Mapping Martin Luther King, Jr.

Teaching Theme of the Week

by Gary Hopkins, Editor-in-Chief, Education World®

Students explore places that were important in the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Subjects: Educational Technology, Social Studies

Grades Levels: 3-5, 6-8

Objectives
Students will:

• use a variety of print and online resources to learn about Martin Luther King, Jr;
• search for information about places that were important in King's life; and,
• create a U.S. map that shows where those places are.

Keywords
geography, Martin Luther King, U.S. map

Materials Needed

• books, Internet sources, and other resources about Martin Luther King, Jr.
• a blank U.S. map (A printable U.S. map or another printable U.S. map.)

Procedure

Note: Students can complete this activity independently, in pairs, or in small groups.

Point out to students that cities such as Atlanta, Georgia; Montgomery, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Washington, D.C. figured prominently in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Ask: What other places can you think of that are closely associated with Martin Luther King? Write the name of each important location on the chalkboard. Challenge students to research a variety of print and online resources to find information about each of those places.

Tell students that as they locate each place of importance, they should

• affix a star to a blank U.S. map to indicate that place's location,
• write the name of the location next to the star on the map, and
• record on a separate Map Key a sentence or two of explanation about the importance of that place in Dr. King's life.

When students complete their maps, provide a time for them to display their maps and share what they learned with their classmates.

Assessment
Students complete a simple teacher-created quiz in which they match a place name with the reason that place was important in King's life.

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