Alice Savage

Winner, 2019 Writing Award, Lone Star College

Rising Water is an English language textbook that teaches spoken communication skills through the performance of an engaging and compelling one-act play. This action-packed original play is about a rebellious teenager who finds himself in the middle of a flooded city!

Whether it's reader's theater, an in-class performance, or a full production, putting on a play is the ultimate group project. 

And drama is a powerful tool for learning spoken communication skills! Students take on acting skills like using body language, gesture, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to communicate better. They are exposed to natural language in a realistic setting. And they are motivated and engaged!

A range of activities prepare students to perform as they practice language skills:

 • Background readings on topics raised by the play: how cities are fighting climate change and responding to natural threats, the unsung heroes of Hurricane Harvey, and why teenagers love risk!
 • An original one-act play written for ELLs about a typical teenager who just can't seem to get it together. When his city is hit by a flood though, his conservative parents and overachieving friends are helpless! Ajax's recklessness may the only thing that can save the day
 • Pragmatics lesson on asking for help and recognizing sincere vs. insincere offers
 • Drama games about speaking with emotion and using emphasis to make meaning.
 • Scaffolding to prepare students to produce a play including
 • Lessons on attentive listening
 • Guided questions to analyze the play
 • Ideas for auditioning, learning a part, and marking scripts for emotional content to improve line readings.
 • Tips for staging a play
 • Post-Performance Activities, including a talkback, a mini-debate, writing a new scene or even a sequel or mining the play for useful language
 • An optional assignment to host a panel discussion about how to best prepare teenagers for the future.
 • Assessment rubrics and an answer key

Your students will look forward to class with this innovative resource that utilizes drama in language teaching! The play's the thing!

Alphabet Publishing

Integrated Skills Through Drama

Rising Water: A stormy drama about being out-of-control

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