Martin Luther King Jr...better late than never!

So, I know that I am almost a month late on this post but I wanted to share a couple of quick and easy ways to teach about Martin Luther King Jr. through literacy.  If nothing else, you can pin it :) and save the ideas for next year.

In my second grade class, we started out by building our background knowledge about MLK Jr.'s life through some read alouds.  Here are a few that I used/would recommend:

During the read alouds, we payed attention to when we learned something new about him and recorded on our graphic organizer.

Finally, we made text-to-self connections and thought about how the stories we read about Dr. MLK Jr. reminded us of our own lives.  We turned those connections into a class book.

Here's the cover of our book.

To get this freebie for your own class, click here.

Here are a few of the pages from our book:

"I am like Martin Luther King Jr. because he likes

to the right thing.  And, I agree with his dream!"

"I am like Martin Luther King Jr. because I care about all
the people in the world and I want freedom!"

"I am like Martin Luther King Jr. because I like love.
I love black people and white people."

"I'm like Martin Luther King Jr. because I love everyone
no matter who they are! Even when they disappoint me.
No matter what!"

Please leave a comment and let me know if you try one of these ideas...or share what you do to teach MLK Jr. through literacy!

They said what????

      We all know that students say the funniest, most random, smartest, and confusing things sometimes.  I am often amazed at what comes out of their mouths (and not always for good reasons).  But, this week, I sat back in my chair in amazement as I listened and tried to frantically write down my students' words so I wouldn't forget the enlightening discussion that was going on.
      Each day, we have a time of closure and sharing at the end of our Daily Five block.  I sometimes step in and ask a clarifying question to get the student to more explicitly explain his/her thinking, but last Wednesday I literally did not say an entire word for five minutes while my students discussed and debated about Nico's inference.  It was a proud moment.  I was so proud of them for having the knowledge and thinking skills that they do now at the end of the year.  I was proud that all of my work trying to set up a climate where my students feel comfortable to share what they know and respectfully discuss with their classmates.  Here's part of the conversation:
      Nico:  I was reading Where the Wild Things Are, and I'm inferring the author's purpose was to teach. 
      Elizabeth: What's your evidence?
      Nico: Well, he's teaching me what the forest is like.
      Anius: But isn't that a fiction book? Usually the author's purpose isn't to teach in fiction books.
     Boston:  Anius, but remember that fables (they're the same as fiction) are fiction books but they try to        teach us a lesson? Remember when we read The Tortoise and the Hare? That's fiction but it taught us a lesson.  
      Anius:  Oh yeah. So Nico, do you still think the author's purpose is to teach or to entertain?
     Nico: Maybe to entertain because there were lots of funny parts.


Never underestimate the power you have when you are silent and let your students do the talking!

      

My Blogging Adventure

        Welcome to my new blog!  This is my first attempt at blogging, so please bare with me as I figure things out.  I am a second grade teacher in southeastern Wisconsin.  In 16 1/2 days (not that I'm counting), I will finish my fourth year of teaching.  For my first two years, I taught first grade in the inner city before I moved to my current district.  My time in first grade gave me a passion for teaching reading and writing to young kids.  So, I plan to use this blog as a way to share my reflections, wonderings, classroom experiments, and findings related to best practices in primary literacy education.  Please follow me as I learn and grow as an educator!