Readers Theater Read The Script

Reader's Theater: Read the Script
Third Grade Reading
by Caitlin Hardeman August 10, 2018
Did you know that Reader's Theater promotes fluency and builds students' reading confidence? Use this lesson
to inspire your students to practice reading and understanding text in the drama genre.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to read, understand, and identify the components of dramas.
Materials and preparation Key terms
Teacher copy of a Reader's Theater script, such script

as the Reader's Theater: Casey at the Bat drama
worksheet scene
Class set of the the Reader's Theater: cast of characters
Summertime Blues worksheet narrator
Class set of the Graphic Organizer setting
Template:Concept Web worksheet dialogue
stage directions
Attachments
Reader's Theater: Casey at the Bat (PDF)

Graphic Organizer Template: Concept Web (PDF)
Reader’s Theater: Summertime Blues (PDF)
Introduction (3 minutes)
Ask students to think about how actors and actresses know what to say when they are on stage or
filming.
Give students time to think independently, and instruct them to turn and talk to a partner about their
thoughts. Call on nonvolunteers to share what they discussed with their partners.
Write the word script on the board, and share that a script is the written text of a play, movie, or
television show. Point out that the actors and actresses practice their lines beforehand, and they have
them memorized. Ask students to raise their hands if they have ever had to memorize lines for a play.
Go over the learning objective for today's lesson, and tell students that they will be reading scripts, but
that they will not need to memorize their words.
EL
Beginning:
Give students access to reference materials in their home language (L1) to look up terms, such as actor,
actress, script, and play.
Intermediate:
Pair students with a supportive peer or an EL with the same home language, if possible.
Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Define memorize with a student-friendly definition, and provide an example of a time when you would
memorize something.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)
Tell students that a script in a classroom is usually called Reader's Theater. This type of text falls into the
genre of drama. Drama is a story written so that it can be acted out for an audience.
Display a copy of a Reader's Theater Script on the document camera and point out and label the different
parts of it. Explain that a scene is a part of the play where there are changes to setting, characters, and
events.
Share that the cast of characters is a list of characters in the play. Explain that the narrator is a
person outside the story who tells the story. The setting is listed at the beginning of the script, and it
tells where and when the story takes place.
Point out the dialogue, which is the talking that the characters do in the play, and note how it does not
have quotation marks around it. Emphasize that dialogue in a Reader's Theater Script is formatted
differently with the character's name, a colon, and then the words the characters speak.
Explain that the stage directions are added into the script between bits of dialogue to tell the
characters how to act and speak. The stage directions are not to be read aloud by the actors and
actresses because they are just directions.
Invite a few students to participate in reading aloud the Reader's Theater Script to model the process of
taking turns and reading only the dialogue aloud.
EL
Beginning:
Give students a copy of the Reader's Theater Script example on which to take notes. Provide a word bank
of key terms they can use to label the main components.
Intermediate:
Allow the students to create vocabulary flash cards for the key terms. Have them include both a written
and visual definition for each term, as well as the word in their L1, if applicable.
Guided Practice (15 minutes)
Distribute a copy of the Reader's Theater: Summertime Blues worksheet to each student. As a class,
identify the parts of the drama and label them.
Break the class into groups of four. Assign them each a role from the cast of characters. Instruct them to
read aloud the Reader's Theater three times together as a group, each time becoming more fluent and
natural with the reading so that it sounds the same way someone would speak.
Gather the class's attention and ask a series of comprehension questions. Display each question on the
board, allow students to discuss in small groups, and call on nonvolunteers to answer and provide
evidence:
What hints does the author give you about the ending of the drama?
What problem in the drama is solved?
How does the last line of dialogue wrap the story up?
What role did the narrator play in this Reader's Theater?
EL
Beginning:
Invite students to work in a small, teacher-led group. Support them as they read aloud and come across
words that are difficult to pronounce.
Allow students to use reference materials in their L1 or English to look up any unfamiliar words.
Intermediate:

Pre-teach vocabulary from the Reader's Theater Script.
Provide sentence frames for students to use as they answer the comprehension questions in small
groups.
Independent working time (15 minutes)
Instruct students to answer the comprehension questions on the Reader's Theater: Summertime Blues
worksheet. Remind them to go back into the text to mark what information helped them arrive at an
answer.
EL
Beginning:
Have students work in a small, teacher-led group and offer prompting questions.
Provide a bank of key terms and phrases to support students as they answer the comprehension
questions.
Intermediate:
Allow students extra time to work on the assignment by completing it for homework.
Differentiation
Support:
Use an easier script with simpler words and concepts for struggling readers.
Give students extra time to practice their part before reading it in front of the class.
Enrichment:
Challenge advanced learners to create their own Reader's Theater Scripts with multiple characters and an
involved plot. Remind them to include the essential components of a drama (cast of characters, setting,
dialogue, stage directions).
Assessment (10 minutes)
Give each student a copy of the Graphic Organizer Template: Concept Web worksheet. Instruct them to
write Reader's Theater in the center of it and use everything they learned from today's lesson to fill in the
outer circles.
EL
Beginning:
Allow students to give their answers orally before completing their graphic organizer.
Intermediate:
Provide learners with a bank of key words and phrases to use on their graphic organizer.
Review and closing (7 minutes)
Instruct students to share their information on the Concept Web. Create a teacher copy on chart paper to
serve as an anchor chart in the classroom for future reference.
Tell students that a Reader's Theater is a fun way of reading a story and practicing fluency and
comprehension.
EL
Beginning:

Have students share their Concept Web with a partner in their L1 or English.
Intermediate:
Display sentence frames for students to use as they share information from their graphic organizers. For
example, "Reader's Theater includes __."

Act it Out:
“Casey at the Bat”
There’s so much drama in “Casey at the Bat.” Acting out the poem is a great way to better understand the
poem’s characters and plot. Grab some friends or classmates and put on a show!
Before you start, you may want to set up a small baseball diamond. Use pillows, books, pieces of cardboard,
or anything you have on hand as bases. Borrow some baseball caps, gloves, and jerseys for costumes. If you’re
outdoors, you can play the game along with the poem.
CAST OF CHARACTERS:
COONEY
BARROWS
FLYNN
BLAKE
PITCHER
UMPIRE
NARRATOR
CROWD
CASEY
(Tip: If there are a lot of kids, try breaking up the Narrator’s lines between a few people.)
CASEY AT THE BAT: A Reader’s Theater Script
SETTING: Mudville, USA, 1888.
(CROWD cheers)
NARRATOR:
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
(COONEY and BARROWS run to first base, then leave)
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
(CROWD goes quiet)
NARRATOR:
A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
(Some of the CROWD leaves)
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought
Copyright © 2014 Education.com LLC All Rights Reserved
More worksheets at www.education.com/worksheets

Act it Out:
CROWD:
If only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.
NARRATOR:
But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
(FLYNN and BLAKE go up to bat)
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.
NARRATOR:
But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
(FLYNN runs to first base)
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
(BLAKE swings hard)
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.
(FLYNN runs to third base, BLAKE runs to second)
NARRATOR:
Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
(CROWD cheers loudly!)
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.
(CASEY steps up to bat)
NARRATOR:
There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
(CASEY takes off his hat)


Act it Out:
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.
NARRATOR:
Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
(CASEY leans down and pretends to rub dirt on his hands)
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
(CASEY wipes his hands on his shirt)
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
(PITCHER pretends to hold the ball to his hip)
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.
NARRATOR:
And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
(PITCHER pretends to throw the ball)
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
CASEY:
That ain't my style
NARRATOR:
said Casey
UMPIRE:
Strike one!
NARRATOR:
the umpire said.
NARRATOR:
From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
CROWD:
Kill him! Kill the umpire!


Act it Out:
NARRATOR:
shouted someone on the stand;
And it’s likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
(CASEY raises his hand)
NARRATOR:
With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said
UMPIRE:
Strike two!
CROWD:
Fraud!
NARRATOR:
Cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.
NARRATOR:
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
(CASEY pounds the bat on the ground)
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
(PITCHER throws the ball)
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
(CASEY swings. ALL freeze in place except the narrator)
NARRATOR:
Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.


Name___________________________ Da
Concept Web

Name Date
Reader’s Theater: Summertime Blues

Cast of Characters
Narrator Floyd Mom Cuz-Cuz
On a hot summer day, a boy named Floyd is bored. His friend comes over to help find some fun.
Mom: Hey, Floyd! It looks like you’ve been busy this morning. You did some work in the garage with
your uncle, you played with your dolls, you pretended to go to outer space, and you read books. That’s
a lot! What else are you going to do today?
Floyd: I don’t know, Mom. I’m out of ideas!
Mom: Tell me about the books you read this morning.
Narrator: Floyd thought back to the books he read that morning, and he remembered one about
being outside in nature. It reminded him of his teacher, Miss Stacy. She had told him to play outside on
summer break and use his imagination!
Floyd: I read a book about nature that was really interesting. Let me show it to you.
Narrator: Floyd picked up his nature book and showed his mom the pictures. He flipped through the
pages and saw flowers, bees, plants, and trees.
Floyd: That looks fun! Those kids are playing outside, and those kids are making forts with sticks! And
here, kids are building sand castles with sand.
Mom: Those kids sure are having a lot of fun in nature! There’s so much to do when we explore outside.
Floyd: (walking over to the window) Why should I sit inside all day? Today is the perfect day to play
outside!
Mom: That sounds like a great plan, Floyd.
Floyd: That squirrel runs pretty quickly! Do you see that bird in the sky? Those animals seem to be
having a lot of fun! I want to get a closer look.
Narrator: Floyd told his mom he was going outside, and he skipped through the door to his backyard.
Everywhere he looked, he saw interesting animals. Birds, squirrels, butterflies, and dragonflies were
enjoying nature right at his fingertips. All of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice!
Cuz-Cuz: Hi Floyd! My dad wanted me to find something to do and he said I could come over to play!
Floyd: (smiling) Thanks for coming over! I just came outside because I couldn’t find anything else to do
either.
Narrator: Floyd and Cuz-Cuz started playing right away.

Name Date

Floyd: I wish it wasn’t so hot outside, but I’m happy you are here!
Narrator: First, the friends decided to build a sand castle in the sandbox.
They made the bottom of the castle by putting wet sand in a round cake pan and flipping the pan over.
Floyd: Oh, I just remembered that my mom asked me to water the plants. Can you help me?
Cuz-Cuz: (holding a water can in one hand and handing Floyd a water can) Sure! I’ll use this water can
and you can use that one.
Floyd: Thanks! Hey, do you see those bees?
Cuz-Cuz: Those bees sure are busy.
Floyd: Just like us! Did you know that bees have five eyes? I learned that in my nature book this
morning!
Narrator: After Floyd and Cuz-Cuz finished watering the plants, they decided to play another game.
They pretended to be buzzing bees. They imagined that they could fly around the yard and suck the
sweet nectar from the flowers. They ran fast and made buzzing noises in between their giggles.
Cuz-Cuz: Let’s take a break. I’m one tired bee!
Floyd: (breathing heavily) Me too! Worker bees must be tired after a long day of collecting nectar.
Narrator: The good friends found a cool spot under a tree in Floyd’s yard. They laid on the grass and
looked up at the sky.
Cuz-Cuz: Wasn’t it nice playing outside?
Floyd: It was! I had so much fun!
Cuz-Cuz: Floyd, can we get something to drink? I’m as thirsty as a camel!
Floyd: Sure! Let’s go inside and get a cold drink of water.
Narrator: The boys enjoyed their cool glasses of water. Floyd and Cuz-Cuz relaxed at the kitchen table
and talked about the fun they had that day.
Floyd: Thanks again for coming over. Today was really boring until we went outside and used our
imaginations. Today is definitely a day to remember!

Name Date

Directions: Answer the questions below.
1. Put the events of the drama in the correct order below. Label each event with a number from 1-5.
The first event has been done for you.
Cuz-Cuz came over to play with Floyd.
The friends went inside to get a drink of water.

1 Floyd shows his mom the books he read this morning.
Floyd and Cuz-Cuz pretended to be busy bees.
Floyd looks out the window to look at nature.
2. The stage directions for the play help the reader to
3. How does Floyd feel about nature at the end of the story?
4. What words best describe Floyd? Circle two.
boring tired creative interested bossy
5. What words best describe Cuz-Cuz? Circle two.
shy sad playful cheerful boring
6. Draw a scene from the drama in the space below. Then, write one sentence on the lines about what
is happening in the scene.

Readers Theater Read The Script

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Readers Theater Read The Script

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Reader's Theater: Read the Script

Third Grade Reading

by Caitlin Hardeman August 10, 2018

Materials and preparation Key terms

Teacher copy of a Reader's Theater script, such script

Reader's Theater: Casey at the Bat (PDF)

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling (10 minutes)

Guided Practice (15 minutes)

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Independent working time (15 minutes)

Assessment (10 minutes)

Review and closing (7 minutes)

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

CASEY AT THE BAT: A Reader’s Theater Script

SETTING: Mudville, USA, 1888.

(COONEY and BARROWS run to ﬁrst base, then leave)

A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

(CROWD goes quiet)

(Some of the CROWD leaves)

Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

(FLYNN and BLAKE go up to bat)

(FLYNN runs to ﬁrst base)

(BLAKE swings hard)

(FLYNN runs to third base, BLAKE runs to second)

(CROWD cheers loudly!)

It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

(CASEY steps up to bat)

(CASEY takes off his hat)

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

(CASEY leans down and pretends to rub dirt on his hands)

Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.

(CASEY wipes his hands on his shirt)

(PITCHER pretends to hold the ball to his hip)

Deﬁance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

(PITCHER pretends to throw the ball)

And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Copyright © 2014 Education.com LLC All Rights Reserved

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

(CASEY raises his hand)

(CASEY pounds the bat on the ground)

(PITCHER throws the ball)

And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

(CASEY swings. ALL freeze in place except the narrator)

Copyright © 2014 Education.com LLC All Rights Reserved

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Reader’s Theater: Summertime Blues

Floyd: I don’t know, Mom. I’m out of ideas!

Mom: Tell me about the books you read this morning.

Mom: That sounds like a great plan, Floyd.

Narrator: Floyd and Cuz-Cuz started playing right away.

Get more lesson plans at https://www.education.com/lesson-plans/

Reader’s Theater: Summertime Blues

Floyd: Thanks! Hey, do you see those bees?

Cuz-Cuz: Those bees sure are busy.

Cuz-Cuz: Let’s take a break. I’m one tired bee!

Cuz-Cuz: Wasn’t it nice playing outside?

Floyd: It was! I had so much fun!

Cuz-Cuz: Floyd, can we get something to drink? I’m as thirsty as a camel!

Floyd: Sure! Let’s go inside and get a cold drink of water.