EL Civics Notes Newsletter

• Archives

Elections & Politics

• Online News Hour's Weekly Political Wrap

• Project Vote Smart Recent Key Votes

• The Political Quiz Show:  Where do you stand?

• Washington Votes

Emergency Preparation

• Earthquake & Emergency Activities

• Eastside Literacy Reporting Emergencies Lesson

• Emergency Call Listening Activity

• Emergency Preparedness Handbook

• Earthquake Web Project by GRCC ESL students

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is considered a “Day of Service” or “A Day On, Not a Day Off”.  The focus of the holiday is to improve our communities through action, continuing Dr. King’s dream of a better world. 

Following this idea, classes in Basic Studies will participate in Dr. King’s dream by completing 100 “acts of kindness”.  An act of kindness could be anything from organizing a class volunteer project to giving someone a ride.  Each class will keep track of their acts on a poster board, with the goal of collectively completing 100 by Feb.14.  This project encourages family and community involvement and unites each class around a common goal.  It is easy to incorporate this project into your regular curriculum - there are an infinite number of topics and skills you could address.

Student accomplishments will be celebrated on Valentine’s Day.  We will determine the department-wide tally of acts of kindness and create a display.  Additionally we will award “Community SuperStars” special honors – students will be able to nominate their classmates who have shown excellence in kindness or community involvement.

Please incorporate classroom lessons and activities about MLK and the civil rights movement.  There are also several related topics you can cover, such as international civil rights heroes and black history.

A department-wide celebration will be held at Blencoe.  I will host some video excerpts and activities about MLK and the civil rights movement.  I will also introduce the idea of the 100 Acts of Kindness challenge and distribute the tracking charts to each class.  Off-site classes are welcome to attend, but we can also arrange a kick-off event at your site.

Classes should keep track of their acts of kindness on the chart.  Check in with students on a regular basis.  Consider ways to incorporate the challenge into your curriculum.  I will also schedule a few brief visits with each class to check in and keep the momentum going.  Students will have a chance to nominate classmates for Community SuperStar awards during the first week of Feb.

Once again we will have a department-wide gathering in Blencoe to celebrate the achievements of the classes and award Community SuperStars.

Many thanks to the individuals and organizations who provided these reproducible worksheets. 

Please see documents for specific references.

Resources

 

RTC Library Resources • Popular Movies • Other Links to Explore

 

 

Dr. Martin Luther King, jr

 

MLK Biography 1 • MLK Biography 2 • MLK Biography 3

 

MLK Picture Story • MLK Knowledge Chart • MLK Timeline

 

MLK Adjectives • MLK Blank Writing Paper • "I Have a Dream" Writing

 

MLK Vocabulary •  MLK Vocab Matching • MLK Word Chop

 

MLK Word Search • MLK Evaluating Websites • MLK Reading

 

MLK & Me Lesson • Lesson Plan Idea • Art Project Ideas

 

 

Civil Rights, Black history, and other Heroes

 

Underground Railroad Codes • Underground Message Decoding

 

Jim Crow Segregation • Gospel Music Lesson

 

Civil Rights Lesson • More Lesson Ideas

 

Maya Angelou's Inaugural Poem • Langston Hughes's I Too Sing America

 

Langston Hughes's The Kids in School with Me • Everyday People Lyrics

 

Big Shoes to Fill Project • Heroes at Dinner

 

Nobel Peace Prize (easier) •  Nobel Peace Prize (harder)

 

Mother Teresa (easier) •  Mother Teresa (harder)

 

 

Community Involvement

 

100 Acts of Kindness

 

Types of Communities •  Community Reflection 1

 

Community Reflection 2  •  Community Wish List

 

Finding Help & Info  •  Finding Help & Info Practice

 

Education Others  •  Critiquing Educational Materials

 

Explore Volunteer Opportunities:

 

Volunteer Match  •  City of Renton  •  Craigslist

 

Volunteer Centers of Washington  •  MLK Day of Service

 

Use Google to find more volunteer opportunities!