MLK Jr. Quote and Black History Month Journal

As we enjoy the day off, we're also probably lesson planning about some additional activities that we could do this week that relate to the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  (you know how teachers get all this "vacation" time...)  I enjoy reading to the children the plethora of award-winning picture book biographies as well as the never-to-be-forgotten "I have a dream" speech; I also wanted my students to appreciate some of his other quotes.  So the one that I found is a simple yet very tangible saying, applicable for young kids and for adults:  “The time is always right to do what is right.”

Most teachers continue this theme about learning about the lives of other people through Black History Month.  Our class kept track of famous African Americans in our journal, including MLK Jr.  We read biographies about Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Ruby Bridges etc., and then wrote about and illustrated one fact we learned about that person. Sometimes to guide them I'd say to pick the fact that makes them famous or important, somebody we need to remember.

Our Jounal

This journal was a life saver because I could easily use it as a reading response sheet during interactive read aloud or part of the morning do-now.  Our literacy curriculum is so packed that most of us have to be very creative to fit in some social studies.  Ah, the joys of multi-tasking and making everything count...