{"id":1995,"date":"2009-11-13T13:02:56","date_gmt":"2009-11-13T18:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/1995"},"modified":"2009-11-13T13:02:56","modified_gmt":"2009-11-13T18:02:56","slug":"teaching-civics-with-childrens-literature-martins-big-words-the-life-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2009\/11\/13\/teaching-civics-with-childrens-literature-martins-big-words-the-life-of-dr-martin-luther-king-jr\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Civics with Children’s Literature: Martin’s Big Words: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr<\/a>, written by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier, is a picture-book biography about Martin Luther King’s life and accomplishments.<\/p>\n

The book begins with Martin as a young boy walking through his hometown and seeing signs that read “whites only”.\u00a0 “Every time Martin read the words, he felt bad, until\u00a0 he remembered what his mother told him: you are as good as anyone else”. From there the book dives into the major events that shaped King’s life,\u00a0 becoming a minister and when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on an Alabama bus.\u00a0 The conclusion of the book admires King’s accomplishments and explains why he is apart of our history.\u00a0 Weaved beautifully throughout the book are\u00a0 actual quotes from King’s writings and speeches. The book also received three awards: Caldecott Honor, Coretta Scott King Award, and the Best Illustrated\u00a0 Children’s book from the NY Times.<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections<\/strong><\/p>\n

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr<\/em> could be used as an introduction tool for learning about King’s contributions and how he shaped the future for Americans. This book can be used for SOL:<\/p>\n

2.11 Students will identify Martin Luther King as an American whose contributions improved the lives of other Americans<\/em><\/p>\n

3.11 (b) Explain the many contribuations Martin Luther King made that helped form our government<\/em><\/p>\n

3.12 Americans are people of diverse ethnic orginis, customs, and traditions <\/em><\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n