About This Lesson
An eco-club drama dives into the 1800s “white gold” rush for guano, showing how bird droppings powered U.S. farms, exploited Peruvian labor, and reshaped global trade. Tiered roles—from a demanding German Scientist to an easy Teacher part—let mixed-ability classes perform, read fluently, and debate modern resource use.
- Grade bands: 7-10
- Scenes: 12
- Characters: 13
- Word count: 2500
Perfect For
- History units on 19th-century global trade
- Lessons on labor and environmental history
- Emergency sub plans
- Collaborative classroom drama
What’s Included
- Script — 12 scenes · 11 pages · Google Doc / PDF
- Teacher guide — national history standards, answer keys, lexical notes, themes (13 pages)
- Student worksheet — 25-slide Google Slides with vocabulary, questions, activities
- Exit quiz — 20 self-graded multiple-choice questions (Google Forms)
Skills Addressed
- Reading fluency & comprehension
- Historical analysis of resource exploitation & geopolitics
- Collaborative performance & discussion
- Critical thinking and real-world connections
- Vocabulary development & textual evidence
Worksheet Components
- Vocabulary: 10 key terms with script quotes (e.g., “monopoly,” “sustainability”)
- Short-Answer: factual recall (“What law does Narrator 1 introduce?”)
- Discussion: themes of resource exploitation & environmental impact
- Challenge: analysis such as Darwin’s role in the guano boom
- Application: link guano lessons to modern sustainability or community fairness
Teaching Tips
- Assign advanced readers the German Scientist; give emerging readers the Teacher role.
- Rehearse in small groups, encouraging expressive delivery (e.g., Peruvian Worker’s anger).
- Use theme prompts to discuss geopolitical consequences and sustainability.
- Finish with the self-graded quiz to check comprehension and analysis.
