Resources for Learning about Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr., day is coming up, and it’s a great time to learn about the civil rights leader and the civil rights movement in general. This isn’t easy stuff to talk to our kids about, but it is so important for them to grow up with empathy and understanding that we are not as different as some people would like to believe we are.

Check out some of our favorite educational reading books about Martin Luther King

If You Were a Kid During the Civil Rights Movement

The Story of Ruby Bridges

Real Stories – The March On Washington

10 True Tales: Young Civil Rights Heroes

And if you are looking for more printable lesson plans then check these out on Etsy

Playdough to Plato has a nice set of printable banners kids can write on about their dreams, how they can be kind, how King changed America and more. These are great little ways for kids to summarize what they have learned.

No Time for Flash Cards has another cute activity, where kids make a world, cut out handprints and share how they would like to change the world.

Curriculum and Crayons has a step-by-step guide to drawing Martin Luther King, Jr., while It’s About Time, Teachers, has a printable poem and a timeline of King’s life.

I love this foldable King Day activity from Teachers with Apptitude. It includes prompts for the kids to write about and pieces to color and put together.

Scholastic has a great collection of books on the civil rights movement for kids if you want to expand your King Day learning to talk about Ruby Bridges, Rosa Parks, sit-ins and bus boycotts. And Learning in Wonderland has collected a ton of great resources for learning about and celebrating King.

Education.com has a lot of great printables for King Day, including a crossword puzzle, coloring sheets, stories and activities. I love the collage and handprint art ideas.

And if you’re willing to spend a little you can find some great things at Teachers Pay Teachers, too, like this printable booklet for kindergarten and first grade, handprint book and writing prompts, and mini unit study and craft project.

How do you celebrate King Day in the classroom or with your kids at home? I’d love to hear about it!

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

Have you read?

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