FREE Martin Luther King Jr. Upper Elementary Lesson Plan - MLK Day
Studying Martin Luther King Jr. is crucial for 3rd and 4th graders as it introduces them to the inspiring life of a civil rights leader who championed equality and justice. Learning about MLK fosters empathy, encourages understanding of historical struggles, and empowers young minds to stand against discrimination, promoting a more inclusive and compassionate society.
Lesson Plan
Anticipatory Set - 5 minutes
I love using videos to hook students for most of my science and social studies lessons. I just feel that it truly captivates them and produces better engagement for the remainder of the lesson. I selected this video because it is short, but covers some important points. It even reviews how MLK Day is now referred to as a day of service.
Read to Learn More - 10 minutes
I then rely on a passage to further their understanding of Dr. King. Depending on the class, you can have students read this independently, with a partner, or you can read it aloud.
Martin Luther King Jr. Passage
This passage is appropriate for most 3rd and 4th grade classrooms. I typically read it aloud to my English Laanguage Learners while the rest of the class reads independently.
Biography Activity - 25 minutes
After completing the reading, we have a quick discussion about RESEARCH! This word often scares upper elementary students, but I like to use this activity as an introduction to the concept.
Students will complete the activity sheet below by gathering information from the passage.
Biography Activity
What I LOVE about this resource is that the passage and biography activity sheet are connected. For example, ALL of the answers to the questions can be found in the passage. They won’t need to dig around any other additional sources!
Character Trait Reteach - 10 minutes
After completing the activity, it is time for them to answer a reflection question! Personally, I love using the one with character traits because it gives me an opportunity to review that crucial skill!
Review Character Traits
First, I review character traits by pulling out my anchor chart. I use this in the beginning of the year when we first cover character traits, but love referring back to it throughout the year. Together, we brainstorm different character traits for Dr. King
Reflection Writing - 25 minutes
After reviewing character traits, it is time for them to write about that one character trait. As a third grade teacher, I use this as an opportunity to gauge whether or not they can support their claim with text evidence. I have them use the passage from earlier to supply text evidence!
Reflection Question Guidance
I use the R.A.C.E strategy to teach students about adding text evidence to their writing. Therefore, I remind them of this strategy and tell them to use it during their response. However, you can use any strategy that you and your students feel comfortable with!
Early Finishers - Explore Epic!!
Epic is a great early finisher activity for students!! They can expand their knowledge of Dr. King and even add to their biography activity sheet!
I hope you have fun teaching about Dr. King!! His legacy lives on because of us!!
Happy Teaching,
Thrive in Upper Elementary Team
