Laura Wakefield NCHE Colloquium Dekalb County Georgia January 2013 Creating Readers Theater: A Poem for Two

Voices Objectives: Students will be able to: 1. Read primary and/or secondary source documents to understand events in history. 2. Draw conclusions and make generalizations while identifying opposing viewpoints on a single topic. 3. Collaboratively write and perform a Readers Theater Poem with Two Voices using the documents provided. Rationale: Readers Theater is a dramatic production of a script by a group of readers. Each student assumes a role and reads lines from a script. Readers Theater provides a venue for students to interpret text and to perform without having to learn lines or create an elaborate presentation. The text becomes the focal point of a Readers Theater. By providing students with guiding questions and a clear format, the teacher can be sure that the student understands the reading material and all levels of learners can be successful. An additional bonus is the teaching moment provided by students performing for (teaching to) classmates. To create a Readers Theater Poem with Two Voices, the text needs to present two viewpoints for comparison and contrast. This kind of poetry is great for a topic that has two perspectives or points of view, and can emphasize comparison, or similarity and difference. The poem is arranged in a form similar to a Venn Diagram. One perspective is recorded on the left and the other on the right. In the center are the lines that are common or shared between the two. When poems for two voices are read aloud, each person reads one of the outer columns; the center is read by both readers in unison. Time required: Two 45 minute class periods to write the poems and one to perform. Resources: Document Handouts on House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) Background on Kazan and Lawson Readers Theater Poem for Two Voices (example) Chart with guiding questions A Statement by Elia Kazan A Statement by John Howard Lawson Procedure: 1. Divide students into groups (3-4 students each works well) and provide each group with copies of the historical documents/text you want them to interpret. 2. Create a chart with guiding questions to help students interpret the text. Have students read the text and then answer the guiding questions individually to complete the comparison/contrast of viewpoints.

3. Students can then discuss their answers with the group. Once students have consensus and understanding of the issues/viewpoints expressed in the text, they are ready to begin to write the poem for two voices. 4. Provide written instructions to help them write their script: Instructions: Write a title for your poem 1. Begin with a statement both sides make together 2. Write 5 8 pairs of statements showing how the sides disagree (10 16 total statements). 3. In the middle, once or twice, have another statement both make together. 4. End with a statement both make together. Note: If desired, a narrator can be added to give historical background/context to introduce the poem. Assessment: Create a rubric to score each groups poem and performance. Assign points for understanding of source reading and strength of performance. Rubric Points to consider: Did the opening Both statement reflect agreement by both voices? Is there a both statement towards the middle? Does it too reflect agreement? Is there a closing both statement upon which both sides agree? Is the topic introduced effectively? Is there a conclusion that emphasizes and/or summarizes the conflict?