I Have a Dream ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Paintings by Kadir Nelson

Click HERE to purchase with *Free Shipping

I Have a Dream 

Interest Level: Grades K-5

Hardback: 40

Publisher: Random House Children's Books









"This beautiful and powerful illustrated edition brings my father's inspiring messages of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us- those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone." 
~Dr. Bernice A. King

Kadir Nelson does an extraordinary job painting life into the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's famous I Have a Dream speech. First given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, this historical speech is just as relevant a half century later. Nelson not only captures the profound quotes of Dr. King's words, but through these16 beautiful paintings, he expresses the passion and sincerity that moved a nation during the Civil Rights Movement. The theme of this story is freedom for all and equality. Although this speech is reflective of one of the darkest moments in US history, Kadir Nelson created a bright and spirited artistic representation of what courage, faith and perseverance looked like during this time. This book is perfect for introducing, highlighting and reviewing this era.  

There is one image of Dr. King's face on a black background. He is quoting, "from every mountainside, let freedom ring." I could feel the intensity and hear Martin's words as I looked at this image. Powerful would be an understatement. The illustrations are so crisp, it was almost like the speech was playing while I read through the book. I loved it! Not only will the images pull in any reader, but the speech is also edited in a way that make it easy for younger children to follow and understand. 

This book also includes an audio recording of the speech on cd. 


~behind every GREAT man, is an EXTRAORDINARY woman.

Click HERE to buy with *free shipping

Coretta Scott

Written by Ntozake Shange 

Interest Level: Grades K-5

Hardback/Paperback: 32

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers 

Coretta Scott was born in Alabama on April 27, 1927. This story captures a glimpse into her childhood and touches on her experiences growing up in the south. It opens with her walking 5 miles through the dark, damp woods  in the dark to the "colored school" with her siblings while the school bus heading toward the "white's only school" blows a funnel of dust on their faces. A story of quiet strength and perseverance, the author shares what brought Coretta and King together...  faith, prayer and a mutual sense of determination to overturn hate with peace and moral power. This story's theme is one of determination and resilience..."ain't gonna let nobody turn me round gonna keep on walkin', keep on talkin', walkin' up to freedom land."  It never mentions Coretta Scott's greatest lost, instead it highlights how she never gave up on her faith. 

This picture book was also illustrated by Kadir Nelson, one of my FAVORITE illustrators!  The artwork is eye catching and life-like. His images almost look like photographs. 

Read more about Martin Luther King. 

Martin's Big Words...A Not So Wimpy Post.

Buy Now ~FREE~ Shipping

For the last two weeks I have been teaching the history and significance of the Consitution. I always begin teaching this in the first week of January because it is a perfect segue into the celebrations of Martin Luther King, Jr holiday and Black History Month. In general, students hear a lot about Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman. But, they don't always get to learn about the contributions of Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Ruby Bridges, The Little Rock Nine, D-Day and so many other influential people and events found in the history of America until they are older. Unfortunately, some students never really get the full story and miss out on knowing a huge part of their history. When teaching the history of America and how we gained our independence from England, established a document and a government that would protect the citizens of the United States, and strengthened a thriving Nation, the text book or curriculum never really goes into detail about the  the sacrifices of the Africans and African-Americans that were held in bondage for over three hundred years. Sadly, I can say that many students never really get the full history and/or teachings that highlight the strength, courage, tenacity, perseverance, and endurance of their Africans and African-American ancestors. I know when I was in school, it just wasn't taught. Luckily, I got it at home. I learned things as a child that most adults weren't aware of. Not because they didn't care to know, but because no one taught them. There is so much that I want to share with my kids and I always take full advantage of my teachable moments. As a fourth grade teacher (in a school that is 99% African-American),  I give them a strong foundation so that even if they never get it in detail from anywhere else, they have a seed that has been planted inside of them and they know where and how to seek out information.

So tomorrow my students take a reading/social studies test that requires them to recall the branches of government and their jobs, identify the rights and freedoms found in the Bill of Rights, list 4 major historical documents that have helped to shape the United States, and interpret the Preamble to the Constitution. They will also compare/contrast  the United States now to what the United States was like after the Revolutionary War. They are ready for it, we have been working hard all week! After the test, we will discuss how, at the time the constitution was written, it didn't apply to everyone. We already talked about slavery but we will go in to more detail in a week when I begin our next read aloud: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (of course some parts will be edited, but the theme of education and perserverance will definitely be reinforced). Following this discussion I will begin to talk about segregation and racism and what it looked like in the early 1900's. Now, how perfect is it that we celebrate the MLK holiday on Monday? I will begin talking about Martin Luther King, Jr. and his impact in the 1960's. We will discuss how segregation and racism denied African Americans of their constitutional rights and the significance of the Civil Rights Movement. I first introduce a small movie clip of Martin Luther King, Jr. giving his final speech. This is to peek the students' interest while also showcasing the passion in his delivery and the meaning behind his words. We then set the purpose for listening to the I Have a Dream Speech. The students listen to the speech  with "pen in hand". Following the speech the students write thoughtful reflections using guided questioning.

Download activities for MLK I Have a Dream Speech

But this is just the beginning. Now they understand the purpose of why the Civil Rights Movement occurred. Over the next two weeks they will "experience" what it was like to live in the United States prior to the ending of segregation. I conduct a series of activities similair to that of Jane Elliot's Blue Eyed Experiment. I also share stories, biographies, videos and events (Ruby Bridges, Emmitt Till, etc.).  I culminate these activities with the movie: Mighty Times: Children's March. This is a DYNAMIC movie that captures not only the most horrific events in the history of racism and segregation but also the strength of the CHILDREN who took a stand against it and helped to ignite major change across the nation for African-Americans. The "big idea" that I continue to reinforce is perseverance, strength, education, and endurance. I am constantly highlighting how far we have come as a country.  I make sure I keep the discussions positive and productive (if not done right, these topics could create animosity and anger). I make sure that I present them with nonbiased facts and encourage them to create their own opinions. Additionally, I highlight the contributions that were made by NonAfrican-Americans throughout history that helped to get us where we are to encourage an evaluation of "actions" and not "people"; I make great effort to prevent the perpetuation of stereotypes and misstatements.

Following this , we begin to talk about some of the more recent accomplishments and contributions of African-Americans and complete another compare and contrast activity for "then" and "now".

Please check back as I update my blog with artifacts and thoughts from my unit of study over the next several weeks. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback.

Ms. Wainwright : )

Read Book Review 

Read Book Review