Apr. 9, 2008: Dr. King's Work Lives On

The Mini Page is a syndicated, four-page tabloid written for young children found each Wednesday in the Rocky Mountain News. This issue of The Mini Page is available through the eEdition Archive to registered eEdition subscribers. Click here to learn about subscribing to the eEdition at no cost to you (for Colorado teachers).

Activities:

1. Create a poster that celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Use words and pictures from the newspaper on your poster.

2. Find people and items in the newspaper that would help Martin Luther King Jr. accomplish his goals today. Think about these categories: communication devices, transportation, people with political skills and people with knowledge about issues. Add any categories of your own. List your selections on a piece of paper and write a sentence about why you chose each one.

3. Find a newspaper story about a situation you think should be changed.
Write several sentences explaining why you think things should change. Now list three non-violent acts you could do to encourage people to see your point of view.

4. What evidence can you find in today's Mini Page that shows that King (a) followed religious teaching, (b) was intelligent, (c) was respected by others, and (d) supported different causes?

5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about one of King's specific causes: the Montgomery boycott, the Poor People's Campaign, his anti-war work, or the Memphis garbage workers' strike. Use these questions to guide your research:

• What was the cause?
• What caused King's interest in it?
• What leadership did he provide?
• What did he tell people to do?
• What were the results of his actions?
  

Write a paragraph discussing your findings.

This week's standards:

• Students understand people and events honored in commemorative holidays. (History)
• Students understand the deeds for which our nation honors leaders from the past, including political, scientific, social and military leaders. (History)
  
  

(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)