The Boston Tea Party & Intolerable Acts | U.S. History FREE Readers Theater Script

This U.S. History Differentiated Readers Theater script is based The Boston Tea Party & The Intolerable Acts and it tells the story of how the colonists in Boston stood up against unfair taxes from Britain in 1773. The British government taxed tea, and the colonists were angry because they had no say in these decisions. Leaders like Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock planned to stop the tea from being unloaded. They dressed up as Mohawk Indians and threw the tea into Boston Harbor at night. When King George III heard about this, he was very angry and made strict laws called the Intolerable Acts to punish the colonists. These events brought the colonies together to fight for their rights, leading towards the American Revolution.

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 (~10 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~16 Characters, 1250 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.

Series Note: This resource is part of a 15 Readers Theater Script Series that covers U.S. History from the Boston Tea Party to the end of the Revolutionary War.

General Tips for Using this Resource:

1. Print one, double-sided script for each student
2. For digital classrooms, upload the MSWORD DOC version and convert to Google docs
3. Character roles can be adjusted based on class size; characters can be combined or split as needed

This script is part of a Revolutionary War Bundle!

[CLICK HERE & SAVE 50%] U.S. History Revolutionary War Bundle:

01 The Boston Tea Party & Intolerable Acts (1773) [FREE DOWNLOAD]

• Historical Figures: Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock, King George III
• Grades 3~5 Version (~10 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~16 Characters, 1250 words, 10 pages)

02 The First Continental Congress (1774)

• Historical Figures: John Adams, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson
• Grades 3~5 Version (11 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~12 Characters, 730 words, 8 pages)

03 Patrick Henry at the Virginia Convention (1775)

• Historical Figure: Patrick Henry
• Grades 3~5 Version (15 Characters, 1100 words, 10 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~16 Characters, 1500 words, 10 pages)

04 The Midnight Ride & the Shot Heard Round the World (1775)

• Historical Figures: Paul Revere, William Dawes, Samuel Prescott
• Grades 3~5 Version (12 Characters, 1000 words, 10 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~17 Characters, 1100 words, 10 pages)

05 The Green Mountain Boys & Battle of Bunker Hill (1775)

• Historical Figures: Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, Colonel William Prescott
• Grades 3~5 Version (10 Characters, 1100 words, 10 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~14 Characters, 1350 words, 11 pages)

06 The Second Continental Congress (1775)

• Historical Figures: George Washington
• Grades 3~5 Version (11 Characters, 800 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~11 Characters, 1100 words, 10 pages)

07 Common Sense & Declaration of Independence (1776)

• Historical Figures: Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson
• Grades 3~5 Version (18 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~22 Characters, 1300 words, 10 pages)

08 Crossing the Delaware & Victory at Trenton (1776)

• Historical Figure: General George Washington
• Grades 3~5 Version (14 Characters, 1280 words, 10 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~15 Characters, 1300 words, 11 pages)

09 Valley Forge & The American Crisis (1777-1778)

• Historical Figures: General George Washington, Thomas Paine, Baron Friedrich von Steuben
• Grades 3~5 Version (10 Characters, 1000 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~13 Characters, 1050 words, 9 pages)

10 Foreign Allies: Lafayette and France (1777-1778)

• Historical Figures: Marquis de Lafayette, Benjamin Franklin, King Louis XVI, General Rochambeau
• Grades 3~5 Version (16 Characters, 660 words, 8 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~15 Characters, 800 words, 9 pages)

11 Sybil Ludington and Molly Pitcher (1777)

• Historical Figures: Sybil Ludington, Mary Ludwig Hays ("Molly Pitcher")
• Grades 3~5 Version (15 Characters, 720 words, 8 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~18 Characters, 880 words, 9 pages)

12 Alexander Hamilton and His Duel (1780s-1804)

• Historical Figures: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr
• Grades 3~5 Version (13 Characters, 715 words, 8 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~20 Characters, 1150 words, 10 pages)

13 Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris (1781 - 1783)

• Historical Figures: George Washington, General Rochambeau, Marquis de Lafayette, General Cornwallis
• Grades 3~5 Version (19 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~24 Characters, 1250 words, 10 pages)

14 George Washington Stepping Down (1783)

• Historical Figures: George Washington, Cincinnatus
• Grades 3~5 Version (15 Characters, 750 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~18 Characters, 900 words, 9 pages)

15 Slavery and the American Revolution (1770s-1780s)

• Historical Figures: Crispus Attucks
• Grades 3~5 Version (21 Characters, 1000 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~23 Characters, 860 words, 8 pages)