Martin Luther King Jr. Day - The Legacy of a Dream

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• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)
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• Further Education (Key Stage 5)

Introductie

This lesson explores the history and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and explores why there is a national holiday for him in the United States. During this lesson, your students will build a profile of MLK and learn about the various things he did to influence racial rights in America and the UK. There are various videos that can be adjusted or changed to suit your classes, and a couple of slides explaining to your students why learning about MLK is relevant to students in the UK. Every January the United States pauses to honour Martin Luther King Jr., but his story reached as far as Newcastle. Students trace his life from Atlanta to Memphis, examine why he was assassinated and weigh up why his legacy matters in the UK. Interactive highlights: poll; three videos; sorting question; open question. Best suited for: KS3 History, Citizenship or PSHE lessons and assemblies around MLK Day; live and teacher-led.

Instructies

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The deck traces Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, assassination and legacy ahead of MLK Day on Monday 18 January 2027. Key civil rights terms are anchored early, then linked to why his story matters in the UK.

The opening clip brings real-world context to MLK Day and gives the class a shared starting point before any information slides.

Stretch: Students identify one moment from the clip that suggests why King is still commemorated today and justify their choice.

Device-Free: Pause after viewing for a 30-second pair talk on one thing that stood out.

What are we going to learn?

- What the civil rights movement is.

- Who Martin Luther King Jr. was.

- What happened to him, and why.

- Why he is important to history.

Outline the four questions the lesson answers, from the civil rights movement to King's place in history.

What do you already know about

Martin Luther King Jr.?

1

Basically everything!

2

I know a bit...

3

...I've heard of him.

4

Not sure who that is.

5

Couldn't even guess!

The confidence-scale poll gauges how much the class already knows about King and shows at a glance whether prior knowledge is broadly shared.

Stretch: Students who choose one of the top two options share a fact they are confident about and explain where they learned it.

Device-Free: Students stand along an imaginary line running from "Basically everything!" to "Couldn't even guess!".

Why is there a

'Martin Luther King Day'?

This section header raises the question of why a national holiday honours one individual, ahead of the explanation on the next slide.

Stretch: Students predict what a person would need to achieve to be honoured with a public holiday and justify their criteria.

Device-Free: Quick pair predictions, then a show of hands for the most common idea.

MLK Day

MLK Day exists to honour the achievements and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement. The holiday commemorates King's advocacy for non-violent resistance against racial segregation and injustice, and encourages people to volunteer and promote equity in their communities.

MLK Day honours King's achievements and advocacy for non-violent resistance, and is also promoted as a day of volunteering and community action.

Stretch: Students explain why a holiday linked to volunteering might honour King's values more effectively than a day off alone.

Device-Free: Pair talk on which bold phrase on the slide best sums up King's legacy.

What is the

Civil Rights Movement?

The wider movement King belonged to is introduced before the lesson focuses on him as an individual.

Stretch: Students suggest what "civil rights" means and give a real-world example of a right they consider essential.

Device-Free: On mini-whiteboards, students write a one-line definition of "civil rights" to compare with the next slide.

Civil Rights Movement

The 1954–1968 civil rights movement in the United States was a campaign by African Americans and their allies to end legalised racial discrimination, disenfranchisement and racial segregation in the United States.

Segregation, discrimination and disenfranchisement are defined in context here to frame what the movement set out to end.

Stretch: Students explain the difference between segregation and disenfranchisement, applying each term to a real situation from the period.

Device-Free: Read the definition aloud while students raise a hand for each term they could explain to a partner.

The clip adds real-world context to the definition of the civil rights movement given on the previous slide.

Stretch: Students choose one moment from the clip and explain how it illustrates one of the key terms from the previous slide.

Device-Free: Students jot down three words while watching and compare them with a partner afterwards.

Who was

Martin Luther King Jr.?

The lesson now moves from the wider movement to King himself.

Stretch: Students list what they already know about King and rate their confidence in each fact.

Device-Free: Thirty-second pair recall of anything already known about King.

The fact file summarises King's life, career and achievements.

Stretch: Students select the achievement they consider most significant and justify it against one alternative.

Device-Free: Pairs quiz each other on one fact from each box.

This clip brings real-world context to King's life story ahead of the slides on his assassination.

Stretch: Students identify one quality of King's leadership shown in the clip and link it to an achievement on the fact file.

Device-Free: After viewing, each student shares one new fact with a partner.

Why was he

assassinated?

This header signals a sensitive shift to King's assassination and the motives behind it.

Stretch: Students predict which aspects of King's work may have made him a target and give a reason for each prediction.

Device-Free: Pairs write predictions on mini-whiteboards to check against the next slide.

Assassination

• James Earl Ray was convicted of the shot that killed King.

• Racism and political opposition: King was a target for those who opposed racial equality or challenged the economic ‘norms’ of white Americans.

• Expansion of King's activism: Some white Americans who had once respected King's civil rights efforts were angered by his vocal opposition to the Vietnam War and his shift towards addressing economic inequality (Black poverty).

The slide sets out who killed King and the racial, political and economic opposition that made him a target.

Stretch: Students explain why King's opposition to the Vietnam War and his focus on economic inequality could have cost him support, using evidence from the slide.

Device-Free: Pair talk on which of the three points best explains the hostility towards King.

Put the key events of MLK's life

in the right timeline order

1

Graduates from Crozer Theological Seminary.

2

Is shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee, during a visit to support workers.

3

Earns a PhD from Boston University.

4

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, on 15 January.

5

Becomes the spokesperson for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

6

Delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington.

Ordering six key life events challenges students to build an accurate timeline from King's birth to his assassination.

Stretch: Students justify the position of the two events they found hardest to place, using what they learned from the fact file.

Device-Free: Print the six events on cards for pairs to sequence on their desks.

Why is MLK important to learn about in the UK?

The focus turns to why King's story is relevant to students in the UK.

Stretch: Students suggest one link between King's work and life in the UK today before the next slide is revealed.

Device-Free: Show of hands on whether King matters to the UK, revisited after the next slide.

Learning about MLK in the UK

Martin Luther King Jr. is important in the UK because his visit to Newcastle in 1967 connected the US Civil Rights Movement with British race relations and the struggle for human rights. His non-violent resistance to achieve equality provides a great inspiration for activists in the UK. His death prompted reflection on racial inequality in Britain and conversations about domestic equality.

King's 1967 visit to Newcastle connects the US Civil Rights Movement with British race relations and campaigns for equality.

Stretch: Students explain why a single visit to Newcastle could influence attitudes in Britain, citing a point from the slide.

Device-Free: Pairs summarise the slide's three UK connections in one sentence each.

Do you agree that learning about civil rights activists around the world can be helpful for us in the UK? Why, or why not?

Asking students to agree or disagree, with reasons, moves them beyond recall to evaluating the value of learning about activists from other countries.

Stretch: Students support their view with a real example of a campaign for equality in the UK.

Device-Free: Agree/disagree line across the room, with students explaining their position.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the life and story of Martin Luther King Jr.

I hope you found some of his story interesting, and that it motivates you to stand up for injustices you see around you.

For more engaging content and interactive lessons, check out the Spotlight channel from the 'channels' menu above.

Closing message thanking students and pointing to further lessons on the Spotlight channel.

Blank closing backdrop; hide it or leave it on screen while final discussion finishes - you can use this as a template for additional slides.