Stand Up For Martin Luther King – January 19th
(Tune: “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” HAPPY EVERYTHING CD)Dr. King stood up for justice. (Stand and sway
He stood up for equality, too. back and forth.)
Dr. King stood up for children.
He stood up for me and for you. (Point to self and then others.)
Chorus:
So now we…
Stand up, stand up, (March in place to the beat.)
Stand up for Martin Luther King.
Stand up, stand up,
Stand up for Dr. King.
Dr. King wanted all of America (Sway back and forth.)
To be tolerant, fair, and free.
He stood up for what he believed in.
He stood up for you and for me. (Point to self and the others.)
Chorus
Dr King taught us all to be dreamers (Sway back and forth.)
So one day the world could begin
to judge people based on their character
And not on the color of their skin.
Chorus
*You can download the book at drjean.org. A good way to make this book is to glue the cover to the front of a pocket folder. Insert the other pages in clear sheet protectors and insert them in the folder.
Vocabulary
What a perfect opportunity to expand children's vocabulary with words like "justice," "equality," and "tolerant." Write the words on the board and challenge children to connect classroom experiences to these words. For example, if someone shoves in line, you can be "tolerant."
*Discuss how some words have more than one meaning with "stood," "free," and "character."
MLK and KWL
Check out books from your school library on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Put them in your class library and ask the children to see what they can find out about Dr. King. Use a KWL chart to begin your discussion. K – What do they already know about Dr. King? W – What do they want to learn about him? L – After reading books about Dr. King, add the new information the children have learned.
Heroes
Martin Luther King was a hero. Make a list of other people that the children consider to be heroes. What character traits does a hero have? Ask children to write stories about what kind of hero they would like be when they grow up.
Acts of Kindness
Get a spiral notebook and write “Acts of Kindness” on it. Encourage the children to record kind deeds their classmates do for them. Read over the book at the end of each day to encourage more positive behavior.
