I Have a Dream! (Free Printables for MLK Day)

In honor of MLK Day, I wanted to share a few free printables, starting with this I Have a Dream printable. It contains just a small portion of the moving speech Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered in Washington in 1963..

I Have a Dream Coloring Page

I hope you will read it with your children and discuss with them the reason behind today’s national holiday. If they are enjoying a day off from school, you want to make sure they understand why. 🙂

As a veteran homeschool mom, I’m a diehard believer in educating while you’re celebrating.

MLK Complete-a-Quote Activity

Next up, you can fill in the missing words on a dozen quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. Check your answers on page 2 of the printable to see how much you think alike.

Getting to know Martin Luther King, Jr.

And last but not least, try your hand at our Martin Luther King Jr. Quiz to see how much you really know about this famous Civil Rights leader.

1. Why is MLK Day celebrated in January?

   a. it’s the month of his birth
   b. it’s the month of his death
   c. it’s the month the Civil Rights Amendment was passed
   d. all of the above

2. Where was Martin Luther King Jr. born?

   a. Montgomery, Alabama
   b. Jackson, Mississippi
   c. Atlanta, Georgia
   d. Nairobi, Kenya

3. On a trip to Germany, King’s father learned about the great Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther. Inspired, he changed both his own name and the name of his 5-year-old son. What was Martin Luther King Jr.’s given name at birth?

   a. Marvin King
   b. Franklin King
   c. Michael King
   d. Jordan King

4. Always a gifted student, Martin Luther King skipped ninth and twelfth grade and and started college when he was 15. He graduated from Morehouse College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, then later earned his master’s and doctorate degrees, as well. What was his chosen profession?

   a. elementary school teacher
   b. university professor
   c. city bus driver
   d. Southern Baptist preacher

5. Martin Luther King Jr. led the Montgomery bus boycott that began in December 1955 and lasted 385 days. Which of the following events did NOT happen as a result of that boycott?

   a. King was arrested
   b. King lost his job
   c. King’s house was bombed
   d. racial segregation ended on all public Montgomery busses

6. Which of the following phrases came from Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous speech?

   a. “Four score and seven years ago…”
   b. “I have a dream…”
   c. “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”
   d. “One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.”

7. King was imprisoned 29 times for his non-violent demonstrations, acts of civil disobedience, or trumped-up charges aimed at curtailing his involement in the CIvil Rights movement. What famous person once posted bail on King’s behalf?

   a. Malcolm X
   b. Billy Graham
   c. John F. Kennedy
   d. Rosa Parks

8. In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. (age 35) became the youngest person ever to receive the Nobel Peace Price. Other awards King won during his lifetime include all of the following EXCEPT:

   a. the Presidential Medal of Freedom
   b. Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year”
   c. the Booker T. Washington Society’s Wright Award
   d. Planned Parenthood’s Margaret Sanger Award

9. How did Martin Luther King Jr. die?

   a. car accident
   b. heart attack
   c. old age
   d. assassination

10. His good friend Mahalia Jackson sang Martin Luther King Jr.’s favorite hymn at his funeral. What is the hymn’s name?

    a. “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks”
    b. “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”
    c. “It is Well with My Soul”
    d. “One Day at a Time”

11. Martin Luther King Jr. said he wanted to be remembered as all of the following things EXCEPT:

    a. someone who tried to love and serve humanity
    b. someone who followed Jesus with all his heart
    c. someone who tried to feed the hungry and clothe the naked
    d. a drum major for peace, justice, and righteousness

12. On November 2, 1983, President Ronald Regan signed a bill that created a federal holiday to honor King. When was the first time the day was celebrated by all fifty states?

    a. January 21, 1986
    b. January 23, 1994
    c. January 17, 2000
    d. January 21, 2008

I made a color version and a black-and-white version of this quiz, so you can conserve ink if you need to print multiple copies.

You’ll find the answer key on the final page of the PDF. No peeking at the solutions until you give it the old college try! And be careful you don’t print more copies of the solutions than you need. First specify the page you want to print, and then type in the number of copies you need.

Want to help your kids learn more about this famous Civil Rights leader? Check out Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.? by Bonnie Bader. It’s a quick, fun, fact-filled read! You might even assign it or read it aloud first, before giving the MLK quiz. Then test to see how closely everybody was paying attention. 🙂

In the meantime, we hope all these resources will help make MLK Day more meaningful to you and your family. Enjoy your day off!