The Epic of Gilgamesh - Scripted Classroom Play - 6th Grade Social Studies

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest works of literature ever discovered, and this 3 act play is a great way to learn about it in 6th grade Social Studies!

This includes:

- the 12 page, 3 act student script

- the teacher scripts for Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 separated

- a 30+ slide presentation to use in the background of your student play, complete with music and effects.

- a student reflection WS

Every year, we put on The Epic of Gilgamesh in my classroom when learning about Ancient Mesopotamia, and the students LOVE it. I usually give my 5 Narrators and my 2 leads (Gilgamesh and Enkidu) their scripts a few days in advance, while everyone else gets their scripts the day of and uses them while "on stage" in the front of the classroom. The desks are moved out, the entire classroom is transformed into a theater, we use costumes and props, and everyone in the class has a role. Some of the shy students who don't want a speaking role may get a character that has only one or two lines, and some may get the job of "Prop Master" or "Stage Manager", or they may help move the PowerPoint background and slides through as we progress through the story.

Typically, I do Act 1 and Act 2 in one day, and then conclude with Act 3 the next day. The students like how goofy and over the top the whole thing is, but by the end of the play (after the death of a main character *spoilers*), they are always super engaged and invested in the story. It's always a win for our class, especially in the first quarter of the school year.