Martin Luther King, Jr. and Edgar Allan Poe - January 19

Our History Learning

Monday, January 19, 2026

Today is Archery Day, MartinLuther King Day, National Popcorn Day, and World Quark Day.

Today's Birthdays
Songs of the Day
Today's Theme: Edgar Allan Poe

ON THIS DATE

• 1861 - Georgia secedes from the Union.
• 1915 - Georges Claude patents the neon discharge tube for use in advertising.
• 1953 - 72 percent of all television sets in the United States are tuned into I Love Lucy to watch Lucy give birth.

BIRTHDAYS

• 1736 - Scottish inventor James Watt
• 1809 - Writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe
• 1839 - French painter Paul Cézanne
• 1943 - Singer Janis Joplin
• 1946 - Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton
• 1949 - English singer-songwriter Robert Palmer
• 1982 - Politician Pete Buttigieg

SONGS OF THE DAY 

• Janis Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee - LISTEN
• Dolly Parton - I Will Always Love You - LISTEN
• Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible - LISTEN
• U2 - Pride (In The Name of Love) - LISTEN
• Nina Simone - Why? (The King of Love Is Dead) - LISTEN
• Patty Griffin Up to the Mountain - LISTEN
• Common and John Legend - Glory - LISTEN
• Marvin Gaye - Abraham, Martin, and John - LISTEN

THEME: Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Grades 2-5 - All About the Holidays - Martin Luther King Day (1:34) - VIEW
• Grades 3-7 - PBS LearningMedia - Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader (5:09) - VIEW
• Grades 3-7 - PBS LearningMedia - Martin Luther King Jr.: Civil Rights Leader - Lesson Plan - DO
• Grades 5-10 - PBS LearningMedia - The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. (9:44) - VIEW and DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - PBS Newshour -  Analyzing King's "I Have a Dream" Speech (5:45) - VIEW, READ and DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - Reaction to the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., 1968 (3:14) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video - Origins of Everything - How Did Martin Luther King Jr. Get a Holiday? (9:40) - VIEW
• Grades 8-12 - NHPBS Video - Free at Last – Martin Luther King, Jr. (1:27:57) - VIEW

THEME:  Edgar Allan Poe

• Grade 6-8 - Read Write Think - Detected Listening-Thinking Activity - The Tell-Tale Heart - DO
• Grade 6-8 - Read Write Think - Modeling Reading and Analysis Processes with the Works of Edgar Allan Poe  Unit - DO
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - American Masters - Mash-up: Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven" (8:12) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - American Masters - The Five Biggest Myths About Poe (2:05) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - NHPBS Video - American Masters - The Deaths of the Women in Poe's Life (1:52) - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - American Masters - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive "The Raven"  (3:55) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - American Masters - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - "The Telltale Heart" (3:05) - VIEW, READ, DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - American Masters - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - Art of the Short Story (4:07)  - VIEW
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - American Masters - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - Lord Byron, Poe, and Poetry (5:18)  - VIEW and DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - American Masters - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - Gothic Tales (2:37) - VIEW and DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - American Masters - Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive - Fake News and Biography(2:30) - VIEW and DO
• Grades 6-12 - PBS LearningMedia - Elements of Style in Poe (4:44) - VIEW, and DO
• Grades 7-12 - Annenberg Learner - American Passages: A Literary Survey - Gothic Undercurrents (28:23) -VIEW and DO
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video - It's Lit: Why Edgar Allan Poe Isn't Just a Sad Boy (11:03) - VIEW
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video -  Direct Connection - Edgar Allan Poe (25:31) - VIEW
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video - Expressions - The Cask of Amontillado (9:09) - VIEW
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video - Expressions - The Tell-Tale Heart (8:42) - VIEW
• Grades 7-12 - NHPBS Video - Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Madness (30:01) - VIEW

Return to the Daily Learning - Anytime, Anywhere. Main Page

More Learning Resources

Looking for some super cool crafts to do with your kids? Or maybe you need some expert parenting resources to help raise your child? You can find it all right here:

PBS KIDS CRAFTS & PBS PARENTING TIPS

PBS LearningMedia

NHPBS and PBS have curated FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for educators. You can also create your own lessons and assignments to meet the needs of your students.

Annenberg Learner

Searchable online video courses and interactives across the curriculum and grade levels in areas like chemistry, literature, music, the visual arts, social studies, world languages storytelling, spelling and lots more.

Brainpop

Features over 1,000 animated shorts and quizzes for students in grades K-12 covering science, social studies, English, math, the arts, health, and technology.  The service is free to schools closed due to COVID-19.

Scholastic Learn At Home

Everyday Scholastic will feature four learning experiences, built around a story or video.

StoryLine Online

A series of imaginatively produced videos featuring celebrated actors reading children's books.