Background

Pretend that you have been hired by a Hollywood producer to write a scene for a movie about westward expansion. Your scene must be historically accurate and must reflect an adventure that the emigrants may likely have encountered.

Write your own script:

Working in small groups, decide on the setting of your scene. Who will be involved? What roles will they play? Will you have a whole family or just a man and a woman? The possibilities are many!

What props will you use—only one or many? What props will you need to make the scene realistic?

Now you must imagine an incident that could have actually happened on the trail. Will this be a minor everyday incident or a major and exciting or dangerous event?

Keeping in mind all the information you want to have in the scene, write your script. Who will say what? Who will do what? What will happen? Remember to supply all the details in your scene.

Discuss with your teacher the possibility of actually performing the scene.