Virtual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Ideas to Support Acts of Kindness

With Martin Luther King Jr. Day just around the corner, it’s a great time to think about how we can integrate his legacy of kindness, equality, and service into our lesson plans. Acts of kindness are a fantastic way to honor his memory, and there are so many ways to facilitate them—even in a virtual or hybrid classroom.

In this post, we’ll explore both Orientation and Mobility (O&M) lesson ideas and general educational activities that focus on kindness and community service. The good news is that many of these ideas are applicable to all educators working with students with visual impairments. Whether you’re teaching O&M or another related subject, these activities are designed to cultivate compassion, respect, and community.

O&M Lesson Ideas

1. Create Cards for People in Need Encourage your students to create heartfelt cards or letters and send them to individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, or anyone you know who might be feeling lonely during this time. With the isolation many people are facing, a simple card can bring a smile to someone's day. This is an excellent activity for teaching students how to reach out and engage with others from a distance.

2. Packing Items for Shelters For students who may not be able to physically deliver supplies to shelters, organizing non-perishable items into care packages is a meaningful way to give back. For virtual lessons, you can create a project where students pack items at home, with parents helping to coordinate delivery. This teaches students the importance of community support and meeting the needs of others.

3. Creative Acts of Kindness Get creative and brainstorm with your students to see if there is someone local they can help. Ideas include having students read a book and share that video with someone they care about, or recording a personal message for a friend or family member. These activities focus on giving, rather than receiving, helping students feel empowered to make a positive impact.

O&M Neighborhood Lesson: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthplace

Incorporate a deeper understanding of O&M and history by exploring Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth neighborhood. His birthplace at 501 Auburn Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia, provides an opportunity to discuss neighborhood navigation, addresses, and city layouts. If you have access to resources like TMAP from the San Francisco Lighthouse, you can easily create a map of this neighborhood to help your students better understand geographic context and navigation in real-world terms.

You could also explore a virtual tour of Dr. King’s birthplace, which is available on national park service websites, or incorporate printable maps of the neighborhood to help students understand address systems and local landmarks.

General Lesson Ideas

1. Virtual Viewing Parties and Lessons on MLK If you are looking for more resources to teach about Martin Luther King Jr., Discovery Education offers virtual viewing parties, and there are Nearpod lessons that include PowerPoint slides to help facilitate learning. These resources are excellent for integrating into your virtual classrooms and providing students with a comprehensive understanding of Dr. King’s life and contributions.

2. We Are Teachers Activities We Are Teachers offers a variety of educational activities that you can implement, including lesson plans, worksheets, and group projects that focus on kindness, equality, and social justice. These activities can be adapted to suit your students' unique needs and help them engage with the principles of non-violence and respect for all people.

Final Thoughts

These Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities provide a great way to foster kindness and social responsibility among students. Whether through creating cards for those in need, organizing care packages for shelters, or learning about Dr. King's legacy through virtual resources, these lessons teach important values that go beyond academics.

As you implement these ideas in your classroom, remember to follow appropriate safety measures, especially when dealing with physical items like care packages. While all of these activities are designed to be flexible for virtual classrooms, they can be adapted to in-person or hybrid settings as well.

I hope these suggestions inspire you and your students to take action in meaningful ways. Acts of kindness, big or small, have the power to create lasting change in communities and instill a sense of purpose and independence in students.

Links to the resources mentioned:
O&M Symposium
National Park Services | Discovery Education | Nearpod  | We Are Teachers