History Speaks: Picture Books Plus Reader's Theater

Eleven-year-old Clara Morgan traveled the Oregon Trail with her family. While her mother cared for the baby, Clara struggled with the cooking. Finally, she made her first batch of perfect biscuits. But she gave them up to a hungry American Indian who stopped by. Little did she know they would meet again. Would her family's act of kindness help them farther down the trail? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. At our companion website-www.lerneresource.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success.

In 1692, four young girls from the Puritan town of Salem Village, Massachusetts, began acting strangely. They threw fits and cried out. They claimed that the spirits of some townspeople were hurting them. These townspeople were accused of witchcraft and put on trial. The punishment was hanging. When a poor woman and her five-year-old daughter were named as witches, Alice Ray knew it couldn't be true. She believed they were innocent. But what could a young girl like Alice do to help? Would she be brave enough to stand up for what she knew was right? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. At our companion website-www.lerneresource.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success.

Until 1957, two worlds existed in Little Rock, Arkansas: one for white Americans and another for African Americans. Whites and blacks went to separate schools, ate at separate restaurants, and even used separate drinking fountains. That year, the U.S. Supreme Court decided to end the laws that kept people apart. Nine black students agreed to attend Little Rock's all-white Central High School. But could they face angry mobs, threats, and violence? Would they have the courage to stay at Central High? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. At our companion website-www.lerneresource.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success.

Late in the spring of 1787, fifty-five men gathered at the Pennsylvania State House. They came to write a new constitution for the United States. The leader of this Constitutional Convention was George Washington. The other men were delegates. The men knew it would be hard for them all to agree on what the constitution should say. But they also knew that a new constitution was important. The young country was in trouble. It had no main leader. Instead, a lawmaking body-the U.S. Congress-ran the country. But Congress didn't have enough power. Some delegates thought the national government needed to be stronger. Others did not. Would they be able to cooperate and write a constitution together? In the back of the book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a Reader's Theater performance of this event. At our companion website-www.lerneresource.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your Reader's Theater performance a success.

In the summer of 1870, Thomas Leathers was captain of the Natchez. Captain Leathers believed it was the fastest steamboat on the Mississippi River. Captain Cannon of the Robert E. Lee offered to race the Natchez from New Orleans, Louisiana, to St. Louis, Missouri. Twelve-year-old Benjamin Brown, a passenger on the Natchez, wants very much to win the race. But from the moment the Robert E. Lee leaves New Orleans early, it's clear that Captain Cannon is willing to do whatever it takes for his boat to finish first. Which boat will win? And will the outcome be fair? In the back of the book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a Reader's Theater performance of this adventure. At our companion website-www.lerneresource.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your Reader's Theater performance a success.

Before December 1903, flying in the air was just a dream for most people. That year, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright went to North Carolina's Outer Banks. They were determined to make history with their motorized flying machine. Young Johnny Moore was one of the few people who believed in them. As a crowd gathered on the stormy beach, Johnny helped the brothers prepare for flight. He also wondered: would the Wrights succeed? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. At our companion website-www.lerneresource.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success.

In March 1865, the Civil War between the North and South and had been going on for four years. The armies of the North were fighting their way to Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate states. Many people thought that if the northern troops captured Richmond, the war would be over. Fifteen-year-old Willie Kettles worked as a telegraph operator in the War Department building in Washington. President Abraham Lincoln stopped by the telegraph office daily to get the latest reports from the battlefields. Would good news from Richmond ever arrive? Will Willie be ready to take the message? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. Download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success through Lerner eSource.

In the 1840s, runaway slaves faced many dangers. They were often caught and sometimes killed. Ellen Craft and her husband William knew the risks. And they decided to take a chance. Ellen and William had a daring plan to escape from slavery. Posing as a white man, Ellen hoped to travel north as William's slave master. But the two had many states to cross. Would they reach freedom? Or would someone see through Ellen's disguise? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. Download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success through Lerner eSource.

In early 1836, trouble broke out in Texas. Texas was part of Mexico, yet many of its settlers wanted to fight for independence. Mexican General Santa Anna and his army came to battle the Texans in San Antonio at the Alamo. Eight-year-old Enrique Esparza witnessed the battle. His father was a soldier with the Texas army. The whole Esparza family had taken shelter at the Alamo, but they knew it might be dangerous. Would they survive? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. At our companion website-www.historyspeaksbooks.com-you can download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success.

In mid-May 1775, the American Revolution was barely a month old. Many British soldiers were in Boston, Massachusetts. The American troops were nearby. The next battle could break out at any moment. Fifteen-year-old John Greenwood's parents lived in Boston. But John lived with his uncle 150 miles away. When the war started, he decided to go back to Boston to check on his family. But when he arrived, the British soldiers wouldn't let anyone into the city. Instead John joined the American army and soon found himself at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Did John have the courage to make it through the battle? Could the Americans beat the powerful British? In the back of this book, you'll find a script and instructions for putting on a reader's theater performance of this adventure. Download additional copies of the script plus sound effects, background images, and more ideas that will help make your reader's theater performance a success through Lerner eSource.