MLK Day...a few more things

Due to unexpected snow days and the need to revamp our lesson plans, our MLK unit was extended a few days. Since we extended our unit, I wanted to share a few more of our MLK Day activities.

One of the puzzles in our puzzle center is of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is one of our tougher wooden puzzles, apparently so tough, that a teacher long before me traced the puzzle piece shapes to aid in solving.

When one of my friends had some difficulty, a few friends came over to offer a little help and encouragement. As he finished, the helpers all congratulated him, offered praise for a job well done and a high five.

We've talked a lot about treating others with equality and respect. Honestly, my students were dumbfounded that there was actually a time that segregation and inequality was the norm. I'm so glad that they will never live the injustices that occurred here in our beloved South not so long ago.  It's hard for the friends to conceptualize MLK's "Dream", since that is not a reality they live.

We talked a good bit about King's "Dream" and how that is different from the dreams we experience while sleeping. I tried really hard to put those concepts into terms they could understand, but while they got the gist of what King stood for, when I asked them to dictate and illustrate THEIR dream for the future, it was clear that the responses were clearly those of  preschool children. I gave them pre-cut cloud shapes to record their "dreams". We put their name and the dictated responses on one side and the illustrations on the other and hung the completed projects on a string from the ceiling.

And the dreams.....
  "I have a dream.....
   **that all families can all get along and be friends.
   **for Martin Luther King to write books about dinosaurs.
   **for the friends to hold hands.
   **that we can all be friends.
   **for the apples to grow and the sun to come up.
   **that we will all be together.
   **that we could have a snowman.
   **that everybody can be friends.
   **for me and Tegan to put on a party for my mommy.
   **we have a Batman to save the day.
   **for Batman and the Joker to do something. The Joker got exploded.
   **to have flowers for my sister and my mommy.
   **everyone should play in the snow.
   **I wish everyone in my family could be butterflies in the world.
   **for an alien snowman.
   **that everyone gets to make a snowman.
   **for everyone to be a fairy.
   **we can all be friends.
   **for everyone to be together.
   **everyone should make snowmen. "

We also read a few more books about Dr. King. I especially like the books we've read in the "Let's Read About" series by Scholastic. The books have beautiful illustrations and very easy text for little ones to comprehend. Lets Read About-- Martin Luther King, Jr (Scholastic First Biographies) has already become a favorite.



We also read Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. (Scholastic Bookshelf).