Women’s History Month – ReadAloudPlays.com

Here are five classroom plays about the American Revolution. Each is politically-neutral, based on well-researched historical accounts, and vetted by professional editors at Scholastic. The first three (four if you count the Liberty Bell) feature strong females, making them perfect for Women’s History Month.

The Secret Soldier tells the story of Deborah Samson, the perseverant young woman who disguised herself as a man in order to enlist in the Continental Army. History remembers her as America’s “first woman soldier.”

Betsy Ross has a lot of doubters these days. This play exploring the creation of America’s first flag, encourages readers to approach history scientifically: to research the facts themselves before drawing conclusions.

Girl, Fighter, Hero tells the story of Sybil Ludington, the young woman often called “the female Paul Revere.” Sybil rode 40 miles on a stormy night to muster the militia during the American Revolution battle near Danbury.

Eagles Over the Battlefield introduces students to our national emblem, the American bald eagle. This work of historical fiction imagines how the Founding Fathers might have debated the symbol’s selection, especially given Ben Franklin’s tongue-in-cheek disdain for the eagle.

Finally, A Bell for the Statehouse , which comes as a 2 for 1 with Eagles, reveals how the Liberty Bell came to be a national symbol after being sheltered away with other “patriot leaders” in the basement of a church.

All five plays are dramatic, compelling, and fun for kids to present on stage or perform as reader’s theater.

Thank you, Rachel Scott, M. M., Aram Alexander Barboa-Reidy, Alejandra Alejandra Peña, Laura Franklin, Michelle Gribble, Daniel B. Bennett, William Samples, and Jennifer Theis for your recent 5-star reviews!

Happy directing!

No, I’m not talkin’ fictional Powerpuff Girls, those bubble-eyed, oval-faced Cartoon Network kindergarteners (who by now must be middle-aged). I’m talking about real young women from American history, young women who displayed exceptional courage and character under circumstances that would challenge even the strongest among us. These girls stand as positive examples for your students—even your boys.

Let’s start with Sybil Ludington. She’s known as the “female Paul Revere.” Although her story is less well known, her feat during the American Revolution may have been even more impressive. The play was first published in Storyworks (and then Scope) under the title “Girl. Fighter. Hero.”–the theme of this post!

“The Secret Soldier” is the story of Robert Shurtliff…er, Deborah Samson. Deborah disguised herself as a man (Robert) so that she could fight for independence during the American Revolution. She’s considered by many to be America’s first female member of the military.

And who can forget Claudette Colvin? Well, history did for nearly fifty years. Claudette was just fifteen when she was dragged off a Montgomery city bus for refusing to surrender her seat. Unlike Rosa Parks a year later, Claudette was convicted and then ostracized by her peers, by Civil Rights leaders, and by history. Her story has resurfaced thanks to Philip Hoose’s book, Twice Toward Justice.

Ruby Bridges and Sheyann Webb also demonstrated a ton of girl power. They were still elementary-aged kids when they made their courageous contributions to American history, but they’re stories are equally compelling. Ruby, of course, was that six-year-old-girl who integrated New Orleans public schools, while Sheyann was know as Dr. King’s “smallest civil rights crusader.” She, of her own volition, participated in the “Bloody Sunday” events in Selma, making her story a perfect fit for your MLK Day celebrations.

You can also find a bit of girl power in my historical-fiction plays, “Freedom for the First Time” and “MLK’s Freedom March.” Both have female leads and would be great for Black History Month this February.

Many of these plays are available on TpT, with a few only on Etsy. Because they’ve been previously-published in Scholastic classroom magazines, they’ve all been professionally vetted and edited, so you can count on them being of the highest quality. They usually include a Common Core-aligned comprehension activity, too, both in PDF and Google Forms.

So, if you’d like to empower your students with a bit of real girl power from American history, download some ReadAloudPlays today!

Happy directing!