Date: January 6, 2009
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

PNC Students Develop Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Website

Westville – Purdue University North Central students in the Department of Education have developed a website with lesson plans and resources that are available to teachers and parents to support activities to teach young people about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. David Pratt, associate professor of Education and member of the PNC Dr. Martin Luther King Day Community Celebration Committee, suggested that his students get involved with developing lesson plans and other resources that can be used as learning aids before, during, and after the holiday.

The website at www.MLKwebsites.com contains lesson plans and other resources for teachers to use in the classrooms that are appropriate for students in a variety of grade levels. This includes video and audio clips of Dr. King Jr.'s, speeches and interactive web activities.

“At PNC we are always looking for ways to engage students in the community and this was a perfect project for that,” explained Pratt.

Pratt recognized that the PNC students and most all of the teachers using these materials were not born when King was assassinated, and he believes it is important to keep his memory and his legacy alive.

“I believe it is important to recognize important individuals who may not be regularly studied in class. Dr. King was truly a great man who led a very important revolution. Although some progress has been made, we need to remember the great value of the principles he stood for and the dreams that he had for all people. These resources can help area teachers celebrate the life of Dr. King in their classrooms.

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