Causes of the Civil War

Act out the story of Abolitionist John Brown as he raises a small army of men in the hopes of starting a slave revolt. Brown sends his men to Harper's Ferry to take over the United States arsenal, but the president sends the military to put down the uprising, ultimately capturing Brown and convicting him of treason.

This leveled script allows teachers to implement differentiation and English language learner strategies into their instruction. Teachers can easily assign each role based on their students' reading levels, encouraging everyone to get involved in the same activity. Whether students are struggling or proficient readers, they will all gain confidence in their reading fluency and feel successful.

By performing together, students will also practice interacting cooperatively, reading aloud, and using expressive voices and gestures while storytelling. With an accompanying poem and song to give readers additional fluency practice, this script is a dynamic resource sure to engage a classroom of varied readers.