Happy Birthday,
Martin Luther King Jr.!
Monday, January 19th, was Martin Luther King Jr. day. Every year in music class we take this opportunity to learn a little about the amazing man behind the civil rights movement, Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 and many other inspirational acts.
We opened up our threes and fours class day with a little thought provoking trickery! :)
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Me: "I have an important announcement to make!"
The kids perk up and listen.
Me: "IF...you are wearing boots. IF you are wearing boots, you will get some of the chocolate cake I brought. If you are not wearing boots, you will get nothing."
The kids wearing boots: "YEAH!!!"
Me: "OK--never mind that. I guess all the kids that have brown hair can have some." Same reaction/thought process ensued with the children.
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Of course, there was no chocolate cake, and I admitted to the kids that I was telling a little fib. They forgave me. ;) I then asked them if they thought it was fair to give someone privileges based on their clothes, or hair color. "NO WAY!" They said. "That's not fair!"
"What about skin color?" I asked. They agreed that was unfair, as well. Enter our discussion about Martin Luther King, JR.
Naturally, when you are working with preschool age children, the goal is to teach a memorable lesson that is age-appropriate. Conversations about racism and tragedy are always to be approached delicately, so that being said (in my normal constructivist manner), I opened up by asking the kids what they knew about Martin Luther King, Jr.
I must honestly say that I am quite impressed with what some of your three and four year olds already know about this important historical figure--and unfortunately, that includes his untimely death. A few children said, "He was shot!" or "He died!" and then, perhaps more impressively, a four year old told me, "Someone killed Martin Luther King because they were afraid of change."
Wow!
I acknowledged these truths but we did not spend our time focusing on the tragedy of MLK. Instead we talked about how he dreamed of peace, and equality. We sang "Dr. Martin Luther King Had a Dream" which is very similar to and set to the tune of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands". I told the children about MLK's birth in Atlanta, Georgia and we took a little "finger flying" trip using the classroom map to see where that was in relation to West Michigan.
We also sang "Peace in My Fingers" and I showed the children how gentle touches or handshakes can create peace. HOWEVER, we also spent some time talking about non-verbal cues from our friends that communicate, "Hey! I don't want to be touched or hugged right now" and how we must respect those signals. Take a look at the video below of the two-year-olds shaking hands with each other and the way they are paying attention to my advice about body language!
I also shook hands with toddlers and infants, and we sang songs about Martin Luther King Jr. and explored his picture.
Last but not least, I told threes through fours that MLK had a famous speech called "I Have a Dream", and I asked them to tell me about their dreams. Check out the picture below or the poster on the main entrance wall to read their funny responses! Please see the questions below to find out how you can extend today's lesson with your child. =)
In closing, remember that all of the small, teachable moments in the lives of our children are so valuable. As parents and caregivers, we often have a tendency to ruminate or feel guilty over what we fear we've failed to do properly, or what we didn't try to do at all. Yet, those small moments of love and the little successes along the way are infinitely important. Have a great day!
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wow! Look at how nicely the two's were singing!
The babies really enjoyed greeting each other with handshakes. How sweet!
The toddlers found Martin Luther King Jr.'s eyes, nose, mouth and ears for me!
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD
1) Did you look at a picture of Martin Luther King?
2) Do you remember some things about him?
3) What can you do with your body that is peaceful?
Can you show me?