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

You won't believe Thomas Alva Edison's boyhood!  Some of his experiments got him into trouble growing up.  "Thomas Alva Edison:  A Bright Boy Full of Surprises" mentions those failures as well as Edison's heart to work. Complete with curriculum links for easy lesson plans,"Thomas Alva Edison:  A Bright Boy Full of Surprises," looks at the life of Edison growing up.  Perfect for upper elementary and middle school, this Readers Theater script includes actual qutoes from Edison and a list of his most famous inventions.  (NOTE:  This is the simplified version.)

TIME: 7 min.   CAST: 4-8    TONE:  light, educational    READABILITY: grade 5.6

Historic quotes brand "Thomas Edison–Inventor (Part 2 of his life)," with the true character of the famous inventor.  This Readers Theater script focuses on the season of his life when he experimented with electricity.  Complete with annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Thomas Edison–Inventor (Part 2 of his life)" stands alone or may be used after our script on his boyhood.  (Your students will be able to write Part 3 after a little research.)  Although the readability in this original script is middle school, the topics are easy enough for older elementary students to understand.

TIME:  4 1/2 min.        CAST:  4-5          TONE:  educational with excerpts from life       READABILITY:  grade 7.3

You won't believe Thomas Alva Edison's boyhood!  Some of his experiments got him into trouble growing up.  "Thomas Alva Edison:  A Bright Boy Full of Surprises" mentions those failures as well as Edison's heart to work. Complete with curriculum links for easy lesson plans,"Thomas Alva Edison:  A Bright Boy Full of Surprises," looks at the life of Edison growing up.  Perfect for upper elementary and middle school, this Readers Theater script includes actual qutoes from Edison and a list of his most famous inventions.

TIME: 7 min.   CAST: 4-8    TONE:  light, educational    READABILITY: grade 6.7 (3-syllable words like Edison, make it higher)

From teaching the deaf to inventing the telephone, "Alexander Graham Bell–Part 2:  Teacher and Inventor" covers this part of his life with historical accuracy.  Although this could be a stand-alone Readers Theater script, it continues the story from Part 1 (based on Bell's childhood–including his deaf mother).  Complete with six pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans (e.g., ear, hearing...), "Alexander Graham Bell–Part 2:  Teacher and Inventor" uses some of Bell's actual words.  This is the Original Full Class Version for grades 5, 6, 7, 8, and gifted 3-4 graders.

TIME: 11+ minutes     CAST: 3-28         TONE:  educational        READABILITY:  grade 6.7  (grade 6.2 replacing "Narrator" with "Nat")

From teaching the deaf to inventing the telephone, "Alexander Graham Bell–Part 2:  Teacher and Inventor" covers this part of his life with historical accuracy.  Although this could be a stand-alone Readers Theater script, it continues the story from Part 1 (based on Bell's childhood–with a deaf mother).  Complete with six pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, "Alexander Graham Bell–Part 2:  Teacher and Inventor" uses some of Bell's actual words.  This is the Simplified Full Class Version with more speaking parts for grades 3-4, ESL/ELL, and remedial students in middle or high school.

TIME: 11+ minutes     CAST: 3-28         TONE:  educational        READABILITY:  grade 4.4  (grade 3.8 replacing "Narrator" with "Nat")

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 " 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 simplified version is readability grade 3.2)

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:  grade 5.0 (4.4 using "N" for "Narrator.")

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 with a readability of grade 3.2.)

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 5.0  (grade 4.4 using N for Narrator)

First published eyewitness account.  Historical perspective.  Expansive vocabulary.  "Amos Root's Eyewitness Account of the Wright Brothers' Flight" Readers Theater script pulls it all together creatively.  Complete with a short vocabulary list and three pages of annotated curriculum links for easy lesson plans, this script is perfect for better readers (e.g., grades 4-5, middle school, high school and adults) and MULTI-LEVEL Readers Theater.

TIME: 11 1/2 minutes   CAST: 5+ (includes a chorus)    TONE: serious, engaging    READABILITY: grade 6.5  (Amos uses longer sentences and several multi-syllabic words.  Some parts are easier.)