The grade 9–12 script “Watts Riots 1965” places students in L.A. during six turbulent days, encouraging dialogue on policing, protest, and community response.
Three-Day Sequence
- Read Scenes 1-4; discuss immediate causes presented in the dialogue.
- Continue Scenes 5-8; connect to statewide civil-rights movements.
- Finish the script; students craft op-ed reflections using evidence from lines.
Optional Extension (Teacher-Created)
Not in the packet. Design a media-bias storyboard comparing 1965 newspaper headlines with modern reporting.
Download: Watts Riots 1965 Readers Theater
