DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING: SUPERHERO!

JANUARY 18, 2012 

I believe that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has become a superhero in America 2012.  He was smart, courageous, and fair.  During his "I Have a Dream" speech, he spoke candidly about how black people suffered from police brutality; however, he urged everyone to remember the "white brothers and sisters" who fought for racial equality.  Today, young people know about Dr. King's dream; but sometimes, that's all they know.  Many students do not know about his other speeches or activities. 

The Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute, located at Stanford University, has some excellent classroom resources that help students to have a realistic view of King and his work.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Many students do not know that Dr. Martin King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham.  This unit can be used to differentiate your lesson.

1. Divide your class in groups of fours.  Have each group participate in various activities.
2. Ten minutes before the bell rings, have a spokesperson from each group share what the group learned from the activity.
3. Before beginning the unit, write an essential question to develop prior knowledge and guide the class in a short discussion. 
4. Sub Questions are included to guide your unit through each segment.

The curriculum and list of lesson plans for the Unit: Letter from Birmingham Jail.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/liberation_curriculum/resources/

The web site provides the following resources:

1. The introduction to the unit on Dr. Martin Luther King’s arrest in Birmingham, Alabama.

2. Photo Examination: Students exam the photo of Dr. King as he is being arrested and answer questions about their observation:

http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/index.php/home/pages?page=http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/kingweb/liberation_curriculum/birmingham/roleplay/birm_roleplay8.htm

3. A sample of Letter Dr. King wrote when he was arrested in Birmingham Jail

4. Teenager/Parent Negotiation Role Play for teenagers who want to participate in the Heartbeat of the Negro Movement.  Would your parents allow you to participate in the Civil Rights movement?


5. Role Play and Decision Chart

6. Reflective questions to end the unit