Child Labor and the Industrial Revolution: The 20th Century (Building Fluency Through Reader’s Theater)

Act out the story of two young girls, Roberta and Pauline, who work at a linen mill in North Carolina in 1919. In this script, two workers from the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC) hear the girls’ story and decide to work to improve child labor laws and to make school compulsory for children. Learn how these efforts helped secure a better future for upcoming generations! This leveled script allows teachers to implement differentiation and English language learner strategies into their instruction. Teachers can easily assign each role based on their students’ reading levels, encouraging everyone to get involved in the same activity. Whether students are struggling or proficient readers, they will all gain confidence in their reading fluency and feel successful. By performing together, students will also practice interacting cooperatively, reading aloud, and using expressive voices and gestures while storytelling. This script is a dynamic resource sure to engage a classroom of varied readers.