Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Man With a Dream
Guided Reading Level --I
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Written by Alyse Sweeney
Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi
Designed by Maria Lilja
ISBN-13: 978-0-439-77419-2
ISBN-10: 0-439-77419-5
Copyright © 2007 by Scholastic Inc.
Published by Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved.
Printed in China.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin Luther King, Jr.,
was a leader
in the struggle for
equal rights. He lived
from 1929 to 1968.
Martin Luther King, Jr., lived when
there were unfair laws in our country.
These laws gave African Americans
fewer rights than white people.
Dr. King worked to change these laws.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin’s older sister’s name
was Christine. Martin’s
brother, Alfred Daniel,
was born after him.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was born on
January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.
His family called him M.L.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin liked to ride his
bike and play baseball.
He also liked to read
and sing.
The Kings’ house was full of games,
stories, and fun. The neighborhood
children liked to play there.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
These were some of the unfair laws
during Martin Luther King’s life.
African Americans
had to sit at the
back of the bus.
At that time, there were unfair laws
in the United States. These laws were
found mostly in southern states.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
African-American children
could not go to the same
schools as white children.
African Americans
could not drink
from the same
water fountains
as white people.
Under these laws, African Americans
could not go to the same places as
white people. This is called segregation.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin didn’t understand
why the color of his skin
mattered to people.
Two of Martin’s friends were white. Martin
used to meet them at their family’s store.
One day they said they couldn’t play
with Martin anymore because he was
African-American.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin talked to his mother about it.
She said that some people didn’t
understand that everyone is equal.
She also said that someday things
would get better.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin believed segregation
was wrong and that all
people should be treated
the same way.
Martin decided he was going to work
to end segregation. He told his mother,
“I’m going to turn this world upside
down.”
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Like his father,
Martin spoke
about standing up
for what is right.
Martin worked hard in school. He studied
religion. His studies helped him find
peaceful ways to fight segregation. In
1948, he became a pastor, like his father.
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
In 1951, Martin went to Boston University.
While he was in Boston, he met his future
wife, Coretta Scott. They later moved to
Alabama. There Dr. King worked as
a pastor.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
In Montgomery, Alabama,
African Americans had
to give up their seats on
buses to white people.
It was the law.
In 1955, a woman named Rosa Parks
wouldn’t give up her seat on a bus
to a white person. She was taken to jail.
After that, African-American leaders
planned a bus boycott.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Many African Americans
walked instead of taking
the bus.
Dr. King led the boycott. For months,
most African Americans did not ride
the bus in Montgomery. After one year,
the law was changed. Now all people
had the right to sit anywhere on the bus.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
In a famous speech, Dr. King said,
“I have a dream that my four
little children will one day live in
a nation where they will not be
judged by the color of their skin.”
The protest had worked! Dr. King led
more peaceful protests. He led peaceful
marches. He gave speeches about
people living together peacefully.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
In 1964, Dr. King was
given a very important
award called the
Nobel Peace Prize.
Dr. King was admired around the world.
He was given many awards for his work.
Millions of people mourned when he
was killed on April 4, 1968.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Our country remembers Dr. King and
his dream. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day
is a national holiday in January.
Today our country is a better place
because of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. King helped change the laws.
He taught people about fairness
and kindness. Thank you, Dr. King.
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Glossary
boycott (noun) a group’s refusal to
deal with a business or person,
in order to bring about change
equal (adjective) the same as
someone or something else
law (noun) a rule made by the
government that people must follow
mourned (verb) felt or showed
sadness after a loss, such as a death
pastor (noun) a minister or priest in
charge of a church
protest (noun) an action taken
against something to show
disagreement
segregation (noun) the separation
of people based on race, religion,
or another reason
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Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Man With a Dream
Guided Reading Level: I
Word Count: 707
Average Words Per Page: 44
Spotlight Nonfiction Feature:
Illustrated Examples With
Captions
M
artin Luther King, Jr. (1929–1968), led the way to equality for all
Americans. Growing up in Georgia, King suffered the effects of racism
and segregation. He vowed that one day he would make our country a better
place to live—and he did. With peaceful determination, Dr. King worked to
make his dream come true.
Introducing the Book
Introduce the concept of peaceful problem solving
by asking: If you felt that a classmate was treating
you unfairly, what could you do? Lead children to
see that people can stand up for their rights
without fighting.
Explain that in some parts of our country,
there were unfair laws for African Americans.
Today they will read about a great man who
helped solve this problem peacefully.
Spotlight Nonfiction Feature: Illustrated Examples With Captions
Review with children that a sentence that appears
above, below, or beside a picture is called a
caption. The picture helps readers visualize the
information, and the caption tells readers what
the picture shows.
used in the third picture. Tell children that the
word colored was used to refer to African
Americans because of the color of their skin.
Have children turn to pages 4–5. Explain
that sometimes, one main idea can be shown with
several different pictures. Read the heading at the
top of page 4, pointing out that it tells the main
idea. Next, have children point to each small
picture and read the captions aloud. Emphasize
that each picture and caption gives an example,
or detail, about the main idea. Explain the signs
34
A
Using the Reproducible
Book Links
Pass out copies of page 35 and talk about
King’s dreams for making America a better
place. Ask: What were some problems that he
wanted to solve? Next, ask children: What
dream do you have to make our country better?
Have children draw their face in the oval at
the bottom of the page and then write about
their own dream.
For more information on Martin Luther King, Jr.,
try these titles:
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
◆
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King by Jean Marzollo
(Scholastic, 1993)
◆
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. by Doreen Rappaport (Hyperion, 2001)
◆
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing
Up With the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
by Christine King Farris (Simon & Schuster, 2002)
Name ________________________________
Date _______________________
American Dreams
Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream to make America a better
place for all people. Write about his dream in the first bubble.
Then think about your own dream for America. Draw your face
in the oval. Then write your dream in the second bubble.
Dr. King’s Dream for America
Scholastic Teaching Resources, page 35
My Dream for America
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date _______________________________
Important Events in ___________________________________’s Life
Write the person’s name on the line. Then write important events in the order in which
they happened.
Sequencing Timeline
Name ____________________________________________
Name ________________________________
Date _______________________
Vocabulary Chart
Record new words on the chart. First, write the vocabulary word.
Next, write what it means. Then, use the word in your own sentence.
Word
What It Means
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Sentence Using Word
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date _______________________________
What the Person Was Like:
Important Events in the
Person’s Life:
Name:
How I Feel About the Person:
His or Her Accomplishments:
Write the person’s name in the center box. Then fill in the other boxes.
Character Map
Name ____________________________________________
Easy Reader Biographies: Martin Luther King, Jr.
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
Date _______________________________
Name _____________________
Both
Name _____________________
Write one person’s name over each circle. Write facts about this person in that circle.
In the center, write what the two people had in common.
Venn Diagram
Name ____________________________________________