The Civil Rights Movement Lessons and Activities

One of my very favorite verses in Scripture is Micah 6:8. In the ESV it says:

“He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
    and to walk humbly with your God?“

My job as a believer in Jesus Christ, as one who knows what is good, is to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with my God. He requires it of me.

God’s Prophets Spoke Against the Abuse of Power

When I was studying the Books of the Prophets in order to write Bible Road Trip Year Two, I found there are a number of themes that the Lord spoke to over and over again. One triad of themes was His rebuke of idolatry, of false worship (insincere religious ritual), and of social injustice and the abuse of power.

The Lord makes it clear in Scripture that we are first to love Him, and then to love our neighbor. In Matthew 22:36-40 Jesus sums it up succinctly:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The Civil Rights Movement Answered An Abuse of Power

The Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) answered an egregious abuse of power, one in which the color of a person’s skin dictated whether one was considered a “neighbor” or not. Martin Luther King Jr. is the most highly notarized leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, but there were countless others fighting alongside him for social justice, black and white.

As you study social injustice, the Civil Rights Movement, and ongoing racial tensions with your children, be sure to bring them back to Scripture.

• As Christians, we are one body under the headship of Christ.
• We are called to love one another as we love ourselves.
• Take your kids into the Books of the Prophets and help them understand how strongly the Lord of Justice and Mercy hates the abuse of power.
• Remind them too, that we are commanded to forgive–seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18:21-22)

The Civil Rights Movement Lessons and Activities

As you study the Civil Rights Movement, here are some great lessons and activities to check out!

Teaching Civil Rights to Elementary Students ~ Help your students understand what the Bible says about Civil Rights and find some great resources. — Teach Them Diligently

Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Ultimate Homeschool Resource List ~ This is a huge list of activities, lessons, and crafts centering on Martin Luther King Jr. –Encouraging Moms at Home

The Civil Rights Movement for Kids: A History with 21 Activities ~ I really like this series, and we’ve used this book several times.

Kid’s Lunch ~ Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.? ~ For younger kids, this bento lunch is an inventive way to talk about discrimination and peace. — JDaniel4’s Mom

 Free Martin Luther King Day Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time ~ This is a neat page with YouTube videos of Martin Luther King Jr. Day songs and rhymes. — Living Montessori Now

Free Martin Luther King, Jr. Notebooking Pages ~ Your kids can use these great notebooking pages to notebook about everything they learn about Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement. — NotebookingPages.com.

More Fun Ideas

• Talk to your kids about Art of the Civil Rights Movement over at The Art Curator for Kids.
• Wise Owl Factory has a downloadable PDF activity for a Children’s Civil Rights Walk. They also have a free Martin’s Dream Printable and some Martin Luther King Jr. printable bookmarks.
• iGameMom has more free Dr. King Jr. videos, printables, and learning activities.
• Every Star is Different has some neat Black History Month Unit hands-on activities.

More Thinking Kids Posts You’ll Love

 

Photo Credit (Public Domain): Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection.