TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Jan 12, 2025
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Martin Luther King Jr. Primary Source Resource - National Geographic Kids United Kingdom
Grades
K to 6
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This set of downloadable teaching resources features a comic that introduces students to Martin Luther King Jr. and his role as a civil rights leader and a Microsoft Word document ...more
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This set of downloadable teaching resources features a comic that introduces students to Martin Luther King Jr. and his role as a civil rights leader and a Microsoft Word document that includes a supporting classroom activity. The two documents are available by clicking the link under "Download primary resource." Additional information on this site provides correlations to English and Scottish teaching standards.
tag(s): civil rights (200), comics and cartoons (55), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
Include this activity with your other resources when teaching students about Martin Luther King, Jr. Find additional lesson ideas and information at the TeachersFirst collection: Martin Luther King, Jr. Resources, reviewed here and this primary-level teaching unit, Remembering Martin Luther King, reviewed here. Use the comic book format to engage and extend learning by asking students to create comics to tell the story of Martin Luther King in their own words. For younger students, help them create single-frame cartoons of specific events relating to Martin Luther King using ToonyTool, reviewed here, then create a class book that includes your students' work using Book Creator, reviewed here.
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Black American History - Crash Course
Grades
6 to 12
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This Crash Course, Black American History, takes an in-depth look at the key events, figures, and movements that shaped Black history in the United States, from slavery and the Civil...more
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This Crash Course, Black American History, takes an in-depth look at the key events, figures, and movements that shaped Black history in the United States, from slavery and the Civil Rights Movement to modern struggles for equality. Each episode brings to life the resilience, innovation, and contributions of Black Americans throughout history. Some of the videos include short advertisements before they begin. These videos are hosted on YouTube; if your school does not allow YouTube, this site would not work well for you.
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): black history (130), great depression (29), harlem (9), martin luther king (45), slavery (77), underground railroad (15)
In the Classroom
Assign students to research and present on influential Americans featured in the series, focusing on their contributions to history. Ask students to create a multimedia final project using Genially, reviewed here to create interactive images and presentations. Have students create a timeline of key events in Black American history, noting social, political, and cultural impacts. Use primary source documents from the Civil Rights Movement and other periods for students to analyze and discuss.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Plainest Demands of Justice: Documents for Dialogue on the African American Experience - Bill of Rights Institute
Grades
8 to 12
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This seven-lesson curriculum uses primary source documents to teach students about the efforts of individuals and groups, from colonial times through the present, working to ensure...more
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This seven-lesson curriculum uses primary source documents to teach students about the efforts of individuals and groups, from colonial times through the present, working to ensure the ideals of the Declaration of Independence with a focus on civil rights issues. Beginning with the Declaration of Independence and ending with current times, each lesson includes objectives, links to resource materials, and extension activities. Free registration is required to access all materials in the lesson plans. In addition, registration allows members to save their favorite activities to a personal library, share a link to your LMS (Learning Management System), and add lessons to custom playlists.
tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (73), 20th century (62), bill of rights (31), civil rights (200), declaration of independence (15), martin luther king (45), primary sources (119), slavery (77)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save these lessons to supplement your current American History curriculum. Each lesson includes links to primary source documents; use these resources to find materials not typically available in a broader curriculum. Engage students in the lesson activities and introductory essays using Pear Deck, reviewed here, to create interactive presentations that include guiding questions, videos, and formative assessment questions. Extend learning by asking individual students or groups to present their concluding analysis as a multimedia presentation with their peers. For example, Lesson 1 includes six questions for the concluding analysis activity. Assign a question to six different groups of students and ask them to share their responses through a video presentation created with Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, or as a website created with Google Sites, reviewed here.
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Teaching a More Complete Picture of MLK - Candra Flanagan, Eden Cho & Phoebe Hillemann
Grades
K to 12
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The study of Martin Luther King's accomplishments and legacy involves more than an annual celebration featuring one day or Black History Month. Three educators share their suggestions...more
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The study of Martin Luther King's accomplishments and legacy involves more than an annual celebration featuring one day or Black History Month. Three educators share their suggestions for using primary sources to expand students' understanding of his significant impact on civil rights. The article links many collections, including the Smithsonian Learning Lab, reviewed here, and an MLK primary source collection that includes art, posters, and interviews.
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tag(s): black history (130), civil rights (200), martin luther king (45), primary sources (119)
In the Classroom
Include this article that features various teaching ideas with your other resources for lessons about MLK. Use Padlet, reviewed here to collect and organize lesson ideas and information. For example, create a Padlet with columns to organize information by primary sources, books, saved lesson plans, etc., as a way to easily find content to use. Engage and extend learning as students watch videos using edpuzzle, reviewed here. Add comments and questions to the appropriate portions of videos as a way for students to focus on critical information. As students prepare to show their learning, consider using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here as a resource for students to create infographics about Martin Luther King and his contributions to civil rights.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Freedom's Ring - Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute
Grades
5 to 12
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Freedom's Ring is an interactive website project created by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. This site provides an immersive, multimedia...more
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Freedom's Ring is an interactive website project created by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. This site provides an immersive, multimedia experience where students can take an in-depth look into the Civil Rights period of American History. Students may explore the speech by choosing to display Dr. King's written words, spoken words, or both while listening to the recording. Throughout the address, lines of text are highlighted and lead the reader to a more in-depth look at the time period or reasonings for particular words used. The multimedia player where the speech is displayed makes it easy for students to pause and play by using the spacebar and marking sections of the text that have links to further information with longer lines. The entire site is also indexed, so students may choose to read the entire speech and view the entire directory of supplemental materials.
tag(s): black history (130), civil rights (200), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
This resource takes a comprehensive look inside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speech. Teachers may want to use this site to engage students by playing the address at the beginning of a lesson or by having students preview the oration by scrolling through and observing the pictures and graphics displayed throughout. Instruction can be enhanced by having the students view and analyze the supplemental materials and videos. Extend your student's knowledge by having them create their own interactive slide analyses presentations made with Canva for Education, reviewed here to reflect on their learning and share with their peers. You may also want to ask students to comment on others' videos to compare similar and different viewpoints.Comments
This is a wonderful site.Karen, VA, Grades: 0 - 12
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Unpublished Black History - The New York Times
Grades
6 to 12
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Browse through unpublished images from The New York Times archives published daily during February's Black History Month recognition, including short background information about the...more
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Browse through unpublished images from The New York Times archives published daily during February's Black History Month recognition, including short background information about the picture's subject. Email signup isn't required; scroll past that portion at the top of the page to browse the content. Images include well-known entertainers, sports, political figures, and pictures commemorating everyday events. In addition, each entry has a link to a New York Times article.
tag(s): 1960s (26), 1970s (10), black history (130), civil rights (200), journalism (72), martin luther king (45), movies (53), rosa parks (9), sports (81)
In the Classroom
This page is perfect for sharing with students to explore and find people and events of interest. The page is quite lengthy; if looking for specific information such as an event in a particular city or a person, use the search for text feature on your computer to find that information. On a Mac, use "Command+F"; on a Windows device, use "Ctrl+F"; another method for easier viewing is to click on the magnifying glass found on the bottom, left-hand corner of an image. This option allows viewers to scroll through a slide show of the images that include a short description of the activity. As students find information to research further, use the Wikipedia Timeline Generator found at Class Tools, reviewed here, to view a chronological list of events related to that person or event. Use other templates found in class tools to extend learning further. For example, use the Venn Diagram generator to organize and understand overlapping events and people involved or ask students to use the Fakebook generator to create a fictional social profile for one of the people featured on the New York Times page. Extend learning by asking students to become reporters and write news articles about current or past Black History events not found in this article. Consider using a simple web-publishing tool like Telegra.ph, reviewed here, to create and share articles that include student-created text along with images and web links.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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BackStory: Blackstory - Edsitement
Grades
10 to 12
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BackStory: Blackstory is a podcast compilation of some of the best content from the podcast, BackStory, focused on discussions of anti-Black violence. Select segments using the links...more
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BackStory: Blackstory is a podcast compilation of some of the best content from the podcast, BackStory, focused on discussions of anti-Black violence. Select segments using the links provided. Each feature includes a series of comprehension questions and additional resources for using the information in the classroom. Resources include lesson plans, curriculums, and media, including articles and primary source documents. Some episodes include discussions of lynching and racial slurs, be sure to preview before sharing with your students.
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tag(s): black history (130), civil rights (200), martin luther king (45), podcasts (105)
In the Classroom
Due to the intense nature of some of the content shared in the podcast, consider listening to the podcast chapters one by one together as a class. Prepare for some of the difficult conversations by using resources found within the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page Resources for Difficult Conversations. Take advantage of the lesson plans shared on this site to extend student comprehension beyond the conversations shared in the podcast. Encourage students to enhance learning by researching areas of interest while creating a Padlet, reviewed here, with a variety of resources such as videos, primary sources, and books. Extend learning by offering students various options for sharing their learning about anti-Black violence. Ideas include using Adobe Creative Cloud Express Video Maker, reviewed here, to create video, or create a podcast using Buzzsprout, reviewed here, or build a website using Site123, reviewed here, or build an interactive story using maps created with Google My Maps, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Virtual Learning Journey: Civil Rights Movement - Georgia Public Broadcasting & Georgia Department of Education
Grades
5 to 12
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Transport learners back to the time of the Civil Rights Movement through a virtual learning experience. Listen to firsthand accounts, watch 14 videos, and explore many primary source...more
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Transport learners back to the time of the Civil Rights Movement through a virtual learning experience. Listen to firsthand accounts, watch 14 videos, and explore many primary source documents found along the learning path. The journey explores seven themes and topics based on the Civil Rights Movement. As students travel the path, this site offers the option to clip and save information to their device for later use. Download the User Guide for complete information on how to use the site, suggestions discussion questions, and extension activities.
tag(s): 1960s (26), black history (130), civil rights (200), cultures (153), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
Be sure to include this virtual learning experience as part of civil rights lessons and Black History Month activities. Include a link to the experience on classroom computers for students to explore on their own. As students travel along the learning path, replace pen and paper and engage them by asking students to use an online note taking tool like Webnote, reviewed here, to write down their thoughts and questions they may have. As students learn about Civil Rights events, have them enhance their learning by asking them to step back in time and create podcasts from this time. Use Podcast Generator, reviewed here, a free tool for creating and sharing podcasts. Extend learning by challenging students find an image from the Civil Rights movement and create an annotated image using Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here.
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'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' Video Lesson - NewseumED
Grades
8 to 12
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'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' video portrays the importance to democracy of having a free press. Using original clips from different television news shows, newspapers, and...more
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'The Press and the Civil Rights Movement' video portrays the importance to democracy of having a free press. Using original clips from different television news shows, newspapers, and photographs (all primary sources) of the 1950s and 1960s the video delves into the idea that the civil rights movement may not have gotten very far without a free press. Find a step by step lesson plan including before and after viewing discussion questions, a viewing guide with short answer questions, and a handout with the names of the major figures in the video and what they had to do with the civil rights movement. View the video before showing to students to deem whether the strong language, gestures, and violence may be inappropriate for your class.
tag(s): civil rights (200), constitution (93), freedom of speech (14), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
Using the Activity lesson plan/viewing guide, have the before viewing discussion with your class. Consider giving all students a chance to voice their opinions (even the shyest and quiet ones) by using a backchannel tool like YoTeach!, reviewed here. Then, show the video to the whole class, or "flip" the class and have them watch it at home. Either way, the viewing guide questions could be inserted into the video using a tool such as Acclaim, reviewed here. After the video, use the discussion questions and Vibby again. Next, have students (or small groups) choose one of the extension activities to complete and share with classmates.The reviewers at TeachersFirst have some suggestions for tools to use for those final projects: For items 1-4 make a chart using a tool such as Canva, reviewed here, or Draw.io, reviewed here. For managing a project like item 5 use Google Keep, reviewed here, Workflowy, reviewed here, or Todoist, reviewed here. For items 6 & 7, biography type projects, use Fakebook, reviewed here, and for item 8, make a collage, use Fotojet, reviewed here.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Resources Overview - Stanford Research & Education Institute
Grades
3 to 12
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This is a one stop shop index for all things about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Resources include encyclopedias, primary documents, chronologies, transcribed...more
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This is a one stop shop index for all things about Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement. Resources include encyclopedias, primary documents, chronologies, transcribed documents, quotes and audio files of Dr. King's speeches.
tag(s): black history (130), civil rights (200), martin luther king (45), rosa parks (9)
In the Classroom
This is a perfect place to send students for research. Have students use the timeline to find out about important dates in civil rights history. Use the encyclopedia to not only learn about civil rights champions, but about organizations of that time.
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Myvocabulary.com
Grades
4 to 10
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Find interactive vocabulary activities using...more
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As part of their extensive site for vocabulary, roots, and more, MyVocabulary.com has added a themed area for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Find interactive vocabulary activities using Martin Luther King Jr. vocabulary words. You will also find printable crosswords, fill in the blanks and more, all using the same theme words. This and other "themes" available on the site will make vocabulary development fun.
tag(s): african american (109), black history (130), civil rights (200), holidays (185), martin luther king (45), vocabulary (239)
In the Classroom
Use this site to reinforce and support vocabulary as you study MLK Jr. Share the word puzzles on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Have students create their own word activities from the same vocabulary list, such as matching or ranking challenges for their peers to try on the interactive whiteboard.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Martin Luther King, Jr. - Nobel Acceptance Speech - Nobel Foundation
Grades
9 to 12
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Find everything you need about Martin Luther King and the Nobel Peace Prize from this page on the Nobel Peace Prize site. It includes Dr. King's Acceptance Speech (lecture) on ...more
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Find everything you need about Martin Luther King and the Nobel Peace Prize from this page on the Nobel Peace Prize site. It includes Dr. King's Acceptance Speech (lecture) on the occasion of his award of the Nobel Peace prize in 1964 and has elements that still resonate in the political structure of today's world. You can seaarch for other Martin Luther King resources (facts, lesson plans, etc) using the search bar.Try this resource as part of a study on non-violence, civil rights, or government. The document is longer than some students might like, but it is not difficult reading. The site also includes a two minute sound recording.
tag(s): african american (109), black history (130), civil rights (200), holidays (185), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
Since this speech (document) is so lengthy, why not break it down into several lessons. Alternatively, you could use the Cooperative Learning Jigsaw method (small groups), reviewed here, and either way, ask students to dissect the words of King. Have them answer what still holds true in the 21st century? What has changed?Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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March on Washington Lesson - PBS Newshour
Grades
6 to 12
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These 10 featured items, from the website for the PBS Newshour Extra, offer both a set of structured questions about integration and racism and a set of resources that documents ...more
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These 10 featured items, from the website for the PBS Newshour Extra, offer both a set of structured questions about integration and racism and a set of resources that documents Dr. King and the struggle for equal rights in America. The lesson includes links to important documents, extension activities, thinking questions, audio and video footage, and correlations to National Standards in history, civics, culture, and more.
tag(s): african american (109), black history (130), civil rights (200), holidays (185), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
These lesson plans are ready to use and easy to follow! The extension activities offer some excellent higher order thinking questions. After sharing video footage with your students, why not project one of the extension activities on your interactive whiteboard or projector? Enhance learning by having students create a blog with Telegra.ph, reviewed here to answer the questions in the extension activities. With Telegra.ph you just click on an icon to upload images from your computer, add a YouTube or Vimeo, or Twitter links. This blog creator requires no registration.
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The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Non-violent Social Change - The King Center
Grades
4 to 12
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This site is one of two official Martin Luther King sites. Come to this site to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr: his life, his legacy, the holiday honoring ...more
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This site is one of two official Martin Luther King sites. Come to this site to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr: his life, his legacy, the holiday honoring him (including Belove), his wife and family, and more. Click the top menu tab What We Do and slide to Classroom Resources to find videos, PDF printables, and excellent research information.
tag(s): african american (109), black history (130), civil rights (200), martin luther king (45)
In the Classroom
Share the video and/or audio clips on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Have students use this site for research projects. Challenge students to write a blog from King's perspective. Have students pretend that he could write a blog for people to read in the 2000s. What would he say? Has his dream come true?
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