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Instructional Video

The First Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

While most Americans can identify civil rights hero Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., they often are not aware of how controversial he was in his time. Using video resources that include documentation of the first federal holiday to honor him to scholars exploring his controversial stances against the Vietnam War and Poor Peoples Campaign, pupils consider his legacy. Clips also include discussion of his powerful "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

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CCSS: Adaptable
Concepts
martin luther, martin luther king jr., ronald reagan, the presidency of ronald reagan, i have a dream speech, civil rights, civil rights leaders, the civil rights act of 1964, the civil rights movement, the montgomery bus boycott, non-violence, non-violent protest, the vietnam war, vietnam
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Additional Tags
social studies
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Instructional Ideas
  • Offer the resource to help learners trace the evolution of Martin Luther King Jr.'s views on the Vietnam War and civil rights
  • Use resources to structure a class discussion on what other figures should be honored by holidays
Classroom Considerations
  • Teachers may create a free C-SPAN Classroom account or the use of the following login credentials: Username: students, Password: C-SPANCLASSROOM
Pros
  • Resource includes critical information often overlooked about King's legacy
  • Videos include audio of King's voice, adding emotion and authenticity to the lesson
Cons
  • None