Tamarac schools honored the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in January by learning about the civil rights leader and engaging in a variety of projects.

“Our MLK projects are designed for and by students to help students envision the works of Dr. Martin Luther King,” explained teacher Suzanne Myers.

Here are examples of some of those projects:

Kindergarteners use the study of Dr. Martin Luther King as a springboard to study the biographies of other world peacemakers such as Mother Theresa, Mattie Stepanek, Thich Nhat Hanh, Chief Seattle, Black Elk, Hiawatha, Ugandan mediator Betty Bigombe, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Gandhi and John Lennon. They examine each peacemaker asking the following questions: “What do I notice? What do I think about that? What will I do?”

First grade students study the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks and compare and contrast their work with the way of life today. They take notes on books and videos, collect “kindnesses” that they witness or carry out in their own lives and then write an essay to gather their thoughts on the use of non-violence as a means to problem solve. They share their experiences orally and in written form with others.

Second graders work on a Reader's Theater rendition of “Martin Luther King Jr. Remembering Dr. King” by Tracey West. Students each take turns reading and keep shifting roles so that all students gain an opportunity and an understanding of Dr. King's life and his experiences as a peace maker. Students in art class also create posters for the 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Art Invitational and Lecture Series. The theme was Peace (peaceful co-existence) achieved through developing strong character. Students tie-dyed paper and used universal peace symbols developed in the 1960s and 70s such as peace signs and smiley faces. They incorporated character traits such as compassion, acceptance, honesty and fairness into the posters. Ten posters were selected for the invitational, with the remaining posters on display throughout the month of January. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership focused on non-violent social change; developing our character traits is one way in which our school community can create positive change.

Fifth grade students were given the question, “If Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was alive today, would he think that his dream came true?” Teams worked to create a way to present their answer to the question by using posters, collages, songs, poems, videographies, plays or PowerPoint presentations to present their answers. Students also devised means of their own to display their answers. Students are provided with many research opportunities including print, web research and videos to gather their own information.

High School Spanish students were challenged to create a series of short video clips in Spanish which represent their own personal dreams and ambitions. Students used a variety of means to present their images which will be used in school as a way to share their thoughts and ideas.