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 Help celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day by teaching citizenship skills. Dr. King is an important figure because he saw injustice and used nonviolent action to create social change for the better. Explain to your students how to practice some of the citizenship skills that Dr. King used to bring about a more just society. Discussion Question: What are citizenship skills? Students should list things that citizens do, such as salute the flag, say the "Pledge of Allegiance," pay taxes, and vote. Write their answers on the board. Explain that citizenship skills include all the skills that allow us to participate in our democracy and the skills that enable us to be informed and to influence businesses and government. Discussion Question: How can we influence businesses and government? Answers may include the following:
The above actions are all good examples of citizenship skills, and they were all used during the civil rights movement. Boycotts have historically been a powerful way to create change. The Birmingham bus boycotts in the 1960s effectively led to desegregation on buses and were a powerful step forward for all Americans. Today, boycotts are still effective in furthering social justice movements. 
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