Definition:

Courage is the willingness to go beyond fear to face a healthy (not foolish) challenge, even though it  could be painful, risky, or end in failure.  

In short:

Do good, try hard even when it’s scary.

Summary:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights leader in the 1950’s and 60’s. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, a contemporary leader from India who led a civil rights movement in his country using peaceful methods. Even though Dr. King and his family members and followers were threatened and mistreated, he refused to back down. As a result of Martin’s perseverance and courage, segregation in the U.S.A. ended. In 1964 Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize. His world-famous “I Have a Dream” speech inspires us all to bravely and peacefully fight for human rights everywhere.

Lesson Objectives: 

1. This story can be linked to history lessons that describe the peaceful strategies that Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King courageously used to promote civil rights in their countries and in the world. 
2. Teachers guide students to discuss peaceful ways to end conflict in their own relationships, in their families and at school, emphasizing that it takes more courage and strategy and it works better when people resolve conflict peacefully rather than engage in fighting physically. 
3. Look at some age-appropriate conflict resolution strategies and train kids to use them. 

Guiding Questions: 

1. What was segregation in the U.S.A. like for Martin when he  was a child? 
2. How do you feel about the signs that said “Whites Only”?  
3. Why do you think some people are mean to someone who has a different skin color? 
4. What did activists do in Montgomery, Alabama to defend their rights to sit anywhere they wanted on buses?  
5. What did Martin say to his followers to convince them not to be violent in their protests? 
6. Why was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?
7. What was Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech about? 
8. When you experience a conflict with someone, what usually happens? 
9. Are you able to talk with someone with whom you have a conflict and discuss how to resolve it, or not?
10. Describe a conflict that you’ve observed. What advice would you give the people involved in the conflict?