Since we were gone for two weeks and it is a new year, I wanted to put up a new bulletin board.  I thought I would put up a Martin Luther King Jr. board.  That way I can keep it up for the rest of January and it will tie into Black History Month.  I was so amazed by some of my students and their work!  How do these little minds come up with such big ideas?

We started off by reading a biography on MLK.  I actually wrote one to go along with the activity so the students would have enough information.  We read it together then we started working on a newspaper template.  We filled out the timeline together.  I explained the importance of increments in timelines.  Then we highlighted all the dates and added them to the timeline.  I also showed them how to find dates that aren’t listed.  For example where it says two years later.  Then I explained that they will need to pretend they were reporters from back in the 1960’s.  They need to choose 1 positive and 1 negative event from the bio.  I demonstrate how to create a newspaper title, heading, picture caption, etc. and then I let them write!  Here are some of their examples:

Cute huh?  Well wait to you see what we did next!  My heart was melting!  I told the class to think about our world today and what they would like to change.  WOW!  I had tears in my eyes as they shared.  I think I will send the parents a list of their ideas.
Here is a quick peek at other students’ ideas.  Amazing!
Get rid of all sickness
No poverty
Happiness for everyone
Be worry-free
No wars
No crimes or violence
Low gas prices
Better equipment for natural disasters
Nobody be homeless
No animal cruelty or suffering of animals
Don’t judge on appearance
End world hunger
No pollution
Cure for cancer
Save the environment
Save the trees
No global warming
Bring all soldiers home
Peace all over the world
Education for everyone
No endangered animals
Better life for everyone
Everyone have jobs
Find way to avoid concussions
Don’t judge people
Everyone respected for who they are
We put both of the lessons onto one paper for a bulletin board display.
Here are the cute signs!
What do you think?  You are welcome to borrow my idea!
If you need the informational text and newspaper template along with a rubric, you can find it here:
 Martin Luther King  It is also included in my January Writing Bundle