoughts.
6. Hold a Parade or a March
Dr. King championed peaceful protests by organizing marches. Today, we often celebrate MLK Day by having a parade celebrating his life. You can have your own peace parade by having students make signs displaying quotes, hopes, and ideas for spreading peace. Get the grade or even the whole school together if you’re feeling really ambitious!
7. Volunteer in Your School or Community
One of MLK’s most famous quotes is, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” Ask this question to your class and brainstorm ways to help others. Consider big and small ways your class can help in the community, as a group, and as individuals. School project ideas for helping out could be cleaning up a communal space, partnering up with another grade for tutoring moments, or organizing a food drive.
More MLK Project Ideas and Resources
Other resources and more information to help teach Dr. King in the classroom include:
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University
- The King Center
- The New York Times archive of MLK content
- The Seattle Times MLK project
- “3 MLK Day Activities for Families” on Shaped
- “MLK Day Bulletin Board Ideas” on Shaped
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Find more classroom resources and activities on Shaped.
This blog, originally published in 2019, has been updated for 2023.
HISTORY is a trademark of A&E Television Networks LLC. All rights reserved.
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