Buffalo Bill Readers Theater Script | American Tall Tales

This Buffalo Bill Readers Theater Script engages students in an interactive narrative instead of reading a dry history textbook and helps develop listening and speaking skills as students practice expressive voice acting. Students will explore the exaggerated aspects of a tall tale and learn about the heroic legend of the main character.

RESEARCH NOTE: Reader's Theater improves students' fluency, speed, accuracy, and expression. It is evidence-based, check out a huge meta-analysis overview here.

Script Summary:

Buffalo Bill, born William F. Cody, was a brave train engineer and buffalo hunter. He worked hard to supply meat for railroad workers, rode with the Pony Express, and served as a scout for the army. His daring rides and exciting adventures grew into tall tales that made him a legend. His life is a mix of true events and exciting exaggerations, and his story is still told in songs and books today.

The resources consists of an editable DOCX file (15 pages) which contains:

1) Teacher Tips & Answer Key

• CCSS Alignment
• Teacher Tips for use as both RT and Play/Skit
• Answer Keys for Worksheet
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~8 Characters, 1800 words

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Comprehension Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script
• Character Traits: Covers the main characters, students provide direct quotes from the script that demonstrate each character's traits
• Story Plot Elements: Students identify which scenes demonstrate the Setting, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action and Conclusion

Teaching Tips for Using the Script:

• For digital classrooms, upload the DOCX Script and convert to Google docs
• For More Students: Main character can be read by multiple students.
• For Less Students: Minor characters can be read by just one student.
• This script should take about ~20 minutes and depending on your classroom's level it may be suitable for other grade levels.
• An extra ~25 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.

Try one before you buy one:

FREE Annie Oakley Readers Theater Script | American Tall Tales