Remembering on Memorial Day
Readers Theater Scripts
This is a short readers theater script written for performance at a school assembly.
When Canadian John McCrae saw poppy flowers growing beside a grave of his close friend who had died in battle, he wrote the poem "In Flanders Field". Then American Moina Michael, inspired by McCrae's poem, wrote her own tribute to the poppies and suggested that the red color was symbolic of the blood shed by the heroes who had died in military service. Because of these two famous poems, the poppy has been adopted as "The Flower of Remembrance" in many countries. In America on Memorial Day, Americans proudly wear the poppy in remembrance of the servicemen and women who have given their lives to protect freedom.
This Readers Theater script features 4 solo readers who tell the story of the poems, the poppy, and the special day each year devoted to remembering and giving thanks. A small group of readers read lines from the poem "In Flanders Field" at chosen intervals during the telling. Prose and poety mix to create a lasting impression for readers and audience alike.
Reading parts: 4 solo readers and a "voice choir" composed of as many students as you like.
6 pages of reading text
Performance time: Approximately 3-4 minutes
