Comparing "Key Happenings" with Your Student
As Martin Luther King, Jr. Day approaches this January 19, it can be a good time to talk with your student about "key happenings" in one another's lives.

For instance, you may suspect that 9/11 had the most profound impact on your student so far in his life. By talking, you may find that other incidents have impacted his worldview, his values and his ambitions, too.

And when you share your "key happenings" — perhaps including Martin Luther King, Jr.'s actions, speeches or assassination — you're letting your student see a part of your history and heart, too.

Extend this conversation to include grandparents and other elderly family members or friends as well. An intergenerational discussion about the events that shaped your lives can be invaluable as you and your student learn more about what makes each other tick.

MLK, In His Own Words
For the full text, video and/or audio of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous speeches to share with your student, you can log on to www.americanrhetoric.com. Click on the search feature atop the left-hand menu and you'll find links to speeches such as:

• "I've Been to the Mountaintop"
  
• "I Have a Dream"
  
• Robert F. Kennedy's remarks on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

You can also go to You Tube for links to his speeches, a video that goes with U2's tribute song "Pride" and more. Just head to www.YouTube.com and enter "Martin Luther King Jr." into the search bar.