Creating Change Today

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 strengthen reflective writing, civic reasoning, and personal connection to history by linking Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy to the modern world. Through a guided journal-style paragraph, learners explore a current social issue or a personal experience involving fairness, courage, or equality and explain how Dr. King’s values apply. The activity emphasizes relevance, empathy, and student voice while building thoughtful written expression.

Skills Reinforced

• Reflective & Analytical Writing (Grades 5-7) – Write a clear, well-developed paragraph expressing ideas and insights
• Civic Reasoning – Apply Civil Rights values to modern issues and everyday experiences
• Social-Emotional Learning – Reflect on empathy, fairness, and personal responsibility
• Critical Thinking – Connect historical principles to present-day challenges and lessons

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper elementary and middle school ELA, social studies, and SEL standards
• Personalized Reflection – Encourages students to relate history to their own lives
• Structured Prompt – Guides students to describe an issue, make connections, and explain lessons learned
• Flexible Use – Ideal for journaling, assessment, discussion reflection, or homeschool instruction
• Promotes Student Agency – Helps learners see themselves as capable of creating positive change

This Creating Change Today worksheet helps students understand that Dr. King’s message is not just historical-it is ongoing and actionable. By reflecting on modern issues or personal experiences through the lens of Dr. King’s values, learners strengthen writing skills, deepen civic awareness, and recognize their own role in promoting fairness and equality. It’s a meaningful, no-prep resource for classroom and homeschool settings focused on reflection, relevance, and responsible citizenship.

This worksheet is part of our Martin Luther King Jr. Day Worksheets collection.