Miracle Worker Is an Inspiring

Miracle Worker is an inspiring play for both students and teachers. Teachers can thrill to the story of a young woman, Annie Sullivan, who truly makes a difference in the life of a child. Students can gain insight into the life of a disabled child, and take delight in seeing a play where someone of their own age group is a central part of the action. The play's dialogue and set-up is somewhat dated: it is a very dialogue-driven play with little spectacle or innovative scenery. However, for the right actresses, it offers two potentially riveting roles. Its theme of hope and the humanity evident within the hearts of all people is still important today.

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverley Cleary.

The Quimby's Quarrel and Chapter 5: The Extra-Good Sunday

Actors: Ages 7-9

Audience: Ages 7-9

Ramona, her sister Beezus, her father, and mother begin to eat dinner.

Ramona's mother tries to serve them tongue because it is cheap.

Ramona and her sister refuse to eat tongue.

Ramona and her sister are told they have to make dinner the following Sunday.

Ramona and her sister try to be 'extra good' on Sunday by not complaining about the rain.

Ramona and her sister are told that they still have to make dinner: they are pushed into the kitchen by their parents.

Ramona and her sister guess that their mother's recipe for chicken thighs involves the chicken being cooked with chili powder and mushroom soup. They pour everything into one dish.

Ramona and her sister pull the skin off the chicken.

Ramona and her sister improvise making cornbread with Cream of Wheat and yogurt.

The sisters nearly burn the rice and have to poach pears in apricot jam for dessert.

The girls serve the meal by candlelight so their parents can't see how pale the Cream of Wheat cornbread is; although the red specks in the chicken were paprika, not spicy chili pepper, the meal tastes good and is judged a success.

Question 3

Smith and Kraus

Ten-Minute Comedy Plays for Kids 7-10/10+ Format: Volume 4 by Kristen Dabrowski is intended to be a fun introduction to the art of theater for children. It emphasizes fun, engaging and non-judgmental plays. For help in structuring lessons it also includes games and worksheets.

Shakespeare with Children: Six Scripts for Young Players by Elizabeth Weinstein: Quite often Shakespeare is not introduced to children until relatively late in their education. Acting in these accessible, non-intimidating plays encourages children to appreciate Shakespeare's genius and become better prepared to approach the Bard as high schoolers.

Multicultural Plays for Children: Volume 1: Grades K-3 (Young Actor Series) by Pamela Gerke incorporates lessons about tolerance and multicultural themes into drama classes.

Plays of People at Work: Grades K-3 (Young Actors Series) by L.E. McCullough: 'What do I want to be when I grow up:' these plays strive to answer this question by exploring possible career choices for young actors in a series of dramatic scenes.

Anchorage Press

Aladdin: A Participation Play by Moses Goldberg retells an Arabian classic with great theatricality for ages 5-8. It has a play-within -- a play format, showing a group of peddlers deciding to stage the story of Aladdin.

The Ghost of Canterville Hall adapts Oscar Wilde's fairy tale and plays upon the middle school fascination with English ghosts and haunting: it depicts a ghost who has grown tired of haunting a family who needs the help of a young girl to be free of a curse.

The Magic Garden by Irene Corey is designed for theatre-goers between ages 5-9 and unfolds a nutritional tale: the battle of vegetables vs. sweets.

A Midsummer Night's Dream adapted by Aurand Harris uses William Shakespeare in a humorous fashion to introduce children to the Bard in this tale of mistaken identity, love, and mischievous fairies.

Dramatists Play Service

Dragonwings by Lawrence Yep is the story of a Chinese boy who comes to America and his struggles adjusting to life in his new country.

The Children's Crusade by Paul Thompson tells the tale of the failed idealism of young children in the 13th century who attempted to take back Jerusalem for Christian Europe.

Dogbrain by Michael Weller tells the story of a six-year-old boy who has an imaginary friend: he blames the creature for everything he does wrong, until it comes to life one day and wrecks havoc on his family!

Marco Polo by Jonathan Levy re-tells the story of the famous explorer in a kid-friendly fashion.

Question 4

Plays for Children is a useful source of play anthologies. This website is an ideal place for teachers to go when they need scripts that suit specific classroom needs, such as plays for Christmas, plays about historical figures, or plays with large casts. Although the ideal might be to find a play of the highest literary quality, or a subject that suits the children's imagination (such as an adaptation of Harry Potter) sometimes middle school teachers need specific types of plays. The plays listed are often intended for holiday productions or school events (such as Black History Month or a spring pageants).