Theater - “The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

Theater - “The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." is an original play written for students in grades 1-3. It can also be read as a Readers’ Theater or performed as theater. There are 22 parts: a narrator/teacher and 21 students.

What’s the play about?

The students in your class tell the story of famous African-American Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and learn why a special holiday is celebrated each year in his honor. They find out more about King’s family, what the times were like when he was born in 1929, and his early childhood years being raised in the South. Students will see the influences on King’s life and how he so desperately wanted to share his dream of everyone getting along in the world.

A Teacher Guide enhances overall understanding of the play, providing questions along with words to preview, and extended activities.

Student activities encourage students to critically think about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life, grasp the author’s purpose, and better understand story elements. Through written expression, students put themselves in the shoes of MLK and express how they can show kindness toward others.

What’s Included

9 pages and Answer Key.

The resource is aligned with many ELA Common Core Standards. Specifically:

CC.1.RL. Reading Standards for Literature

CC.1.RF. Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

CC.K-5.RT. Range of Text Types for K-5