Martin Luther King, Jr. Biography FunBook

RL 2-4 / 006-012 ISBN-13: 978-0-635-06682-4 90000

9 780635 066824

7

10430 06543

1

MEETS NATIONAL STANDARDS

1

MEETS NATIONAL STANDARDS

RL 2-4 / 006-012 ISBN-13: 978-0-635-06682-4 90000

9 780635 066824

7

10430 06543

Martin Luther King, Jr. A Biography Funbook™

By Carole Marsh

ŠCarole Marsh/Gallopade International.

Permission is hereby granted to the individual purchaser or classroom teacher to reproduce materials in this book for non-commercial individual or classroom use only. Reproduction of these materials for an entire school or school system is strictly prohibited.

Published by

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A Word From the Author!

Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most influential civil rights leader of his time. A minister and pacifist, Martin encouraged peaceful demonstrations to bring about change. America was forever impacted by this wonderful and brave leader!

Carole Marsh

About the Author. . .

Carole Marsh is the creator of the Biography Funbook™ Series and author of many books on History, Geography, and Biography. She is also the creator of The 50 State Experience Series, which includes books, workbooks, software, stickers, maps, and other products for all 50 States and Canada. In 2007, she was named Georgia Author of the Year. You can write to her at fanclub@gallopade.com.

As a child, Martin was called M.L by his family and friends.

Minister of Peaceful Change Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Reverend Martin Luther King, Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Martin’s father was a pastor at a popular Baptist church in Atlanta.

Starting with the letter H, cross off every other letter below.

HENBWEJNXEDZPELR Martin’s father was a pastor at ______________________ Baptist Church.

Martin became aware of prejudice and inequality as a black child growing up in the South. ©Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Page 1

Martin attended Booker T. Washington High School. It was the first black public high school in Atlanta. Martin was such a good student, he skipped the ninth and twelfth grades and was only 15 when he entered college!

Color the school and bell.

While in college, Martin first thought he wanted to be a lawyer. He then changed his mind and decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. Circle the profession young Martin chose. pastor police officer doctor Martin went to college at Morehouse College in Atlanta. He graduated with a degree in sociology.

Page 2

ŠCarole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Martin wasn’t finished with school yet!

Next, he went to Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania to earn his degree in divinity. While in college in Pennsylvania, he was awarded a prize for “most outstanding student.” Color the ribbon.

Martin continued his education at a university in Massachusetts as he worked toward a doctoral degree.

Circle the popular Massachusetts town where Martin went to graduate school.

Cincinnati Atlanta Boston

©Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Page 3

While in Boston, Martin met Coretta Scott.

She was studying music at the New England Conservatory of Music. Martin noticed that Coretta was pretty and smart. He asked her to marry him on their first date! Coretta did not accept right away.

They eventually were married in 1953.

Color the wedding bells.

How old was Martin when he married Coretta? Solve the math problem below to find out!

1953 (year of marriage) - 1929 (year of birth) (age at wedding) Coretta Scott was also from the South—Marion, Alabama.

Page 4

ŠCarole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Martin and Coretta left Boston in 1954 to move to Montgomery, Alabama, where Martin became a preacher at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. In 1955, Martin finished his thesis and received his doctoral degree. Now he was known as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin was influenced by a famous speaker and pacifist-activist, who believed peaceful demonstrations were the road to change. Who was this famous speaker? Solve the code to find out.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M ✹ ❁ ✣ ♣ ➸ ❤ ❢ ✲ ✄ ✆ ☛ ✈ ✉ N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z ✿ ✫ ✦ ✡ ✐ ❦ ☎ ✒ ✙ ✖ ✍ ✠ ✓ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

✉ ✫ ✲ ✹ ✿ ♣ ✹ ❦ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

❢ ✹ ✿ ♣ ✲ ✄

In 11 years, Martin earned three degrees from three different colleges! Wow! ©Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Page 5

In 1955, an important event in civil rights happened. Rosa Parks, a black woman in Montgomery, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man. She was arrested and taken to jail. Martin and other black leaders decided this was the right time to demand desegregation of public buses in Montgomery.

BOYCOTT

Find the words in the Word Find.

Martin helped organize a bus boycott that lasted for 380 days!

Page 6

Z N J R T G L K M E

A C T I O N O Y T U

RIGHTS

B L S G V P X A T P

BUS

M D K H U K G Q O H

ŠCarole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

P R Q T Y E W L C M

The boycott was successful and Montgomery laws changed, ending the “white-only” sections of buses. This nonviolent political action brought Martin into the limelight. His name became known as an effective civil rights leader—and he was only in his middle twenties!

SEGREGATE

E Z M S R N S Z Y L

Q B Y G O K J G O S

JAIL

E U E P X T A C B V

ACTION

G S T R J S I P R J

J N S M W K L B N O

Enemies of the civil rights movement were not peaceful like Martin.

In 1956, his home was bombed. No one was hurt.

When black people in Montgomery boycotted the buses, this meant that they refused to ride them.

Because of this, the public bus system lost a lot of money.

©Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Page 7

Martin became very active in civil rights causes. He organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which was a church-based civil rights group. He participated in civil rights demonstrations and continued to face violence, beatings, and arrests.

Put the following events in order. ____ Martin married Coretta Scott. ____ Martin received his doctoral degree. ____ Martin entered college at the age of 15. ____ Martin organized the Montgomery bus boycott.

Page 8

In 1959, Martin left Alabama to work with his father at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

ŠCarole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Martin led the massive March on Washington in 1963. Over 250,000 marchers from all over the nation were in Washington on August 28. It was here that Martin gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

In 1964, Martin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Unscramble the sentences below to read part of Martin’s famous speech!

“I have a _____________ that my four little EDRAM children will one day live in a ____________ NNTOIA where they will not be judged by the _________ of their ___________ but by the ROCLO NISK content of their character.” ©Carole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com

Page 9

In 1968, while traveling through Memphis, Tennessee, Martin was shot and killed on the balcony of his hotel. People all over the world mourned Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death. He was 39 years old. Dr. King devoted his life to working for equal rights for ALL Americans.

Color the picture of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1983, Congress signed a bill making January 20, Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday.

Page 10

ŠCarole Marsh/Gallopade International/800-536-2GET/www.gallopade.com