The celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Monday, January 18, offers educators a really great opportunity to share the story of this great historical figure. Dr. King was much more than a civil rights leader. Among his many interests, he was also a passionate advocate of education and life-long learning, and an avid student of history who urged his fellow citizens to appreciate and gain a thorough understanding of history to avoid repeating it. He once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.”

To aid classroom teachers with their MLK Day presentations, here are some instructional resources to consider for your use. Feel free to add more in the comments section below.

Scholastic. Biographical information, plays, memorable quotes, interactive timeline, book lists, lesson plans, reproducibles. Grade levels K-12. www.scholastic.com.

PBS. Resources to teach the life and impact of Martin Luther King. Videos, lesson plans, Civil Rights glossary, interactive timeline, personal narratives. Grades 7-12. www.pbs.org.

The History Channel. A wealth of materials about the Civil Rights leader can be found on the website, including biographical material, photo galleries, his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. See The History Channel.

The Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize Foundation offers a good biography for Martin Luther King at Nobel.