Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2016

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Happy Monday! Today is a special Monday because it’s the day we honor the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Many people honor his memory by participating in days of service. I like to spend the day doing the work I would not be able to if it were not for role in desegregation in America. This means I’m usually preparing my lessons for the week or completing my academic writing.

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This year I’ll be spending a little time writing, but also time introducing Sesame to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work. In prior years, I’ve read him this short board book, The Story of Martin Luther King Jr, but this year I thought he might be ready for something a bit longer, so I purchased I Am Martin Luther King Jr from the Ordinary People Change the World series.

 

Mr. S read it to him before nap time today and I’ll read it to him again in the morning. As you all know, Sesame attends a relatively mixed preschool where he is the only Black American child in his classroom, so he was practically intrigued by the parts about Black people not being allowed to play or go to school with white people. I listened in as Mr. S explained that Dr. King’s work changed it, so now everyone can play together. He also perked up when they mentioned Morehouse College, since that is his dad’s alma mater and we were there this past Saturday for a science workshop.

As an aside, I really like this book and I’m going to purchase him more from the series because I think it’s a wonderful way to show children how one person can impact change in the world.

We will also watch Selma together as a family. Sesame still does not sit through movies in their entirety, but I am looking forward to hearing how he perceives what is transpiring and helping him navigate those feelings. It will also help me as I prepare to begin discussing social movements and popular culture with my students this semester.

 

How are you spending MLK Day this year? Are you introducing a discussion on the Civil Rights movement with your little ones? If so, what resources will you use? Let’s chat in the comments or Facebook or Twitter.