Trust & Honesty SEL Readers Theater Script for Grades 3-5 | CASEL | The Lost Lunch Box

Lost Lunchbox SEL Readers Theater Script guides Grades 3–5 through a relatable story of honesty and accountability as Sam finds Mia’s lunchbox, confesses, and makes amends.

Try one out for free to make sure it meets your students’ needs: The Apology Letter

Skills Addressed

• Practicing honesty and accountability
• Understanding the impact of dishonesty on trust
• Building community through responsible choices
• Developing empathy and social awareness
• Enhancing vocabulary and reading comprehension

Script Summary

Act 1: Sam finds Mia’s lost lunchbox and battles guilt as Mia searches.
Act 2: A group project exposes Sam’s secret, prompting confession and amends—and the class learns that honesty strengthens their community.

What’s Included

• 12-scene readers theater script (Google Doc & PDF, ~2 000 words, 8 pages, 9 characters; a single PDF with links to Google Docs/Slides—printable from Google Drive to Word/PDF/PPT. Note: Feelings Word Bank & 30 B/W SEL cards included in PDF.)
• Teacher facilitation guide (Google Doc & PDF, 8 pages)
• Scene-by-scene lesson plans, discussion questions, & CASEL alignment chart
• Casting breakdown with lexical levels
• Student worksheet (Google Slides; printable PDF/DOCX) with short-answer, challenge & scenario-based writing tasks, plus vocabulary

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How to Use

• Assign roles and rehearse each act to build honesty and fluency.
• Use facilitation guide prompts to guide reflection and apology-writing.
• Incorporate the Feelings Word Bank and SEL discussion cards for deeper dialogue.
• Conclude with a group reflection on trust, accountability, and community-building.