Dr. David Childs, D.D., Ph.D.
Northern Kentucky University
With the US becoming more and more diverse, there is a push around the country to diversify school curricula and provide more inclusive classrooms. As such, educators are seeking resources to do this in a more meaningful way. Martin Luther King Day is a wonderful time to integrate multicultural themes into the classroom, making it more inclusive. With this in mind, PBS Learning Media has provided some incredible resources for teaching about Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights in general for grades K-12 classrooms. See the resources below from the PBS website. Each resource below also includes the write up provided by PBS Learning Media to give educators and the public an idea of what the link provides. 
Image by: U.S . Embassy New Delhi “Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. | Civil Rights Leader Video
“In 1983, Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday (national observances started in 1986.) This year the holiday is observed on January 17. Help your students deeply understand and connect to King’s legacy by watching this short video and using the accompanying hands-on activities to explore how King’s leadership expanded social justice, particularly for African Americans.”
Dr. Martin Luther King at Gee’s Bend | Retro Report
“This eight-minute video illustrates the achievements of the civil rights movement, as well as the enduring challenges facing black Americans, by focusing on the small community of Gee’s Bend, Ala., a town that attracted the attention of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1960s. The video helps students draw a line between the battles fought by King’s movement nearly five decades ago and the barriers to equality and opportunity that residents of Gee’s Bend face today. For lessons focused on the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the video serves as a bridge between the past and the present, and sets up a discussion about the unfinished agenda of King’s movement.”
Kids Can Be Changemakers | Meet the Helpers
“Your students are their own changemakers. This resource provides vocabulary, critical thinking questions, and discussion prompts to engage students through poetry. Discover workshops that center student voice and exploration with robust educator guides.”
Selma to Montgomery | Yellowhammer History Hunt
“Cross Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965, with John Lewis and his fellow voting rights activists in this episode of Yellowhammer History Hunt. Learn about the Selma to Montgomery March, Courageous Eight, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the fight for voting rights.”
Arthur Takes a Stand | ARTHUR
“Discover ways to protest an injustice and have your voice heard using this video from the PBS KIDS series ARTHUR. When Mrs. MacGrady opens the cafeteria for breakfast and takes on double the work without any help, Arthur tries different ways to solve the problem. He begs the principal to hire help and even encourages students to boycott! Finally, after a pep talk from Congressman John Lewis, Arthur stages a peaceful protest. His classmates join him, and they refuse to leave the cafeteria until they are heard. But will it make enough of an impact to hire an assistant for Mrs. MacGrady?”
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Impact in Cleveland | Politics on Point
“Martin Luther King Jr. left the famous march from Selma to Montgomery to come to Cleveland. Why? To encourage voter registration as a way for black people to let their voices be heard.”
Missing from Texts: Critical Changemakers
“As we reflect on this past year, it’s important to understand and acknowledge the sacrifices and compromises that we have made as a community. And even more so, to recognize and celebrate the selfless contributions of people to our world – even during COVID. Here are some changemakers from around the country who do amazing work and deserve to be celebrated for their contributions, the pathways they have set before and ahead of themselves, and the inspiration they provide to the countless activists who will continue doing work for our communities.”
I think that Martin Luther King Jr. is such an inspirational man. He was an amazing activist that helped create change during the Civil Rights Movement. MLK along with many others are important people that students need to learn about. MLK day and Black History month are great opportunities to teach students about these influential people. I think that teaching students about diversity should not be limited just for one month. I will strive as a future educator to make my classroom inclusive and have conversations with my students consistently so they can stay informed and feel represented.
Students learning about Dr. Martin Luther King and Civil Rights are just as important as other aspects in the classroom. I enjoyed and appreciate the resources under this article, such as the PBS learning video and the series ARTHUR. The PBS learning video shows a young girl explaining how people are never too young to be changemakers. The tv show, ARTHUR, is also a great example of protesting injustice because this allows a younger audience to develop an understanding. As a future educator, I will come back to this article knowing it is a great resource to teach young students.
I really like how this article shows all the diverse ways you can teach this topic. I also like how it gives different resources you can choose from for this topic. It is important to learn about Martin Luther King Jr. because he made a significant impact on our world and our society.
I think that this article has so many important concepts, especially as a soon to be graduate in the college of education. Being in a placement this semester where the school is widely diverse, learning topics like the civil rights movement is so important. I was speaking with the teacher whose classroom I am working in and they said just yesterday that with February being black history, that the large majority of lessons will be centered in black history and that the students really enjoy it. Inclusiveness and diversity are so important in the classroom and it needs to be more associated with the classroom.
I enjoyed this article’s inclusion of websites or media directed towards kids. It is essential to teach children about these things early on to make a difference in the future and understand the crucial details of our past, especially Dr. Marten Luther King. Thank you for sharing!
The Civil Rights Movement encompasses a wide range of topics, from the movement’s leaders to the events that aided in its advancement. I believe it is critical that children in schools study and learn about the Civil Rights Movement as well as other different subjects pertaining to the civil rights movement.
Thank you for sharing these various resources! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr is someone I think future generations should learn about every year in the classroom. He was such an important pioneer and activist for rights for those of color in this country, and I think educating future generations about him is essential because he was such a prevalent figure in an era of immense change.
This was a great article to read! It is interesting to read and see how important it is continue to teach our youth about historical events and people, such as Martin Luther King Jr. himself. Just last week, my five year old son came home from school talking about all that he learned about MLK, then proceeded to tell me about his dreams and aspirations to change the world. Educators have such an affect on their students, it is so important to teach them to have the opportunity to change the world.
I agree that we need to further diversify the school curriculum and provide more inclusive classrooms. MLK Day is a great opportunity that we should take to do so. The Civil Rights Movement was a big moment in history, and it’s not over yet. We need to continue to push this movement forward and to not let it lose its momentum.
After reading a few of the articles, this one stuck out a lot to me. Reason this specific article stood out to be is because it gave me a better understanding of The civil Rights Movement. These rights will be taught in classrooms from Pre-K through 12th grade. This was huge in those days as you Dr.David stated in the article ” It’s important to understand and acknowledge the scarifies that others have made and compromise as a community.” Thank you for sharing this great article with me.