Printable Activities for Martin Luther King, Jr Day

I don't know what this coming weekend before the inauguration holds. All I know is that this year has started in such a way that the words of Martin Luther King, Jr ring in my ears...

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

and...

“We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right.”

There's a lot of hate and anger in this country right now. And a lot of misinformation or outright lies. 

The only way I know to combat all of this is by focusing on our children. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children."

So what better way to start, than with Martin Luther King, Jr. himself? Here is a list (in order of target age) of my printable activities for learning about the activist and civil rights movement leader.

Martin Luther King Jr. Bilingual Coloring Activity

FREE! A simple color-by-number activity for introducing Martin Luther King, Jr. to younger children in preschool and lower elementary.

Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Triptych Activity

In this writing triptych, kids can read a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read some quotes from his famous speech. They can color it, and draw or paste a picture of themselves on one of the folds of the triptych. Then they can think about the quotes and write a few words (short paragraph) sharing their own hopes for this country.

Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Activity

This simple activity allows students to write their own ending to Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. They simply color in the base sheet and write in their ending, before coloring in and attaching a flap-style poster to the top.

A Martin Luther King Jr. Glossary

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this easy, noprep, printable poster and glossary! Available in full color or black-and-white, you can decorate your classroom or have your students color in the poster and read the glossary which features words related to Dr. King.

Bilingual Martin Luther King, Jr. Activities BUNDLE

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Bilingual Martin Luther King Jr. Resources

Over the years, I've created a few different printables to help teach my kids about Martin Luther King, Jr. And since MLK Day is coming up on Monday, January 21st, I wanted to be sure to share them with you in case you are looking for fast, easy printables to share with your kids.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Color-by-Number Activity

For little ones, here's a fun activity. All you need is crayons or markers! I would first read one of the many wonderful MLK books available. Here's a list of my five favorites that I shared on Mom.me.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Triptych Activity

In this writing triptych, kids can read a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read some quotes from his famous speech. They can color it, and draw or paste a picture of themselves on one of the folds of the triptych. Then they can think about the quotes and write a few words (short paragraph) sharing their own hopes for this country.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Activity

This simple activity allows students to write their own ending to Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. They simply color in the base sheet and write in their ending, before coloring in and attaching a flap-style poster to the top. Available in English or Spanish.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Glossary for Families

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this easy, no-prep, printable poster and glossary! Available in full color or black-and-white, you can decorate your classroom or have your students color in the poster and read the glossary which features words related to Dr. King. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Bilingual BUNDLE - NEW!

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Martin Luther King Jr. Glossary for Families

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! 

In honor of the great Dr. King, I have created this printable Martin Luther King Jr. poster and glossary of words associated with the American hero. His words are just as important today as they were back when he was alive and especially on August 28, 1968, when he delivered his famous speech.

Martin Luther King Jr. Glossary for Families

Decorate your classroom or refrigerator with these colorful posters, or print the black-and-white versions and have your child color them in. All of the words chosen for the glossary are closely associated with the civil rights activist. 

And this packet has been updated to include a definition worksheet and writing page to extend the learning.

Visit my TpT shop to download your copy today.

How to Use my Glossaries

My glossary packs are a great way to introduce children to historical figures while expanding their vocabulary at the same time. I recommend pairing them with a good children's biography. Some great ones about the great Dr. King can be found in my article, 5 Books to Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr., which I wrote for Mom.com.

Once your students have learned about the topic of my glossaries, read the vocabulary words together and discuss their definitions. Then you might share the definition worksheet(s) with your students and have them define each term. Allowing them to reference the glossary is optional.

Lastly, have your students write a one-page essay about the historical figure (in this case, Dr. King) and encourage them to use as many of the vocabulary words as they can. Older students using the more advanced glossaries can certainly write more extensive essays.

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