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I’ve put together a list of awesome Martin Luther King Jr. Classroom Activities so you can commemorate the day with your class on MLK Day or during Black History Month!

January is one of my favorite months to teach because we get to celebrate Martin Luther King jr Day.

For upper elementary and middle school students, this is a wonderful time to dig deep into the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his impact on our nation. These hands on, interactive, MLK activities can be found in printable or digital formats.
There are so many directions to take when celebrating MLK Day in your classroom. Rich lessons on tolerance, diversity, civil rights, non-violence, and so much more.

Civil rights secret message activity

One of my favorite ways to introduce the topic of Civil Rights is with the Civil Rights Movement Secret Message Activity for 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade or 7th grade.
Students will read a non-fiction reading passage and answer questions about the Civil Rights Movement. Correct answers will begin to reveal the secret message! Great self-checking reading comprehension activity for distance learning or computer day in any classroom.

MLK Puzzle Stations or escape room

MLK Puzzle Stations picture

To dive deeper into the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., introduce students to the Martin Luther King Jr. ESCAPE ROOM. Students work together as a team to save his famous speech, learning and collaborating along the way. Great for team-building and critical thinking.


Codes include ciphers, Morse code, cryptograms, and a final 4-digit code to complete the mission.

civil rights color by number reading and text marking

Civil rights Color by number Activity picture

For some cross-curricular fun, try this MLK Jr. Color by Number Reading Passage and Text Marking activity. Perfect for a Language Arts classroom or a Social Studies classroom.

Engaging for grades 5-8, this American History lesson focuses on Language Arts skills as students read, annotate text for evidence, and answer questions. It includes a before and after reading anticipation guide. Use this to test prior knowledge or as a history unit review activity! 

MLK collaborative poster

collaborative poster picture

Finally, I love to schedule a slightly more “relaxing” day for my students (and for me, let’s be honest!), while still honoring MLK.

This MLK Collaborative Poster activity fits the bill. Students work independently to color their own block, and then collaborate to fit all the pieces together. The completed product really draws attention. Perfect as a door or hallway decoration! Another great team-building activity for students.

pin for mlk blog There are so many fun and meaningful ways to teach about the legacy of MLK Jr., it can be hard to narrow down exactly what to choose for your lessons. Keep your unique group of students in mind, and you’ll be well on your way! 

So there you have my top Martin Luther King Jr classroom activities!

What are your favorite ways to teach about MLK this time of year? Let me know in the comments.

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Lisa

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Grab a Free Growth Mindset Escape Room for grades 4-8.

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