Readers Theatre for African American History

The selections here cover African-American history from before the slave trade to modern-day events. The format encourages shy youngsters as well as class clowns to participate. It improves reading skills and increases vocabulary while using cooperative learning. A preface offers suggestions for preparing, performing, and evaluating the scripts….A useful purchase for any middle school library, speech or drama classroom, or classroom that studies history or storytelling. * School Library Journal *
Jeff and Nancy Sanders have crafted a Readers Theatre book covering African American history from before the slave trade to modern-day events. The book is appropriate for every color of middle-school students….The Sanders' include a number of possible extension activities to go along with each script providing a whole unit to study. Background on the story, ideas for projects, and references to books for additional information are provided for each script. Also included in an appendix are a list of books for teachers and students to more fully review different eras of African American history….Though the title explicitly states it is readers theatre for African American history, all colors of American students should be exposed to the stories contained in this volume. It would be an appropriate buy for any middle school library, speech or drama classroom, or any classroom that studies history or storytelling. * Reviewer's Bookwatch/Midwest Book Review *
Geared to students in grades four through eight, these 20 brief plays for reading aloud highlight moments in African-American history from African antiquity to the 1963 March on Washington. Most of the plays take no more that five to ten minutes to stage; the authors offer a list of follow-up activities for each, ranging from discussion questions and research and writing prompts to art projects and new plays that students can write. An introduction helps the teacher to understand, use, and build on the Readers Theatre scripts. * MultiCultural Review *