Scriptwriting Teacher Resources

High schoolers examine the New York Times review of the film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and explore the elements of scriptwriting. They read the article about the film adaptation screenplay and examine a sample...

What is dialogue? What must it contain? Use this plan to discuss dialogue with your emerging writers. They write a dialogue in script form to dramatize a conversation. Dialogue examples are included. 

Create a classroom full of writers using this innovative technique. The presentation walks learners through the process of writing a script, including identifying the setting, characters, and major events in the story. After reviewing...

Film imitates life; that's what they say. Using performance theory to tie the lesson together, learners attempt to understand memory and daily rituals as seen in art, film, and life. They read two chapters from the book, watch the...

Consumer technology has made it possible for filmmakers to create entire movies from the comfort of their home computer. Guide high school film buffs through the process of designing a documentary with an extensive unit published by...

Learners use a website to add and edit content. They work together to create a one-act play. They view their creation to end the lesson.

Students write a script of a play using Freytag's Pyramid on plot.  In this scriptwriting lesson, students read a play and participate in a lecture/discussion about the main components of a play and the basis of drama.  Students relate...

Has your Spanish class seen an episode of Extr@? Have small groups write scripts, act out their parts, and record a video project for their classmates. Consider assigning each group a specific topic to ensure project diversity.

O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" is the classic example of irony in literature. Teach young writers about the ways irony can engage their readers with an activity in which they write scripts using dramatic irony, situational irony, and...

The Scarlet Letter may be a classic, but keeping high schoolers engaged in the reading of Hawthorne's vocabulary, syntax, imagery, and historical references presents it own set of challenges. Here's a guide that offers readers...

The play's the thing that puts the play in a summer learning drama program designed to combat summer slide and encourage family literacy. Participants learn about drama as an art form, engage in dramatic presentations, write scripts, and...

Here are two great lessons that work together and are inspired by the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods. Young writers and actors will retell the story of "The Frog Prince" through games, improvisational script writing, and song....

Encourage your readers to make connections between texts with this resource. After compiling notes for each text read (you choose the texts), groups craft skits in which major characters from each text meet. There is a rubric for the...

Seventh graders write scripts for scenarios to be "re-solutioned". One re-solution scenario will be role played for whole class. They also identify what personal responsibility means and who is responsible in taking personal...

The world is a stage, and so is your classroom! Hone the skills of the next generation of Tony® award winners with a set of exercises, reference pages, writing prompts, and excerpts from famous plays.

Students study the success of video games by reading an online article. They work in groups to design settings, storylines, characters and technical features for their own fantasy video games. Finally, they write scripts for previews of...

Students create podcasts of student-created review questions using iPod, iTalk, iTunes, GarageBand, and Keynote. This instructional activity is intended for as a mathematics review but could be adapted to fit any subject across many...

Young scholars identify and analyze conflicts in plots. In this conflict lesson students recall stories, novels and movies they've read or seen and discuss the conflicts contained therein.  They then complete some written exercises to...

Students examine the use of technical and special effects in TV and film. In this technical effects lesson plan students review scenes containing special and technical effects then work in groups to apply the effects to different scenes.

Who knows? You may inspire the next George Lucas or Steven Spielberg with a script writing presentation that provides some basic tips. Young film makers begin by reading scripts for movies they know, scripts for movies they don't know,...

Revision is the key to great writing. Individuals revise their readers theater scripts and write a group conclusion. Scholars then perform their scripts for another group and receive feedback.

Everything a bee does serves a purpose. Learners in grades one through five explore the behaviors of bees through reading and dramatic puppet play. First children will create honey bee puppets, then they will discuss how bees dance to...

Students read about the history of negative political advertisements in U.S. elections. In this politics lesson, students view several ads for opposing candidates and analyze and discuss the content. Students write scripts for candidates...

Students inquire about the lives of the First Ladies in our country. In this First Ladies lesson, students build knowledge about the contributions of First Ladies and how their childhood made them the person they are. Students do a play...