As Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, we reflect on the civil rights leader’s role in shaping American society through his nonviolent activism. King’s leadership in the American civil rights movement only spanned just over a decade—from the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 to the day his life was tragically cut short in 1968. His legacy lives on through the changes he was instrumental in bringing to fruition—namely the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Here are some resources you can use to help your students examine the issues that inspired the civil rights movement, the philosophies of tolerance and nonviolence, and the ongoing commitment to ensuring justice and equality for all.

• Visit learningforjustice.org for lessons, articles, podcasts, and publications for professional development.
• The Center for Civic Education provides lessons geared toward middle and high school.
• Check out FacingHistory.org for teaching strategies and materials that examine King’s key philosophies for creating nonviolent social change.
• Use these NewsHour Classroom lesson plans to examine King's impact on civil rights and his ongoing influence on society.
• At EnchantedLearning.com, you can find an array of activities, including wordsearch puzzles and a timeline of King’s life.
• The Martin Luther King, Jr. Online site includes pictures of his life, videos of his speeches, and lesson plans for grades K-12.

Smithsonian offers a wide variety of learning labs, visual aids, and ideas for teaching a more complete picture of King's life and legacy.