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36 Writing Plays

Page
190
from
Write on Track

Writing Plays

Start-Up Activity

Ask students what the word, "Play" means. They might respond "have fun," and that is definitely one meaning. Ask them what "play music" means, and they will probably say, "perform," or "make." Ask them about putting on a "play," and they will probably say that the word means, "acting."

All of these definitions are correct, of course. Putting on a play is about performing and making, having fun and acting. Plays allow you to tell stories with your voice, your face, your movements, and your friends. They make a story come to life in front of an audience, and they sometimes even involve the audience.

Let your students know that, in this chapter, they will help make a story come to life as a play.

Think About It

“Play: Work that you enjoy doing for nothing.”

—Evan Esar

You are viewing: 36 Writing Plays

35 Traditional and Playful Poetry
37 Using the Library

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State Standards Covered in This Chapter

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.5

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.A

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.C

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.E

Page 191 from Write on Track

Sample Play

Cast volunteers in the roles of Pig 1, Pig 2, and Pig 3. Read the setting aloud, and then have your volunteers read the sample play script.

Use the side notes to point out the formal features of this play script. Help students understand that the actors do not read the cast, setting, stage directions, or character names aloud. Ask students why scripts are set up this way, with the names of characters to the left and the dialogue to the right. (Because actors need to know who is speaking and what they are saying [and doing].)

Tell students they will be using this same format when they write their own plays.

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Page 192 from Write on Track

Writing a Play

Have students list well-known tales and fables that they could write as plays. Then have them circle the story they would most like to turn into a play. 

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Page 193 from Write on Track

Writing a Play (Continued)

After students have chosen a classic tale to turn into a play, have them list the story events. Then have them expand their list into a set of scenes, each of which will be dramatized in their plays.

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Page 194 from Write on Track

Writing a Draft

Once students have completed their prewriting, lead them through the materials on page 194. Help them understand how to establish the setting (place and time), write dialogue, and include action (stage direction). Then give students time to write the first drafts of their plays.

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Page 195 from Write on Track

Revising, Editing, and Publishing

After students complete the first drafts of their play scripts, lead them through the instructions under "Revising." Have them use the bulleted questions as they make improvements to their work. Also, have them try out their material in a "reader's theater" with friends and family. Encourage them to make adjustments to strengthen their plays.

Afterward, have students edit their work for spelling and punctuation and create a clean final copy.

Then have students stage their plays, roping in actors, gathering costumes and props (if possible), and sharing their work with others.

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