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  • Laura Lee

Martin Luther King Day Activities in Spanish Class

Vocabulary building activities in Spanish to get students talking about Dr. King, reading and listening to his "I Have a Dream" speech —in Spanish! Find the resources you need to support beginning Spanish students learn about Dr. King during Black History Month.

Martin Luther King quote in Spanish

Have your students had the opportunity to read portions of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech in Spanish? These words are powerful - and timeless!


Here are a few quotes to read and discuss in class:

"Sueño que un día esta nación se levantará y vivirá el verdadero significado de su credo: "Afirmamos que estas verdades son evidentes: que todos los hombres son creados iguales".

"Sueño que mis cuatro hijos vivirán un día en un país en el cual no serán juzgados por el color de su piel, sino por los rasgos de su personalidad."

"Ese será el día cuando todos los hijos de Dios podrán cantar el himno con un nuevo significado, "Mi país es tuyo. Dulce tierra de libertad, a tí te canto. Tierra de libertad donde mis antesecores murieron, tierra orgullo de los peregrinos, de cada costado de la montaña, que repique la libertad" Y si Estados Unidos ha de ser grande, esto tendrá que hacerse realidad."

"Cuando repique la libertad y la dejemos repicar en cada aldea y en cada caserío, en cada estado y en cada ciudad, podremos acelerar la llegada del día cuando todos los hijos de Dios, negros y blancos, judíos y cristianos, protestantes y católicos, puedan unir sus manos y cantar las palabras del viejo espiritual negro: "¡Libres al fin! ¡Libres al fin! Gracias a Dios omnipotente, ¡somos libres al fin!"

IDEAS FOR USING QUOTES IN CLASS

  • Search for cognates and highlight them!

  • Circle words you know.

  • Underline verbs.

  • Put a question mark on words you do not know.

  • Choose volunteers to read aloud.

  • Role play.

  • Missing words.

  • Scrambled sentences.


El Discurso Completo de Martin Luther King Por: Univision

MLK photo

PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES FOR BEGINNING SPANISH STUDENTS:


POST COGNATES Post a Spanish word wall with 65 Spanish cognates from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" / Tengo un Sueño speech on your bulletin board to get students talking and writing about civil rights. Meaningful visual resource to support Spanish students on reading & writing activities with instant comprehensible input.


Spanish cognates word wall for Martin Luther King Day Black History Month on a bulletin board

Teachers are saying: "Great way to incorporate MLK, Jr.'s work and increase student input!"



INTRODUCE VOCABULARY Honor and remember the life of Dr. King with this activity en español! Learn the vocabulary needed to get students talking about civil rights. Define & find 35 words from Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech in a challenging Spanish word search. Great for a warm-up!


Teachers are saying: "This was a perfect resource for a lesson on MLK Jr."



POST DR. KING'S WORDS IN YOUR CLASSROOM

"La oscuridad no puede expulsar a la oscuridad: sólo la luz puede hacer eso. El odio no puede expulsar el odio; sólo el amor puede hacer eso."


"Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."


Meaningful Spanish class décor. Dr. Martin Luther King Quote in Spanish FREE bilingual poster!



Hope these ideas help you and your students honor and remember the life of Dr. King. May the activities make your lesson plans comprehensible AND meaningful!

Laura






Related Blog Posts:




Pin images to save these ideas for later:


Spanish Cognates Word Wall for Martin Luther King Day Black History Month  Bulletin Board

Martin Luther King Spanish quote poster
Martin Luther King Spanish word search





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