Would your students enjoy getting to know a heroine from Black History?  "Harriet Tubman, Alias Moses:  The Swamp Mystery" is #2 in our true-to-life Readers Theater scripts from the original biography of Harriet Tubman by Sarah Bradford (1869).  Harriet Tubman told Mrs. Bradford the story of her life, including some of her adventures as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. 

Join an adventurous trip with Harriet Tubman and some escaped slaves–including twin babies–in this exclusive member's only Readers Theater script with annotated curriculum links for lesson plans. 

TIME:  about 5 min.         CAST:  5-7+            TONE:  serious and reflective          READABILITY:  grade 2.1

Ben Franklin wanted to be perfect.  He compiled a list of virtues and made a plan.  "Ben Franklin–The Be Better Plan (Part 1)" shares Franklin's list of virtues and plan.  Paraphrased from Franklin's autobiography, this Readers Theater script is also available in a combined version with Parts 1 and 2 together. Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, this character-building script is perfect for older students who are not on grade level, gifted primary students, and ESL or ELL students.  The vocabulary is listed before the script, but the ideas in the script will need explanations for young readers.  

TIME:  about 4:40 minutes    CAST:  3-17+      TONE:  serious     READABILITY:  grade 3.1 (grade 1.9 changing the reader titles to one-syllable words)

Ben Franklin wanted to be perfect.  He compiled a list of virtues and made a plan.  "Ben Franklin–The Be Better Plan (Part 2)" continues Franklin's list of virtues and plan.  Paraphrased from Franklin's autobiography, this Readers Theater script is also available in a combined version with Parts 1 and 2 together. Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, this character-building script is perfect for older students who are not on grade level, gifted primary students, and ESL or ELL students.  The vocabulary is listed before the script, but the ideas in the script will need explanations for young readers.  

TIME:  3+ minutes     CAST:  3-17+      TONE:  serious     READABILITY:  grade 3.4 (grade 2.1 changing the reader titles to one-syllable words)

Ben Franklin wanted to be perfect.  He compiled a list of virtues and made a plan.  "Ben Franklin–The Be Better Plan (Parts 1-2 combined)" shares Franklin's list of virtues and plan.  Paraphrased from Franklin's autobiography, this Readers Theater script is also available in a 2-part version for two groups or two days of practice. Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, this character-building script is perfect for older students who are not on grade level, gifted primary students, and ESL or ELL students.  The vocabulary is listed before the script, but the ideas in the script will need explanations for young readers.  

TIME:  about 6 min.     CAST:  3-17+      TONE:  serious     READABILITY:  grade 3.3 (grade 2.1 changing the reader titles to one-syllable words)

Patriotic excitement sprinkled with a little humor, "Francis Scott Key, the Flag, and the Song" makes learning history fun.  This easy Readers Theater script for primary level students completes our set of four different readability levels for the story of "The Star-Spangled Banner."  All of our scripts include a vocabulary list on the title page.  Complete with six pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Francis Scott Key and the Star-Spangled Banner" tells the story of the United States national anthem and the flag in the context of the War of 1812.   (Note:  This is the easiest version, with less vocabulary and shortened sentences.)

TIME:  about 3 1/2 min.       CAST:  4-5        TONE:  serious with humorous sprinkles     READABILITY:  grade .9 (think grades 1-2)

The United States anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner" has inspired generations.  Although we have a script "Francis Scott Key and the Star-Spangled Banner," with the story behind the patriotic song, this script is a Readers Theater adaptation of the song lyrics.  "The Star-Spangled Banner Lyrics" includes all four verses and comes complete with lots of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans.  Although the readability scale says grade 3, the lyrics are appropriate for every grade level 2-8+.  (High school students could use this script, but I believe they'd enjoy adapting the lyrics to their own creative script!)

TIME:  less than 2 1/2 min.  CAST:  3-7+, CHORAL (if desired)  TONE:  serious   READABILITY:  grade 3.1

Short.  Easy.  Fun.  "Ring!  Ring!  Ring!  Alexander Graham Bell" uses the idea of a phone call in CHORAL Readers Theater style for primary level readers.  Use this cross-curricular script as a springboard for discussions on how the telephone has changed the world or as part of a unit study on sound or hearing.  Comes complete with four pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans.

TIME:  1 min.    CAST: 3 or 3 CHORAL groups    TONE:  educational, light    READABILITY:  grade 0.0 (Think grades K-1.)

Easy.  Historic.  Biographical.  "Alexander Graham Bell and Mr. Watson" takes two of Bell's historic phone conversations with his helper, Mr. Watson, and invites your students to participate via Readers Theater.  This cross-currcular script is based on Bell's actual words as much as possible.  (Bell invented the first telephone.)

Perfect for grades 1-2, ESL, ELL, and remedial students, "Alexander Graham Bell and Mr. Watson" comes complete with over four pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans (e.g., sound, ear, hearing, telephone, inventors...).

TIME: 2 min.     CAST:  3-4 OR 2-4 CHORAL groups    TONE:  educational with historic conversations     READABILITY:  grade 1.1  (Think grades 1-2 and check the vocabulary list on the cover page.)

Young Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone) asked a lot of questions.  Some led to experiments and inventions.  "Alexander Graham Bell and the Talking Dog" includes two related true stories from his teenage years that will make your students want to learn more about the man with "crazy" ideas. 

Complete with 5 pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Alexander Graham Bell and the Talking Dog" is perfect for grades 2-3, remedial students in middle or high school, and ESL or ELL classes.  Note:  There is a longer and more difficult series of two scripts on Bell's life (grades 4-6), plus a simplified version of them (grade 3.2).

TIME:  3 1/2 min.   CAST:  3-6    TONE: educational, light        READABILITY:  grade 2.1

The early life of Bell is filled with fun stories of inventions and experiments.  Can you imagine a "talking dog"?  "Alexander Graham Bell--Part 1:  Childhood Inventor (Full Class Version)" includes three stories from Aleck's life growing up.  (His mom was deaf.)  This Readers Theater biography about the famous inventor of the telephone is based on history and includes some of his actual quotes.  (Note:  Full class version means the narrators and Aleck's parts are divided among more readers. Part 1 comes in a 4 versions:  full class, original  with a cast of 3-7 and the simplified versions of those.  The original version is readability grade 5.0--grade 4.4 without substituting "N" for "Narrator.")

Complete with 5 pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans (e.g., Bell, the telephone, hearing, the ear, and talking dogs), this science Readers Theater will have your students begging for Part 2.   

TIME: a little over 6 1/2 minutes     CAST: 3-7     TONE:  educational     READABILITY:  3.2

The early life of Bell is filled with fun stories of inventions and experiments.  Can you imagine a "talking dog"?  "Alexander Graham Bell–Part 1:  Childhood Inventor (Simplified Full Class Version)" includes three stories from Aleck's life growing up.  (His mom was deaf.) This Readers Theater biography about the famous inventor of the telephone is based on history and includes some of his actual quotes.  (Note:  Full class version means the narrators and Aleck's parts are divided among more readers. Part 1 comes in a 4 versions:  full class, original  with a cast of 3-7 and the simplified versions of those.  The original version is grade 4.4-5.0 depending on whether or not you use the word "Narrator.")

Complete with 5 pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans (e.g., Bell, the telephone, hearing, the ear, and talking dogs), this science Readers Theater will have your students begging for Part 2.     

TIME: a little over 6 1/2 minutes     CAST: 6-23+     TONE:  educational     READABILITY:  grade 3.2

Part III of our biographical series for beginning readers on the life of Clara Barton, "Clara Barton, Nurse and Red Cross Founder"  is the super simple version of our original Readers Theater script written for upper elementary or gifted students.  Complete with annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Clara Barton, Nurse and Red Cross Founder" fits well with a study of community helpers.

TIME:  about 2 1/2 minutes   CAST: 6-7+ (optional chorus)   TONE:  serious and educational   READABILITY:  grade 3.3 (Grade 3.0 removing Clara's lines with these words:  president, bandages, medicine.)  I think second graders could handle it easily, but give Clara's part to a better reader.