by Kelli Lewis
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Skits, anyone? I always strive my hardest to make lessons and activities hands-on, engaging, interactive, and interesting because I feel that is how students learn better and learn more. I taught a week-long unit on Paul Revere and wanted to find a way to incorporate some acting for the students to perform. I searched online but found nothing. I ended up writing my own script. My class did the skit several times, to ensure that all students received a part. The students broke into groups and practiced their parts with other students who had that same part.
The skit is primarily a conversation between two modern-day peers who are discussing the Boston Tea Party. As they are discussing the events that occurred, the setting flashes back to pre-Revolutionary War Boston, and other students then act out the events.
Here’s the script:
Narrator 1: Hey, what are you doing?
Narrator 2: Oh, I’m just learning about The Boston Tea Party.
Narrator 1: A tea party? In Boston? When?
Narrator 2: No, silly. The Boston Tea Party happened a long time ago during the American Revolution.
Narrator 1: Oh, what happened?
Narrator 2: Well, the colonists were tired of King George III.
Narrator 1: What was so bad about King George III?
Narrator 2: Well, for one thing, he lived in England over 3 thousand miles away from the colonies. He was making laws and trying to rule the colonists.
Narrator 1: Were the laws fair?
Narrator 2: No, so the colonists protested.
Sons of Liberty 1: Listen here, King George III! We have our own laws!
Sons of Liberty 2: And we don’t want yours.
Sons of Liberty 3: We already pay a lot of taxes!
Sons of Liberty 1: Yeah, leave us alone!
Sons of Liberty 2: We should not have to pay a tax on tea.
Sons of Liberty 3: Let’s go talk to Paul Revere.
Narrator 1: Then what happened?
Narrator 2: Well, a man by the name of Paul Revere led a group of colonists. They called themselves the Sons of Liberty.
Narrator 1: What did they do about the taxes?
Paul Revere: Listen, men, why should we pay taxes when the king does not listen to our opinion?
Sons of Liberty 1: Yeah, no taxation without representation!
Sons of Liberty 2: Let’s do something about it!
Paul Revere: How about we form a secret club, dress up like Indians, march on board the ships, and….
Sons of Liberty 3: DUMP THE TEA!!
[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere dress as Indians.]
Narrator 1: Wait, you mean they wanted to dump the tea from all of the ships?
Narrator 2: Yes, every last bit.
Narrator 1: How would that end the tax on tea?
Narrator 2: Well, if all the tea was destroyed, then no one could pay taxes on the tea.
Narrator 1: That would get the king’s attention!
Narrator 2: Right. So on December 16, 1773….
Paul Revere: Ready men? Tonight we take over the ships.
Sons of Liberty 1: Let’s go!
Sons of Liberty 2: I’m ready!
Sons of Liberty 3: Me too!
[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere enter the ship.]
Paul Revere: Grab every pound of tea and throw it in the ocean!
[Sons of Liberty 1,2,3 and Paul Revere grab all of the tea bags and throw it overboard.]
Narrator 1: It sounds like Boston was a real hot spot in the American Revolution.
Narrator 2: Yeah, the scene of a very famous party!
Narrator 1: Not just any party…the Boston Tea Party!
Kelli Lewis is an Early Childhood Education graduate student at the University of Georgia whose great ideas we are honored to share on A Learning Experience!
I really love the idea of making any information interactive for children. Sitting there being talk to or reading worksheets can be very mundane. I like what you did with your topic and creating a a script. Also, I like how it gave the kids the opportunity to work in groups, and learn to work together. I have used this idea similarly in a lesson plan. However, I taught certain topics to students and then assigned groups different topics. Each group had to work together to create a skit to be performed in front of the class. It makes it fun for the students to show the knowledge in a different way and helps the students remember the information by both viewing and performing.
Kelli,
This is incredible! I teach third grade and social studies curriculum covers from Paul Revere to present day Cesar Chavez-a total of nine people in history. Students have to understand each period of time to be able to comprehend and relate to each person being studied. I created a play that includes all nine people, but I really like the idea you shared of putting on mini-skits for each person studied. Wouldn’t it be great to type up the script for each student to then take home a read with his/her family? What a great way to not only review social studies and practice reading, but also have fun with your family!
Thanks,
Mishelle
I agree–this skit is a great way to inspire student interaction, oral expressive reading practice, cooperative learning–all while reinforcing history. Genius!
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