A Lesson in Life
This was first posted for a blog hop...and now I'm linking with Comprehension Connection for a Thematic Thursday! I was so excited she decided her Thematic Thursday would be about Martin Luther King, Jr. In Virginia, Martin Luther King, Jr. is one of the famous people kindergarten students need to know about. Unfortunately, it's a hard subject to teach kindergartners. I hope this Thematic Thursday post makes it a little easier.Dr. King’s Legacy
As part of the Kindergarten Social Studies curriculum in Virginia, we are required to teach about Martin Luther King, Jr and his legacy for the United States. I You have to teach about people who had problems with people of color, simply because of color, and then teach why we shouldn't look at color as a barrier.
There are many wonderful stories about Martin Luther King. Most are artfully written so that the text can be discussed on many levels. One of my favorites has always been Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo. The illustrations are beautiful and unique to kindergartners. I wrote a little poem years ago to try and make this BIG person and event in history understandable to our smallest learners. The poem is introduced as the shared reading and is in the Art Center, Poetry Center, and Pocket Chart Center in following weeks.
In honor of Dr. King’s birthday, I have created a pack about Martin Luther King and his legacy. I am including a Martin Luther King, Jr. FREEBIE. Click the link or the picture below.
If you would like the full packet (37 pages), please visit my Teachers Pay Teachers store, CLICK HERE.
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You are so right about teaching this skill to such young little people. They don't see color. They just don't notice these things. They barely even noticed when I was 8 months pregnant!! It is just not important to them. They are more concerned with how people behave and how they treat others. I often wonder why we introduce such a concept to such innocent little minds. He was a great man and deserves to be recognized but it is just so hard sometimes. I feel like I am taking a little bit of their innocence! =/
ReplyDeleteBut you have a wonderful poem here. I will definitely be using this next week! Thank you for simplifying it so that our little ones can understand!
Welcome to our group! So good to have you!
Jessica
Hanging Out in First!
Thank you for this - it will come in handy next year and looks great!
ReplyDeleteGrowing Little Learners
Thank you, Cathy ! The Martin Luther King Jr. freebie is perfect for my Kinder Kids in reading.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Adventures in Literacy Land !
Wendy D.
Ms. D's Literacy Lab
I love this little MLK reader! Thank you for sharing and welcome to Literacy Land!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Adventures in Lit Land group! We are so glad you came aboard!
ReplyDeleteMy Martin Luther King, Jr. unit is one of my favorites to teach! Your simple poem has a BIG and important message! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Jennifer
Thanks, Jennifer! I LOVED teaching kindergarten...but it's all about making it understandable to a kindergartner.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. I'm really excited to be a part of the group!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it! I'm excited to share on Literacy Land!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy! I'm excited to be a part of this group! I hope your students enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope your students like it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jessica! I completely agree...it's such a tricky subject. He was wonderful and his legacy is great, but we need to consider 5-year-old thoughts when we decide a 5-year-old curriculum. Then again, I think the people creating the curriculum don't always realize they are 5. I hope your students enjoy the poem!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this resource. I love that the text is simple yet full of information. It is something that I can use with my students. They need these simple texts right now. Welcome to Literacy land!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Em. I love kinders and giving them the simplest way to understand the most complex of subjects is a challenge. AND it's fun!
ReplyDelete