Level C
Narrator · John Adams
More demanding roles for students ready for greater reading load and sustained speaking.
Free resource · Founding America · Grades 4–8
The Vote for Independence
Put students inside the Second Continental Congress as Adams, Dickinson, Franklin and Rodney confront the decision that changed the colonies.
Five students perform together in one mixed-level script. Every role matters to the historical outcome, but the reading demands are deliberately different.
FREE5 speaking roles5–7 min performance25–40 min activity
23-page US Letter PDF · Answer key included · Minimal preparation
Mixed-level by design
Different reading demands. One shared historical moment.
Level B
John Dickinson · Benjamin Franklin
Middle-demand roles that keep students central to the argument over independence.
Level A
Caesar Rodney
Shorter, more accessible lines while preserving a role that is essential to the historical outcome.
Inside the free resource
A complete lesson—not an excerpt
Readers Theater — Mixed-level script · five differentiated speaking roles · cast list
Teacher support — Quick Teacher Snapshot · Teacher Guide · Suggested Lesson Flow
Historical grounding — Historical Context · Historical Reconstruction Note · What Happened Next?
Student work — Student Tasks · Answer Key
Format — Print-and-teach classroom resource with minimal preparation
Students will
Separate July 2 from July 4
Students work with what Congress decided on July 2, compare Adams and Dickinson, examine delegation voting and distinguish the vote for independence from the later adoption of the Declaration.
Useful for
American Revolution · U.S. History · reading fluency · mixed-ability groups · speaking & listening · substitute plans · homeschool · Independence Day
Historical accuracy
Documented history, clearly identified dramatic reconstruction
The political positions, voting results and outcome are grounded in historical evidence. Because the delegates’ exact conversations were not recorded word for word, the dialogue is presented as a dramatic reconstruction.
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This is a complete standalone resource. Download it free on Teachers Pay Teachers and use it as an introduction to the Founding America approach.
Download free on TpT ↗Ready for a longer sequence? Explore the Road to Revolution bundle →