Valley Forge and The American Crisis | U.S. History Readers Theater Script

This U.S. History Differentiated Readers Theater script is based on Valley Forge and The American Crisis (1777-1778). It tells the story of when General George Washington's Continental Army faced severe hardships. Arriving at Valley Forge, the soldiers endure a harsh winter with scant supplies, inadequate shelter, and rampant disease. Morale is at an all-time low until Thomas Paine arrives with his inspirational pamphlet, "The American Crisis," reigniting hope among the troops. The arrival of Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, marks a turning point as he implements rigorous training, transforming the ragged soldiers into a disciplined army. With improved morale, training, and news of a French alliance, the Continental Army leaves Valley Forge stronger and more unified, ready to confront the British forces. This period signifies a pivotal transformation in the army's effectiveness and the overall fight for independence.

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, 1000 words, 9 pages)
• Grades 6~8 Version (~13 Characters, 1050 words, 9 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!

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2. King Philip’s War (1675–1676) [FREE DOWNLOAD!]
3. The First Great Awakening (1730s–1740s)
4. Proclamation of 1763 (1763)
5. The Northwest Ordinance (1787)
6. The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
7. The Barbary Wars (1801–1805)
8. Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806)
9. Tecumseh’s Resistance (1809–1811)
10. The Embargo Act of 1807 (1807)

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2. The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
3. The Second Great Awakening (1820s–1830s)
4. Oregon Trail Migration (1840s)
5. The Fugitive Slave Act (1850)
6. Bleeding Kansas (1854–1856)
7. John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry (1859)
8. The Pony Express (1860–1861)
9. The Battle of Antietam (1862)
10. The 13th Amendment (1865)

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2. United We Stand: The First Continental Congress (1774)
3. Liberty or Death: Patrick Henry's Speech (1775)
4. Midnight Ride and Paul Revere (1775)
5. Green Mountain Boys and Bunker Hill (1775)
6. The Second Continental Congress (1775)
7. Common Sense and the Declaration of Independence (1776)
8. Crossing the Delaware and Trenton Victory (1776)
9. Valley Forge and The American Crisis (1777–1778)
10. Foreign Allies: Lafayette and France (1777–1778)
11. Sybil Ludington and Molly Pitcher (1777)
12. Hamilton and His Duel (1780s–1804)
13. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris (1781–1783)
14. Washington Steps Down: The Man Who Would Be King (1783)
15. 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.

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2. Presidential vs. Radical Reconstruction (1865–1867)
3. The Freedmen’s Bureau (1865–1872)
4. The 14th and 15th Amendments (1868–1870)
5. Black Political Participation (1867–1877)
6. The Ku Klux Klan and Resistance (1866–1871)
7. The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (1868)
8. The Compromise of 1877 (1877)

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