Just one example of the many words of wisdom spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr., pastor, activist, humanitarian and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of this great man on the upcoming federal holiday established in his honor, don’t miss the opportunity to share some MLK information with your students so they can learn about the role he played in shaping our country’s culture and history.

As you might imagine, there are tons of teaching and learning resources available online, but out of all of them, I highly recommend the video “My Friend Martin”, especially if you teach middle school students. It’s a cool mix of animation and actual black and white video footage that is extremely effective and captivating—one that can be used as a springboard to discuss Dr. King and his accomplishments. The use of kid lingo and voice overs from famous actors such as Whoopie Goldberg and LaVar Burton as well encouraging messages about  how one person can make a difference by standing up for what is right even when it’s difficult makes this video a perfect choice for the classroom!

Even though I’ve seen the video dozens of times, it’s still my all-time favorite MLK educational resource. Check it out below!

Additional Resources:

» Martin Luther King, Jr.: A one stop shop for all things MLK—articles, videos, images and speeches. The History Channel has it all!

» Classroom Resources for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Help students put in perspective Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, his impact on the Civil Rights Movement, and his significance to American culture and history via this NEA resource.

» Commemorate the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: Learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his nonviolent struggle for Civil Rights with these lesson plans and multimedia resources from Scholastic.

» MLK, Jr. Lesson Plans & Teacher Guides: The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Legacy of Racial and Social Justice: A Curriculum for Empowerment is a teacher’s resource guide that provides activities for students in kindergarten through eighth grade to explore the rich history of the civil rights movement and the persona of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

» Martin Luther King, Jr. Resources for Teachers: Check out quizzes, biographies, and various activities to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr. on this TeacherVision site.

» Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Join Education World this January to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. The resource page includes articles, lesson ideas, books, activities and much more!

» Larry Ferlazzo’s Best Websites For Learning About Martin Luther King, Jr.: A comprehensive list of MLK resources.

Classroom Connection:

Use the Our Friend, Martin video and the other resources mentioned to teach students about the life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr.