Jackson Academy students learned famous quotes, read books, sang songs, and made crafts that celebrated the life and mission of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. leading up to the January 20 day honoring his legacy.
“At JA, we want our students to embody being kind to one another,” said Kindergarten Teacher Laura Pressler. “Our kindergarten students learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because he is a wonderful example of treating others with kindness, compassion, and fairness.”
To reinforce the lessons, kindergartners created painted handprints. Teachers arranged the handprints to form a mural that was placed in the hallway for all to see. They combined the activity with Sharon Siegelman’s poem, which students memorized and recited.
Treat people kindly;
Do what is fair.
Work for all people;
Show that you care.
Change what is wrong;
But, please do not fight!
Think of new ways
To change wrong to right.
These are the ways,
As we work as a team,
To remember the man who said,
I HAVE A DREAM!
Preschool Music Teacher Andrea Colemen taught K3, K4, and kindergarten students the lyrics to a song about Dr. King. Students sang it in music class and at home for their parents.
Lyrics:
Sing About Martin,
Sing about caring,
Sing about peace,
All around the world.
Sing about Martin,
Sing about loving,
sing about peace,
All around the world.
Coleman said the song prompted many discussions about important topics. “My main goal was to help the students understand that we need to embrace the differences between each other,” she said. “I’ve asked the students, ‘What can we do to show someone we love them?’ One of the slides in the song asks, ‘What have you done to help somebody?’ So we talked about different ways we could help at home and at school—in the classroom and on the playground.”
First graders worked on projects in the classroom. They completed a banner for the school hallway that will remain there through Black History Month. Students traced their hands, cut out the paper hands, and added hearts with a message that says “Together we can change the world.”
At Morning Meeting, which is a daily gathering time, first graders experienced an object lesson to better understand similarities among people. Teachers showed a white egg and a brown egg and talked about how they look different. Then when the eggs were cracked, students saw they were both the same on the inside. The teacher who introduced this method for explaining the concept, Shannon Stone, said, “It’s so special to see that we may be different on the outside, but on the inside we are all just the same!”
In library class, first through fifth-grade students studied books and quotes that illustrated principles shared by Dr. King. “I hope all students will learn something new about Martin Luther King, Jr. and Monday’s holiday from the books we are reading,” said Lower School Librarian Lynn Watson. “Fifth graders, in particular, are analyzing firsthand accounts from King’s sister, his son, and a participant in one of the marches he coordinated to look for facts about King that they may not have known before.”
They also colored a bookmark with his quote, “The time is always right to do what is right,” to take home. “I hope the bookmark is a tangible reminder of ways we can apply King’s values of fairness, compassion, and non-violence in our everyday lives,” said Watson.
