Martin Luther King Jr.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to describe the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Students will use context clues to define the words civil rights, segregation and advocate.

• Students will be able to state the history of Martin Luther King Day and the date on which it is celebrated.

Suggested Grades:

3rd Grade - 4th Grade - 5th Grade - 6th Grade

Lesson Procedure:

Print the reading comprehension passage and questions (see below).

Students should read the passage silently, then answer the questions. Teachers may also use the text as part of a classroom lesson plan.

Lesson Excerpt:

Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most famous civil rights leaders in American history. Each January, a federal holiday around the time of his birthday recognizes "MLK" and honors the work he did for racial equality.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929. He was ordained a minister in 1947 and graduated from Morehouse College in 1948. In 1955, King earned a doctoral degree from Boston University. He was a minister of the Baptist church in Montgomery, Alabama at a time when America was a segregated country. In the 1950's, black people did not have the same privileges as whites. For example, there were separate bus lines for white and black travelers. Many restaurants would not serve blacks, children went to separate schools depending on their race, and facilities like public restrooms were separate as well.

Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated most of his life to working for equality among the races.

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