Celebrating American Heroes

This collection of thirteen short plays brings famous American heroes to life through engaging, easy-to-stage scripts written especially for English language learners. Each play is designed to be read aloud, with several main characters and a flexible ensemble of supporting roles, making it simple to involve an entire class in choral reading or performance. Students step into the shoes of historical figures such as Dolley Madison, Betsy Ross, César Chávez, and astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, exploring key moments in U.S. history while practicing natural, expressive English. The plays are short enough to fit comfortably into a class period, yet rich enough to spark follow-up discussion, writing, or projects. Because the focus is on meaningful, communicative reading rather than memorization, students gain fluency, confidence, and better control of rhythm and intonation as they rehearse and perform. A free accompanying audio program provides clear models of pronunciation and performance, making it easy for both teachers and learners to prepare. This book works well in reading classes, content-based units on U.S. history, pronunciation and fluency courses, or as a motivating supplement to any intermediate-level ESL program. Key Features Thirteen short, photocopiable plays about well-known American heroes Multiple roles in each play, allowing full-class participation and flexible casting Dialogs written for clear, natural spoken English to build fluency, rhythm, and intonation Historical notes and context that support content-based instruction in U.S. history and civics Ideal for reader's theater, fluency practice, pronunciation work, and confidence building Recommended Pro Lingua Learning Titles American Holidays - A rich collection of readings and activities that deepen students' understanding of major U.S. celebrations and the people behind them. Plays for the Holidays - Short, performance-friendly scripts that help students practice speaking while exploring a variety of U.S. holidays. Hopes and Dreams: The Magic Paper - A compelling story about Mexican-American characters that supports reading fluency and cross-cultural understanding. North American Indian Tales - Traditional stories from Native communities that expand students' cultural knowledge while building vocabulary and reading skills. Legends - A collection of myths and legends that introduces learners to memorable characters and themes from around the world, ideal for dramatic reading. All Around America - Readings and activities that take students on a tour of regions and places across the United States, reinforcing cultural and geographic knowledge.