![]() I love to use Todd Parr’s The Peace Book to introduce this idea. Of love and acceptance of others, as well as his example of fighting with peace.Īnother important message from Martin Luther King for kids is that we can stand up for what we believe is right using peace. Teaching about Martin Luther King, I want to make sure I touch on his message I also try my best to talk about struggles still faced today. Showcase more of the struggles black people faced during and before Martin Luther ![]() and we are going to learn about him and all that he did to change our country for the better.Īfter talking with my students, I use books and resources to Well, many black people, and some white people, started to stand up and say, hey, this is not ok! One of those people was Dr. They said that people with black skin can’t go to the same school as people with white skin, can’t eat at the same tables in a restaurant, can’t use the same bathrooms or water fountains – I mean it was ridiculous! But at that time in history, most white people thought this was good. Well, because white people thought this way, they had unfair laws against people with dark skin. The white skinned people thought that just because the darker skin was a different color, then the darker skinned people weren’t as smart or as good as they were – just because of the color of their skin. I tell my students that a long time ago, many people with white skin didn’t like people with dark skin (later I talk about how this still happens today). If you have feedback for how this conversation should go, please let me know! I try my best with this conversation – I try and be age-appropriate and honest with my students. I especially love the books Amazing Grace and Chocolate Me!īefore I use any books or videos with my students to teach about Martin Luther King, Jr., I have a conversation with them. I use books and everyday teachable moments to have discussions about stereotypes and racism. It is still happening today, and Martin Luther King Day should not be the first time you have addressed it with your students and it should not be the last. Racism did not end with Martin Luther King Jr. Ever since that realization, I have changed the way I think about teaching Dr. It made me think about how much privilege my students have – that racism is something I have to teach them. However, after several years of teaching and thinking this way, I was listening to an educator on instagram and realized that children of color already know about racism, because they deal with it every – single – day. And by telling them, I felt I was opening their eyes to the way our world really is, as opposed to the wonderful world they live in. They had no idea about the evils of our society – they had no idea what racism is or where it comes from. meant ruining the innocence of my students. So, why do I get nervous teaching about one of our country’s most important historical figures? Because, I thought, teaching about Martin Luther King Jr. I will talk at the end of the article about all of the resources that I use to learn more about, and reflect on, the racism in all of our country’s systems, all the privilege that I experience every day, and how I can be more anti-racist in my life and my teaching. But that is something I am constantly working on. I am uncomfortable talking about our country’s history of (and continued systemic) racism with my students – there, I admit it. And every year when Martin Luther King Jr. My students are a diverse group with many different languages being spoken, mainly of Asian and European descent. I teach in a suburban, upper-middle class district in Massachusetts. Before you read on, I want you to understand where I am coming from. ![]() Martin Luther King, Jr.I have felt really nervous to write this blog post about teaching Martin Luther King for kids, because I know that I definitely do not have all the answers here, so I try and include lots of resources and articles from educators I trust and that I learn a lot from. Check out out the activities below! –>Dr. You can grab all of these activities HERE. activities for kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. This is why I worked exhaustively to create Black history units – for not only my own use but to share with other educators as well. I want to make sure that whatever topic is being discussed, they are getting accurate and unbiased information. I always struggle to find the best activities for my students when it comes to history. ![]()
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