Lesson Plans
Grades: K-2, 3-5
Explore the philosophy of nonviolence and the African American Freedom Struggle through children's literature.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Read and discuss two of King's most well-known works, "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "I Have a Dream."
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Explore how creative action and sustained commitment of young people provided the essential catalyst for revolutionary change in the United States.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Who are the “drum majors for justice” in your life?
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Is it possible for nonviolent direct action to transform a community?
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
King often spoke of the inherent role of love and faith within the movement for justice. Why did King believe love was at the center of the struggle for justice?
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Challenge students’ preconceived notions about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Human Rights Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Why did King make the choice to speak out against United States involvement in Vietnam when he risked doing harm to his status as a civil rights leader, as well as harming the movement itself?
Grades: K-2
Introduce students to Ruby Bridges, a young pioneer in the fight to desegregate schools in the 1960s.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
In this unit, students develop a broader understanding of the freedom struggle from 1868 to the present by a diverse group of Americans through the exploration of first-person accounts.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
To conceptualize the African American Freedom Struggle as part of a global movement for human rights invites a deeper understanding of the international events of the last century.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
The Montgomery bus boycott serves as an ideal historical model for teaching social movements. The 381 day boycott illustrates the key elements of achieving social transformation: sustained commitment, intense strategizing, and intricate cooperation.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Explore the role young people played in the African American Freedom Struggle, specifically the Children’s Crusade in Birmingham, Alabama.
Grades: 6-8, 9-12
Encourage students to reflect on nonviolence as an instrument to change unjust laws by studying the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 and King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."
