Creating a Martin Luther King Jr bottle buddy is a great project to go along with a unit on this key figure in the civil rights movement.
The MLK bottle buddy represents standing tall, just like Dr. King did, even when it was hard.
He stood up for fairness, equality, and kindness during a time when many people were treated unjustly because of the color of their skin.
Through peaceful protest, powerful speeches, and strong faith, Dr. King helped change the laws and hearts of a nation.
As you create your Martin Luther King Jr. bottle buddy, think of it as a reminder that even ordinary people like teachers, pastors, parents, and students can do extraordinary things when they stand up for what is right.
BOOKS ABOUT THE 1960S
Then, add a few of these books about the 1960s.
6 Books About Events of the 1960s
Add a few of these books to your home library if you’re studying events of the 1960s. Use one or two for a unit study.
From his childhood encounters with racial prejudice to the Montgomery bus boycott and the Voting Rights drive, the private side of Martin Luther King's life and the historical events of the time are revealed
Seventh grader Holling Hoodhood isn't happy. He is sure his new teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates his guts. Throughout the school year, Holling strives to get a handle on the Shakespeare plays Mrs. Baker assigns him to read on his own time, and to figure out the enigmatic Mrs. Baker. At home, Holling's domineering father is obsessed with his business image and disregards his family.
As the Vietnam War turns lives upside down, Holling comes to admire and respect both Shakespeare and Mrs. Baker, who have more to offer him than he imagined. And when his family is on the verge of coming apart, he also discovers his loyalty to his sister, and his ability to stand up to his father when it matters most.
Fought in a small Asian country unfamiliar to most Americans at the time, the Vietnam War became a cause that divided the nation and defined a counter-culture. The first televised war, newscasters became a force creating the greatest anti-war movement in history, while American boys suffered and died in jungles and rice paddies against guerilla soldiers they rarely saw face to face.
Winner of the Buckeye Children's Book Award (Ohio), the California Young Reader Medal, Emphasis on Reading Book Award (Alabama), North Carolina Children's Book Award, Parents' Choice Award, South Carolina Book Award, and the William Allen White Children's Book Award (Kansas)CRACKER IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S MOST VALUABLE WEAPONS: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira.
Brian Floca explores Apollo 11’s famed moon landing with this newly expanded edition of Moonshot!Simply told, grandly shown, and now with eight additional pages of brand-new art and more in-depth information about the historic moon landing, here is the flight of Apollo 11. Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats. Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery—a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away.
On August 15, 1969, a music festival called "Woodstock" transformed one small dairy farm in upstate New York into a gathering place for over 400,000 young music fans. Concert-goers, called "hippies," traveled from all over the country to see their favorite musicians perform. Famous artists like The Grateful Dead played day and night in a celebration of peace, love, and happiness. Although Woodstock lasted only three days, the spirit of the festival has defined a generation and become a symbol of the "hippie life."
it just looks prettier this way
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR FACTS
- Full name: Michael King Jr. (later changed to Martin Luther King Jr.)
- Born: January 15, 1929, Atlanta, Georgia
- Died: April 4, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee
- Occupation: Baptist minister and civil rights leader
- Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday of January
Next, look at more about the life and achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr.
WHO WAS MARTIN LUTHER KING JR
Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up in a loving family and learned early on about the importance of faith, education, and standing up against injustice.
His father was a pastor, and Martin followed in his footsteps, becoming a Baptist minister himself.
As a young man, King noticed how unfairly African Americans were treated, especially in the southern United States. Laws called Jim Crow laws enforced segregation, which meant Black Americans were forced to use separate schools, bathrooms, restaurants, and even drinking fountains.
Dr. King believed these laws were wrong, and he believed change could happen without violence.
One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s greatest beliefs was nonviolence. He taught that people could stand up to injustice without fighting, hurting others, or spreading hatred.
He was inspired by the teachings of Jesus and by Mahatma Gandhi, who used peaceful protest to bring change in India.
MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT
One of the most famous events Dr. King helped lead was the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. After Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus, African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, stopped riding buses for over a year.
Dr. King became a leader of the movement, encouraging people to remain peaceful even when they were threatened or arrested. Eventually, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated buses were unconstitutional.
“I HAVE A DREAM”
In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” during the March on Washington.
Standing before more than 250,000 people, he spoke about his hope for a future where people would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.
This speech helped inspire major changes in U.S. law, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which worked to end segregation and protect voting rights for African Americans.
MORE MARTIN LUTHER KING CRAFTS AND RESOURCES
- Stronger Together Handprint Craft for MLK Jr. Day w/ Free Printable
- Let Freedom Ring Bells l MLK Jr Craft
- Grab one more of these free Martin Luther King Jr. Worksheets, Civil Rights Activities.
- Who Was Martin Luther King JR?
- How to Draw Martin Luther King Jr. – Easy Directed Drawing Lesson for Kids
And here is a post about other things in the 1960s The Vibrant World Of 1960s Tie-Dye: Fun Hands-On History Activities.
HOW TO MAKE A MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. BOTTLE BUDDY
You will need:
- Any size plastic bottle
- Foam ball
- Craft felt-white, black, dark blue
- Hot glue gun, glue sticks
Clean and remove the label from a clear 2-liter bottle.
Add a generous amount of brown paint to the inside of the bottle. You can add a small amount of water to help thin the paint out.
Shake the bottle until the entire inside is coated, place upside down on a cup to drain the excess until it is barely dripping.
Dig enough of the foam ball out to fit it on top of the lid.
Press it firmly down over a generous amount of hot glue and hold in place until the glue sets.
Paint the head with brown paint. Once it dries, you will probably need a second coat. While you are waiting for it to dry, begin working on the clothes.
Make a 1” cut in the center of a sheet of white 8×12” felt.
Cut a tie shape 3”-4” long from black felt.
Fold down the corners of the cut on the white shirt and glue them into place with the tie to create a colored dress shirt.
Glue into place on the bottle, add the glue to the felt, not the plastic, or it will melt.
You can either trim down two dark blue 8×12 felt pieces or cut down one larger piece into a roughly 8×15 rectangle for his jacket.
Fold down a lapel on either side and secure with hot glue, wrap over the shirt, and glue down.
Paint on black hair.
Add googly eyes, eyebrows, and a mustache to finish him off.
