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 "Benjamin Franklin's Whistle Story (Simplified)" is most of his letter, adapted for Readers Theater (with links to the historical document).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)

Benjamin Franklin looked for practical problems to solve. That led to many ideas and inventions.  "The Benjamin Franklin Idea and Invention Show" 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" is perfect for middle school students or gifted elementary 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:  about 7 1/2 min.       CAST: 3-9+          TONE:  light, fun, educational      READABILITY:  grade 7.4

Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter in which he shared an important lesson he learned as a boy.  "Benjamin Franklin's Whistle Story (Middle School)" 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.  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 high school.  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 8.4  (vocabulary and long sentences)

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.

TIME:  about 13 1/2 min.        CAST:  2-6+ (optional chorus)     TONE:  serious, thoughtful   READABILITY:  grade 7.5

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)

Patriotic excitement sprinkled with a little humor, "Francis Scott Key and the Star-Spangled Banner" makes learning history fun.  This Readers Theater script includes real quotes from history for your upper elementary or gifted students.  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.

TIME:  13+ min.       CAST:  6-9         TONE:  serious with humorous sprinkles     READABILITY:  grade 5.9 (vocabulary listed on first page)

Patriotic excitement sprinkled with a little humor, "Francis Scott Key and the Star-Spangled Banner" makes learning history fun.  This Readers Theater script includes real quotes from history for your middle school or gifted students.  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. 

TIME:  13 1/2 min.       CAST:  6-9         TONE:  serious with humorous sprinkles     READABILITY:  grade 7.1  (vocabulary listed on first page)