Monday, January 19, 2009

What does Martin Luther King Jr. Day Mean to Your Kids?

There are ways to teach your kids more about this historic holiday. It's not just another day off from school, but a day to reflect on this man's great contribution to the United States of America, and the whole world.

If your kids love to spend their days "off" in front of the computer as much as mine do, why not send them to the following websites?

  • Fact Monster is packed to the brim with interesting facts about Dr. King. Not only is it easy for kids to navigate, it also offers quizzes and crossword puzzles so that they can test their knowledge.
  • At Scholastic, a slideshow of Benedict Fernandez's photographs of Dr. King take kids back to 1968 with a glimpse into Dr. King's world.
  • Kids hunt down facts about Dr. King in this online scavenger hunt, which might prove to be so much fun that they won't even realize they're learning.
  • Speaking of fun, at Read Write Think, they've created a word mover. Kids can take the words from Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and create a poem from it.
  • If you're trying to explain Dr. King's legacy to very young children, here's a slideshow created by elementary students using Kid Pix -- very simple, very colorful, and very basic.
  • Older children, teens, and adults will enjoy this interactive timeline, and this special feature by The Seattle Times is a must-see for anyone who's looking to learn more about Dr. King and his legacy.
Related Links:
infoplease.com
MLK events in the Bay area
"Triumph" for foot soldiers of movement
The Moderate Voice

Fun For Kids:
Big Fish Games
PBS Kids
Kaboose

My Kids Mom,
Sara Peters
Changingtheworld2gether

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hey Sara!

What a great idea to have the kids learn about why they have the day off. I know they learn about it in school, but having them actually do the research themselves will surely help them to really absorb the information.

Gail
http://www.GailMetcalf.com