October 13-19, 2011, Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event:
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was dedicated on October 16, 2011. The memorial honors the life and work of the famed American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.
Objectives:
Students will read the Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles to better understand Martin Luther King, Jr., and to foster a dialogue centered around American civil rights and Dr. King’s life.
Vocabulary Terms:
- assassinate
- boycott
- civil rights
- justice
- memorial
- racism
- segregate
Discussion Topics:
1. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial became the first memorial dedicated to an African American on Washington’s National Mall. Discuss the significance of this milestone.
2. Dr. King’s memorial includes symbolic representations of the “Mountain of Despair” and the “Stone of Hope” from Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Select a few excerpts from the speech to analyze line-by-line with students.
3. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day is observed on the third Monday in January. It is one of the four U.S. federal holidays to commemorate an individual person. Ask your students which other historical figures should have their own holiday and why.
4. Use World Book’s timeline feature to make a timeline of Dr. King’s life and impact.
5. Take a virtual tour of the memorial and watch the dedication ceremony from the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial website.