Your kids are likely off from school today in celebration of Martin Luther King Junior Day. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the pioneering civil rights leader. There are several applications that can be creatively used to teach kids of all ages about Martin Luther King Jr. Here are three of our favorites.
BrainPop Jr. (iOS and Android)
One of our favorite apps of all time also has extensive videos and footage of Martin Luther King, Jr. This app includes videos narrated by characters Annie and Moby that – among other things – chronicle the lives and accomplishments of important people in history. The videos are presented in question and answer format, followed by an optional quiz, available in an easy and hard format. Here is a video example of BrainPop at its best!
Aurasma: Augmented Reality Using Markers (iOS and Android)
With Aurasma: Augmented Reality Using Markers , users can create and place markers that initiate the viewing of “auras,” which are videos, images, or sound files. To create and place an aura, one simply uses the camera on the mobile device to select a “marker” when in the Aurasma app. The desired media is then associated with that marker. To view an aura, one launches the app, uses the camera on a mobile device to relate that object to the aura, and the associated media is launched. For today, add an aura to a poster or photo of Martin Luther King that triggers a video of him delivering his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Go Explore Martin Luther King, Jr. National History Site (iOS, 99 cents)
This virtual museum app, built in partnership with the National Park Service, includes a series of videos and multimedia footage that chronicles the early life Martin Luther King, Jr. From his birth home, to where he was baptized, to other notable points in King’s development, this app offers a deep historical point of view. While it can be accessed and enjoyed from anyplace, users in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta will receive GPS notifications as they pass significant locations.
