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

Would your students enjoy meeting a heroine from Black History?  "Harriet Tubman, Alias Moses:  Joe's Journey (Simplified)" is a true-to-life Readers Theater script 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.   Harriet had a strong faith in God and this script is true to her story.  Join an adventurous trip with Harriet Tubman and some escaped slaves–including Joe–in this free Readers Theater script with curriculum links for lesson plans.  This is the Simplified version of our original script.  (The original version has a readability of grade 4.2.)

TIME:  about 9 1/2 minutes  CAST:  8-12  TONE:  somber with joy   READABILITY:  grade 3.4

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)

Is it possible to become perfect?  Benjamin Franklin thought it was possible, so he set up a system to focus on specific virtues–one each week.  It's interesting to see the list of virtues he constructed and his struggles.  In his autobiography he wrote, "In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order."  Messy, maybe?  "Benjamin Franklin's Virtues:  Project Perfection (Simplified)" includes many of Franklin's quotes while telling the story of his quest for perfection.  Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Benjamin Franklin's Virtues:  Project Perfection (Simplified)" is one of our collection of scripts on Benjamin Franklin.  Although this is a full class version with over 30 speaking parts, it includes suggestions on how to divide the parts for fewer readers.  This character-building script is perfect for middle school, upper elementary, and gifted students.

TIME:  13 1/2 min.     CAST:  3-32+          TONE:  serious         READABILITY:  grade 5.0  (grade 4.4 replacing "Nat" for "Narrator" and "In" for "Interpreter" as cast names)

Is it possible to become perfect?  Benjamin Franklin thought it was possible, so he set up a system to focus on specific virtues–one each week.  It's interesting to see the list of virtues he constructed and his struggles.  In his autobiography he wrote, "In truth, I found myself incorrigible with respect to Order."  Messy, maybe?  "Benjamin Franklin's Virtues:  Project Perfection" includes many of Franklin's quotes while telling the story of his quest for perfection.  Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Benjamin Franklin's Virtues:  Project Perfection" is one of our collection of scripts on Benjamin Franklin.  Although this is a full class version with over 30 speaking parts, it includes suggestions on how to divide the parts for fewer readers.  This character-building script is perfect for middle school, upper elementary, and gifted students.

TIME:  13 1/2 min.     CAST:  3-32+          TONE:  serious         READABILITY:  grade 6.3  (grade 5.7 replacing "Nat" for "Narrator" and "In" for "Interpreter" as cast names)

Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter in which he shared an important lesson he learned as a boy.  "Benjamin Franklin's Whistle Story (Simplified)" is most of his letter, adapted for Readers Theater (with links to the historical document).  In order to provide variety there are two Ben parts.  Franklin used extensive vocabulary and long sentences;  so his speaking parts are challenging.  (Note:  This version is slightly simplified with shorter sentences.) Narrators speak much less and have easy lines.  Consider doing this chorally with two narrators to introduce the script.  Complete with curriculum links for easy lesson plans this script is appropriate for middle school and gifted elementary students.  It's perfect to use with lessons on finances or literature with a moral.

TIME:  5 min.            CAST:  2-4, OR 2 CHORAL groups         TONE: serious     READABILITY:  grade 6.3  (less vocabulary and shorter sentences than our Middle School version)

Bullying. Adventure.  Character building.  Part 2 of Benjamin Franklin's life, "Benjamin Franklin Speaks About Apprenticeship and Beyond" includes so much more than history.   Based on Franklin's memoirs, "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." this Readers Theater script not only uses quotes from Franklin's autobiography, but also quotes from Poor Richard's Almanac.  Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Benjamin Franklin Speaks About Apprenticeship and Beyond" is perfect for middle school students or gifted elementary students.  (This is the simplified version.  The original has a readability level of grade 7.5 because of Franklin's extensive vocabulary and long sentences.)

TIME:  about 13 1/2 min.        CAST:  2-6+ (optional chorus)     TONE:  serious, thoughtful   READABILITY:  grade 6.0 (Substituting "Nat" for "Narrator"

Have you read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?  Here's a Readers Theater script based on Franklin's own accounts of his childhood from chapter one, "Benjamin Franklin Speaks About Growing Up (Simplified)."  Franklin, a brilliant man, used extensive vocabulary and long sentences in his autobiography.  This historical Readers Theater Script is filled with Franklin quotes–including quotes from Poor Richard's Almanac.  Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Benjamin Franklin Speaks About Growing Up" is perfect for upper elementary or middle school students grades 4, 5, 6.  (See our original middle school version of the script for a more difficult readability–grade 6.3.)

TIME:  7 1/2 min.      CAST:  2-6+ (optional chorus)     TONE:  serious, thoughtful, with light moments      READABILITY:  grade 4.9  (Ben's part = around grade 6)

Benjamin Franklin looked for practical problems to solve. That led to many ideas and inventions.  "The Benjamin Franklin Idea and Invention Show (Simplified)" pulls together a launching pad for your students to study Franklin's inventions with a fun twist.  Complete with annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "The Benjamin Franklin Idea and Invention Show (Simplified)" is perfect for upper elementary or beginning middle school students.  (Vocabulary is listed.)  This is part of our series of biographical Readers Theater on the life of Benjamin Franklin, but it could also be used for building character and teaching writing.  (See suggestion at the end of the script.)

TIME:  a little over 7 min.     CAST: 3-9+     TONE:  light, fun, educational      READABILITY:  grade 6.2 (grade 5.6 substituting "Nat" for "Narrator" and "Ann" for "Announcer" when computing readability)

Have you read The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin?  Here's a Readers Theater script based on Franklin's own accounts of his childhood from chapter one, "Benjamin Franklin Speaks About Growing Up."  Franklin, a brilliant man, used extensive vocabulary and long sentences in his autobiography.  This historical Readers Theater Script is filled with Franklin quotes–including quotes from Poor Richard's Almanac.  Complete with extensive annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Benjamin Franklin Speaks About Growing Up" is perfect for middle school students or gifted elementary students.

TIME:  7 1/2 min.      CAST:  2-6+ (optional chorus)         TONE:  serious, thoughtful, with light moments             READABILITY:  grade 6.3  (Ben's part = grade 6.6)