Causes of the Civil War: Expanding and Preserving the Union (Building Fluency Through Reader's Theater)

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. The six roles in this script match different reading levels, enabling teachers to use differentiation and English language learner strategies in their instruction. These strategies allow all students to engage in the same activity, regardless of their current reading level. All students can feel successful and can gain confidence in their reading fluency. Students can also practice reading aloud, interacting cooperatively, and using expressive voices and gestures while performing the story together. An accompanying poem and song give readers additional resources to practice fluency in an engaging way. This dynamic script is the perfect tool for a classroom of varied readers!

About Shell Education
Rachelle Cracchiolo started the company with a friend and fellow teacher. Both were eager to share their ideas and passion for education with other classroom leaders. What began as a hobby, selling lesson plans to local stores, became a part-time job after a full day of teaching, and eventually blossomed into Teacher Created Materials. The story continued in 2004 with the launch of Shell Education and the introduction of professional resources and classroom application books designed to support Teacher Created Materials curriculum resources. Today, Teacher Created Materials and Shell Education are two of the most recognized names in educational publishing around the world.

Wendy Conklin, M.A. Ed., is an award-winning author, editor, educational consultant, and teacher. She trains teachers in staff development workshops across the country, writes curriculum, and teaches diverse groups of children.