On Tuesday, January 22th, fifth grade writers considered the impact of Dr. King’s legacy. We explored excerpts from some of his work, including the “Letter from a Birmingham City Jail,” his “I Have a Dream” speech from the 1963 March on Washington, and “Our God is Marching On,” delivered after the famous march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. We thought about Dr. King’s word choice, and discussed what made a word meaningful.

Students were then tasked with identifying at least 25 words and phrases from MLK’s speeches that resonated with them. Using these powerful words, the fifth graders constructed “found poems” by weaving them in purposeful sequences. The result? Deeply moving and inspiring poems that give new life to King’s beliefs over 50 years after his passing. In this way, our students honor Dr. King’s memory and keep his legacy alive.