Many students know the name Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but do they understand what he stood for, why he fought for civil rights, and the sacrifices he made to create a more just society?
Here are seven Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities to help students explore the civil rights movement and Dr. King’s lasting impact. You can use these ready-to-go lessons to check their understanding of the topic.
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Dr. King delivered his most famous speech on August 28, 1963. It advocated for civil rights for Black Americans and called for justice across the country.
Read the speech and have students highlight key phrases and themes. Follow the activity with a discussion on how these ideas are reflected in today’s society.
Three months before the March on Washington, Dr. King was imprisoned in Birmingham, Alabama, for participating in nonviolent protests. While in jail, he wrote a letter that responded to critics of his methods and his fight for civil rights.
Share the letter with students and ask them to identify MLK Jr.’s main arguments. Ask them to complete the check for understanding activity and then reflect on how his methods connect to current events or school issues.
On April 4, 1968, Senator Robert Kennedy was campaigning in Indianapolis when he learned Dr. King had been assassinated. Speaking to a predominantly Black audience, he delivered an unscripted message about the tragedy.
Have students read Kennedy’s speech and analyze the tone, word choice, and emotional appeal. They have them complete this check-for-understanding activity.
Cesar Chavez, a Hispanic civil rights and labor leader, fought for farm workers’ rights, including fair wages and safe working conditions. In 1978, he gave a speech in memory of Dr. King, showing how his goals mirrored MLK Jr.’s fight for justice.
After reading and completing the activity, students can compare Dr. King's and Chavez’s goals and strategies. Ask Luna to add questions to the activity, such as a Venn Diagram or discussion chart, so students can highlight similarities and differences.
Introduce students to the history and significance of MLK Day. Assign readings or interactive activities that help K-2 students explore Dr. King’s life, key speeches, and how the holiday honors his legacy. Then have them complete the short quiz for reflection and to check their comprehension.
This activity for upper elementary students uses age-appropriate texts and multimedia to teach Dr. King’s values, leadership, and the civil rights movement. Use the discussion prompts and interactive questions to assess students’ understanding of the topic and spark meaningful discussion.
Encourage students to reflect on how Dr. King’s work applies to the modern world. This writing activity guides middle and high school students to identify ways to practice justice, equality, and civic engagement in their communities today.
Have students write their personal action plans or community projects and present their ideas to the class to reinforce understanding.
The Formative Library has a variety of educator-created templates ready for you to use or customize. Add multimedia elements, import Google Slides, or enhance PDFs to create engaging, interactive lessons.
You can also adjust the settings of any Formative Library activity to fit your classroom needs, like randomizing question order, awarding partial credit, or tagging questions to your teaching standards.
If you don’t find an activity or template that fits your needs, you can create your own lesson or assessment manually or with the help of Luna, your AI-powered assistant! Sign up for Formative for free or log in to your account to start creating and using Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities.
