Where's the Boss?
A Scripted Play About the Iditarod

Return to Iditarod Brrrreathes Life Into Tired Curriculum (Brrrr!)

Subjects Arts & Humanities Language Arts Literature Visual Arts Social Studies Current Events Regions/Cultures

Grades K-2 3-5 6-8

Brief Description This "Readers Theater" script tells the story of one musher and his loyal sled dog team. Objectives Students will understand the concept of teamwork shared by mushers and their sled dogs by reading Where's the Boss? by Lois Harter. perform a "Reader's Theater" version of Where's the Boss?, adapted by teacher Cassandra Wilson with the permission of the author. (Reader's Theater is when children read the script with expression rather than memorizing their parts. This is a good activity for students who are shy, for English learners, and for those with learning disabilities.) make hats and sets for the Reader's Theater production. read with expression. Keywords Iditarod, Reader's Theater, play, script, musher, dog, Alaska, winter, teamwork Materials Needed a copy of the book Where's the Boss? by Lois Harter copies of the Where's the Boss? Reader's Theater script and its accompanying lesson plan materials for making sets and props, as needed Lesson Plan Cassandra Wilson, a fourth-grade teacher at Applegate Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, was the 2003 Teacher on the Trail (TOTT). Wilson has adapted the children's book Where's the Boss? into a Reader's Theater script with parts for 10 students. You might begin the lesson by reading Where's the Boss? to students; then arrange your class into two groups and have each prepare to perform the play. See Cassandra Wilson's copies of the Where's the Boss? Reader's Theater script and its accompanying lesson plan. You might also read an article about a performance of the play by Wilson's students. Extend the Lesson Videotape students' performance of this Reader's Theater play. Make several copies of the video to send home on a rotating basis, so students can share the play with their families. Assessment Students write a journal entry to describe how they felt about being part of the Reader's Theater play, and what they learned about working as a team from the story and from being part of a group that put on the production. Lesson Plan Source Iditarod.com National Standards FINE ARTS: Theatre GRADES K - 4 NA-T.K-4.2 Acting By Assuming Roles and Interacting In Improvisations NA-T.K-4.3 Designing by Visualizing and Arranging Environments for Classroom Dramatizations NA-T.K-4.4 Directing By Planning Classroom Dramatizations NA-T.K-4.5 Researching By Finding Information to Support Classroom Dramatizations GRADES 5 - 8 NA-T.5-8.2 Acting By Assuming Roles and Interacting In Improvisations NA-T.5-8.3 Designing by Visualizing and Arranging Environments for Classroom Dramatizations NA-T.5-8.4 Directing By Planning Classroom Dramatizations NA-T.5-8.5 Researching By Finding Information to Support Classroom Dramatizations FINE ARTS: Visual Arts GRADES K - 4 NA-VA.K-4.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes NA-VA.K-4.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions NA-VA.K-4.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines GRADES 5 - 8 NA-VA.5-8.1 Understanding and Applying Media, Techniques, and Processes NA-VA.5-8.2 Using Knowledge of Structures and Functions NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines LANGUAGE ARTS: English GRADES K - 12 NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies NL-ENG.K-12.9 Multicultural Understanding NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills See more lessons in this week's Lesson Planning article Iditarod Brrrreathes Life Into Tired Curriculum (Brrrr!). View additional lesson plans in the following articles from our archives: * The Iditarod: The Last Great Race * Iditarod Activities Across the Grades Originally published 02/21/2003 Last updated 01/19/2009