Browse

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Worksheets

17 free PDFsUS Letter or A4Answer key includedNo login

Kindness sorts, drawing and writing about dreams, a factual reading passage, a timeline and vocabulary.

Download the martin luther king jr. day worksheets

Martin Luther King Jr. Day worksheets for preschool

Kind or not kind, color the friends, a kind heart dot marker page, trace kind words and a me and my friend drawing page.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day worksheets for kindergarten

A kind or not kind sort (cut and paste and a no-cut twin), an I can be kind writing page, word tracing and a word search. Also on the site: a read-aloud and an I have a dream page.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day worksheets for 1st grade

A short biography passage, a timeline (cut and paste and a no-cut twin), an I have a dream writing prompt and vocabulary.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these martin luther king jr. day worksheets

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on the third Monday in January. These worksheets keep the history factual and the message clear for young children: Dr. King worked with peaceful words to change unfair laws, and he dreamed that all people would be treated fairly.

Preschoolers talk about kind and unkind actions, color friends playing together, trace kind words and draw themselves with a friend. Kindergartners sort kind and not kind actions, trace and write words like fair and share, and write how they can be kind. 1st graders read a short biography, put events from Dr. King's life in order, learn words like fair, peace and leader, and write about their own dream for a better world.

Our national holidays page for kindergarten has a Martin Luther King Jr. Day read-aloud and an I have a dream page too; both are included here. Pages with one right answer have an answer key on page 2.

Standards

  • ELOF P-LIT 6Child writes for a variety of purposes using increasingly sophisticated marks.
  • ELOF P-PMP 3Child demonstrates increasing control, strength, and coordination of small muscles.
  • ELOF P-SE 3Child engages in and maintains positive interactions and relationships with other children.
  • ELOF P-SE 7Child expresses care and concern toward others.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.1.APrint many upper- and lowercase letters.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.K.3Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.K.1Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.K.2Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they name what they are writing about and supply some information about the topic.
  • C3 D2.His.1.K-2Create a chronological sequence of multiple events.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.4Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.1Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or name the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply a reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.

How to use them

  1. Read a picture book biography of Dr. King, then use the reading passage or read-aloud to check understanding.
  2. Use the kind or not kind sort as a class talk first: what could the child in the picture do instead?
  3. Collect the I have a dream pages into a class book.
  4. Use the timeline page to practice first, next, then and last with real dates.

Teaching tips

  • Keep the language simple and true: long ago, some laws were unfair and kept Black people and white people apart. Dr. King worked to change them with peaceful words, not fighting.
  • Young children understand fairness through their own lives: taking turns, sharing and including everyone. Connect Dr. King's dream to those.
  • The kind or not kind sort has a cut and paste version and a no-cut circle version.

Questions teachers and parents ask

How do you explain Martin Luther King Jr. to preschoolers?

Focus on kindness and fairness: Dr. King wanted everyone to be treated fairly and kindly, and he used kind, peaceful words. Then talk about how children can be kind and fair at school.

When is Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

The third Monday in January. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929.

Is there a no-cut version of the kind or not kind sort?

Yes. The circle-the-kind-acts page uses the same pictures with no cutting.