Social Studies - Kindergarten - Thursday

Step 1: Tell your student, “We are going to talk about the city where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived as a boy. First, I’d like to ask you a few questions to see what you know.”

Ask your student the following questions: • Do you remember where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived as a boy? • Dr. King, Jr.’s home was located close to Ebenezer Baptist Church. Why is this important to know?

Step 2: Students will learn about the neighborhood where Dr. King lived as a boy. The Atlanta neighborhood along Auburn Avenue where the family lived is known as Sweet Auburn. The church home of the King family was one block away from the home and is where Dr. King, his father, and grandfather preached.

Tell your student, “Sweet Auburn” is an Atlanta neighborhood where the King family lived, shopped, and attended school. The area called “Sweet Auburn” played an important role in King’s life because of the cultural significance it had during legal segregation in Atlanta. The name ”Sweet Auburn” was given to this neighborhood because it was considered to be the “richest Negro street in the World”.

Note to parents: Sweet Auburn is a designated National Historic Landmark. Today, there are several cultural landmarks there such as the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, the APEX Museum, and the Atlanta Daily Word (the first black daily newspaper in the country). More information can be found at www.exploregeorgia.org.

Step 3: Students will learn about the neighborhood where Dr. King lived as boy. The Atlanta neighborhood along Auburn Avenue where the family lived is known as Sweet Auburn.

Ebenezer Baptist Church is where Dr. King delivered many of his most powerful sermons. He served as co-pastor of the church with his father from 1960-1968. Today, visitors can sit inside the old church, but there is a newly constructed church build across the street.

Fire Station #6 was the first integrated and longest active fire station in the city. Located on the birth home block, the fire station was frequented by young Martin as he was growing up.