Today is more than just a day off from school and work. It’s an opportunity to honor a great man (as I mention in my January song) who did big things, and to observe how far our country has come as a result.
I wish I could say that I have a song for this occasion to share with you, but I don’t (maybe next year). However, I will send you over to Songs For Teaching, where there are quite a few tunes dedicated to MLK Jr. Here are just a few worth noting:
- A Tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. – Mary Miche
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Freedom Song) – Barbara Speicher
- I Have a Dream/This is Our Moment – Mrs. Music
- Rise Up: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Jack Hartmann
How do you teach your students (or children) about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his important work? Do you do anything special to commemorate this day in your classroom? If so, I want to hear about it.
I’m actually using the Craig Thompson “I Have a Dream” with my students today/this week. It was my favorite of the Songs for Learning options. I’m also using U2 “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and Stevie Wonder “Happy Birthday”. Thank you, Dr. King!
I teach 4 year old PK students and I use “Oh Martin Luther King” by Two of A Kind – So Many Ways to Be Smart album. I begin by reading “The Crayon Box That Talked,” followed by discussion. Later in the day I paraphrase “Martin’s Big Words” and we make a classbook titled “Martin Has Big Words and We Have Big Words Too.” My students dictate what their “big dream” is for the world. I am always amazed at the insight of these young learners. Last we have a color sheet with blackline master of children holding hands, the kids fill in the faces and draw their friends. We discuss rhyming using the words care, share, fair and they write this in the center. This becomes a bulletin board that stays up and is our motto for the new year: to “care, share, and be fair.”
Thank you, Kellee and Rene, for sharing your MLK Day songs and activities! I think it’s so important for our children to be aware of who Dr. King was and what he did. Rene – I love your motto for the year!