Tu Quoque & Whataboutism Readers Theater Script | Free Logical Fallacy Activity for Grades 8-12

Use this free tu quoque and whataboutism Readers Theater script for Grades 8-12 to help students recognize deflection when criticism gets redirected instead of answered.

Perfect for

• English Class focused on Argumentative Writing
• Reading fluency and comprehension
• Literary analysis (fallacies, themes, dialogue)
• Collaborative performance and critical discussion

(a single PDF with links to Google Docs/Slides, if print format is preferred you can download from your Google Drive to word/pdf/ppt/etc)

What’s Included:

The Script (Google Doc, editable, ~14 pages)

• ~2,200 Words, 12 Scenes
• Casting breakdown with short description of character and number of lines read
• Student intro to fallacy

Teacher Guide (Google Doc, editable, ~16 pages)

• Lesson Planning Tips
• Main Ideas & Themes Discussion Prompts
• Answer Keys for Vocabulary, Short-Answer, Analysis & Application Questions
• Standards Alignment (CCRA)
• Casting Breakdown with Lexical Levels

Student Worksheet (Google Slides, editable, ~25 slides)

• Vocabulary: 10 terms (e.g., “deflect,” “sidetrack”) with script quotes.
• Short-Answer Questions (10): like “What accusation does Voter 1 make against Jordan?”
• Analysis Questions (5): Analysis like “How do fallacies escalate conflict?”
• Application Activities (5): Scenarios like “Create a campaign poster for Jordan.”
• Exit Quiz (Google Forms Self-Graded)

Script Summary

• Scene 1: Election Clash: Jordan deflects hour fudging with tu quoque.
• Scene 2: Hypocrisy Dodge: Jordan blames Noah, continuing tu quoque.
• Scene 3: Classroom Texting Spat: Mia uses tu quoque to dodge texting rules.
• Scene 4: Political Scandal Deflection: A 1980s Senator deflects with tu quoque.
• Scene 5: Whataboutism Sparks: Elena sidetracks budget talk with whataboutism.
• Scene 6: Historical Tu Quoque Lesson: The Armada shows tu quoque’s damage.
• Scene 7: Whataboutism in School Rules: Sophia deflects dress code with whataboutism.
• Scene 8: Social Media Sidetracks: X posts fuel whataboutism chaos.
• Scene 9: Policy Debate Derail: A 2010s healthcare debate faces whataboutism.
• Scene 10: Armada’s Whataboutism Woes: The Armada’s repairs are sidetracked.
• Scene 11: Campaign Reflection: The team vows to avoid both fallacies.
• Scene 12: Election Victory: The campaign wins praise for focus and honesty.