Reader's Theater Worksheets
Common Sense | Declaration of Independence | U.S. History Readers Theater Script
Common Sense | Declaration of Independence | U.S. History Readers Theater Script
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This U.S. History Differentiated Readers Theater script is based on the story of Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence (1776). It tells the story of Thomas Paine who wrote a pamphlet called "Common Sense." His writing helped people understand why the colonies should be free from British rule. The pamphlet spread quickly, and many people began to support independence. Inspired by these ideas, leaders like Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776, the delegates signed the Declaration, and it was read aloud to the people. Everyone celebrated, knowing they were starting a new nation. This was a big step toward freedom and unity.
This script should take about ~20 minutes to read depending on your classroom's level. An extra ~25 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.
This product includes a zip file consisting of:
- Grades 3~5 Version (~18 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)
- Grades 6~8 Version (~22 Characters, 1300 words, 10 pages)
- Student & Teacher Reader's Theater Tips & Notes
- 10 Comprehension Short Answer and 10 Vocabulary Words
- Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
- Note: All files are in editable DOCX format
- Character Note: Some characters only have 1 or 2 lines, if necessary one student can read multiple lines. Likewise some of the main characters can be read by multiple students.
This script is part of a Revolutionary War Bundle!
CLICK HERE to check all 15 scripts below and save 50%
Want More Social Studies Activities?
Perfect for sub plans, sick days, supplemental activities, review stations, Friday fun days or even build an entire emergency curriculum with these 4 bundles below:
BUNDLE #1 Colonial America and the Early Republic (1587 – 1811)
- The Lost Colony of Roanoke (1587)
- King Philip’s War (1675–1676) [FREE DOWNLOAD!]
- The First Great Awakening (1730s–1740s)
- Proclamation of 1763 (1763)
- The Northwest Ordinance (1787)
- The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
- The Barbary Wars (1801–1805)
- Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806)
- Tecumseh’s Resistance (1809–1811)
- The Embargo Act of 1807 (1807)
Bundle #2 Westward Expansion (1801 – 1865)
- The Missouri Compromise (1820) [FREE DOWNLOAD!]
- The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
- The Second Great Awakening (1820s–1830s)
- Oregon Trail Migration (1840s)
- The Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
- Bleeding Kansas (1854–1856)
- John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859)
- The Pony Express (1860–1861)
- The Battle of Antietam (1862)
- The 13th Amendment (1865)
Bundle #3 Revolutionary War (1773 – 1804)
- The Boston Tea Party (1773–1774) [FREE DOWNLOAD!]
- United We Stand: The First Continental Congress (1774)
- Liberty or Death: Patrick Henry's Speech (1775)
- Midnight Ride and Paul Revere (1775)
- Green Mountain Boys and Bunker Hill (1775)
- The Second Continental Congress (1775)
- Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence (1776)
- Crossing the Delaware and Trenton Victory (1776)
- Valley Forge and The American Crisis (1777–1778)
- Foreign Allies: Lafayette and France (1777–1778)
- Sybil Ludington and Molly Pitcher (1777)
- Hamilton and His Duel (1780s–1804)
- Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris (1781–1783)
- Washington Steps Down: The Man Who Would Be King (1783)
- Slavery and the Revolution (1770s–1780s)
- NOTE 1: These 15 scripts do not include Google Docs or Slides but the docx file can easily be uploaded to Google Docs and distributed digitally if desired.
- NOTE 2: These 15 scripts also include a G3-5 reading level of each script for diverse language ability classrooms.
Bundle #4 Reconstruction (1865 – 1877)
- The Assassination of Lincoln (1865) [FREE DOWNLOAD!]
- Presidential vs. Radical Reconstruction (1865–1867)
- The Freedmen’s Bureau (1865–1872)
- The 14th and 15th Amendments (1868–1870)
- Black Political Participation (1867–1877)
- The Ku Klux Klan and Resistance (1866–1871)
- The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1868)
- The Compromise of 1877 (1877)
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U.S. History Mega Bundle of 43 Readers Theater Scripts for Grades 6 to 8
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