Playbooks® Reader's Theater Themes For November: Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month

Thanksgiving today is about more than eating delicious food with family. While the Thanksgiving of 1621 was certainly not the first time people celebrated thanks for the harvest, it was a moment in time when European colonists and Native Americans came together peacefully, before events took a tragic path. So, as we think about what we are thankful for, it is also essential to respect and teach awareness of Native American culture and Native American presence and influence in this country.

This month is also Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate American Indian tribal culture and tradition including art, history, and story-telling. Find resources and ideas for participation here.

Playbooks® offers two titles to incorporate reading fluency growth into your November Social Studies curriculum, An Unexpected Path (set in Native American village) and Bound For Plymouth (story of the Pilgrim's voyage to America). View synopses, details, and ordering information by clicking on the story titles above, or by clicking here.

Namid, shown in An Unexpected Path

Elizabeth, pictured in Bound For Plymouth

New Playbook® Script For Thanksgiving
and Christmas! Download and Print to Use
With Your Students in Grades 3-5!

This season, a new Playbook® is available in Download Print format to help your students have fun with Thanksgiving and Christmas ... all in one twist of a tale! The story is designed for 6 readers and covers an atypically wide span of reading levels (Stages 2-5) to allow multiple classes and grades to enjoy this script together and even take part in a performance! Remember that easier parts can also be read by older or higher level readers!

In this wacky script, A Turkey's Christmas Wish, Timmy the pet turkey is jealous that the Christmas holiday gets so much attention compared to Thanksgiving. In an attempt to prove that turkeys are important, too, he writes a letter to Santa Claus. Through a crazy chain of events and pure motivation, he learns to fly like his wild turkey cousins, and actually becomes the first turkey to pull Santa's sleigh alongside flying reindeer! Along for the adventure are Tessa and Jacob, who share their home with Timmy, and Birdie, the lovable, flying-obsessed reindeer. Students will love chanting along with all of Santa's reindeer about the "real turkey" who learns to fly!

Purchase the Story
to Download and Print For Only $7.95!

Feature Story of the Month

Bound For Plymouth (Journeys of Discovery Series) An Original Playbook® Story Content for Grades 5 - 8 Reading Stages 4 - 6 Written by: Pat Fine Illustrated by: Liliane Grenier

Synopsis:  Have you ever been on a cruise ship, or seen commercials for one on TV? They really make it look like fun, but when the Pilgrims sailed to America back in the 1600s, their voyage was a far cry from enjoyable. Their ship was cold and damp, as well as smelly and leaky, and the rough motion often made the passengers seasick. Most of the passengers lived together on a lower deck with only blankets to divide the cramped space into doubtful privacy. They used buckets for toilets, their food was wormy and almost inedible, and it wasn’t just the animals that had fleas! But they were willing to undergo such discomfort in order that their dearest wish for freedom could become reality. This story enables students to experience – on a smaller scale – what life was like on that historic sea voyage.

Click here to view summary and image of each character.

November Special

Get $50 off 5 or more Single Story Small Group Sets or any Grade Level or After School Kit
 
or
 
$100 off 10 or more Single Story Small Group Sets

Use Coupon Code
on your PO:
 
November-50
or
November-100
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