Grade 5 Reading a Playscript Worksheets

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About this worksheet

Drama looks different on the page than a story does, and Common Core's RL. 5. 5 asks fifth graders to explain how a series of scenes fits together the way they would explain chapters in a book. A playscript has its own toolkit: a cast list naming who is in the play, stage directions that describe action without being spoken aloud, and dialogue tagged with a character's name instead of quotation marks. A student who reads the words can still miss what a stage direction is telling them to picture, or lose track of which character is speaking.

This worksheet prints one original two-scene playscript and asks ten questions about it: what it is about, the cast list, a character's description, where each scene takes place, what a stage direction shows, the problem and how it resolves, who speaks a key line, and what a word means. Read each character's part aloud if you can, since a script is written to be performed, not just read silently.

What your child will learn

Read a cast list and stage directions
Identify where each scene of a play takes place
Explain what a stage direction tells an actor to do
Match a line of dialogue to the character who says it
Describe a play's problem and how it is resolved

Worked example

In a playscript about a science fair, the stage direction shows Theo pouring vinegar into the volcano, which shows the audience the experiment being fixed without anyone saying so aloud.

Common mistake

Skipping over stage directions and missing an action the words alone do not explain.

Helpful hint

Stage directions tell you what to picture. Dialogue tags tell you who is speaking.

Earlier: How a Poem Is Built

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with reading a playscript?

Skipping over stage directions and missing an action the words alone do not explain.

How can I help my child with reading a playscript?

Stage directions tell you what to picture. Dialogue tags tell you who is speaking.

Are these 5th grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions on this page are free to download and print, with no account needed.

5th Grade Reading a Playscript worksheets

Reading a Playscript

The Class Election

About this worksheet

What your child will learn

Worked example

Common mistake

Helpful hint

Questions parents ask

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5th Grade Reading a Playscript worksheets

Reading a Playscript

The Class Election

About this worksheet

What your child will learn

Worked example

Common mistake

Helpful hint

Questions parents ask