WebQuest Activity Handout: Slavery and the American Revolution Unit

Exhibit Team Script Guide

Writing the Script

In your script, you will tell the story of your historical figure based on all of the information you have gathered during your research. You will write the script with your teammates. Then, one member will present the information to visitors of the museum exhibit through story telling. Consider the following script examples to guide you on basic "do's and don'ts" as you write your script.

Unappealing Script:

"My historical figure is Samuel Tobin. I was a slave, and I fought for England. I believe slavery is wrong. It is just wrong."

Did this script leave you hungry for more information? Who was this guy? The problem with this script is that is lacks DETAIL. Wouldn't you like to know more about his life as a slave, why he joined the British military, what he did in the military, and what happened to him after the war? The problem with this script is that it does not allow visitors to the museum to understand him as a slave during the war or anything else about his role during the Revolutionary War period. This script needs detail.

Improved Script with Detail:

"My historical figure is Samuel Tobin. He was a slave in Virginia. His master was a colonel in the colonial army, and he went with his master to many battles, including the Battle of Yorktown. During the war, he served as an aide to his master. After the war, he returned to Virginia and continued to serve his master as a slave."

Did this script still leave you feeling disconnected to Samuel? While it had more detail than the first one did, it still lacked details that would really help you to understand him, didn't it? What did he do during the war? What did he think about his status as a slave? Why was he forced to remain a slave after the war? Another problem with this script is that it is written in the third person rather than the first person. Visitors to a Living History Museum want to get to know the characters. They want them to speak directly to them as if they were having a conversation and the characters were answering the question "Tell me about yourself." This script needs still more detail and a conversational tone!

Much Better Script with Detail and a Conversational Tone:

"Hello. My name is Samuel Tobin. Most of you don't realize that many of us slaves fought right alongside your white heroes in the Revolutionary War. Nobody will remember me, but I have a story to tell you. I was born a slave in Virginia in 1758. My master was a Mr. William Tobin. I was a house servant and he trusted me. My master traveled with the Virginia Army and later the colonial army. I went with him on most of his trips, serving him as a personal assistant. Folks talked about freedom. I knew I wanted it but never thought it would happen. Before I knew it, we were all busy fighting a war. Do you want to hear about fighting? I have some stories to tell, like the time…. Once during the war, I heard talk of freedom if you joined the loyalists. I didn't believe it, and besides, I have a wife and children back in Virginia. Why would I leave them? After the war, life went on just as it had before. I was still a slave, not really sure what all the fighting was about. They said it was about freedom…maybe someday I'll have some."

Notice the detail in this script. Do you feel like you understand him much better? This script includes detail, and it is written in the first person, "I," rather than the third person ("my historical figure"… or "Samuel"…). It feels like a conversation that also is informative. This is what you want to strive for in your script: it includes great detail and feels like a conversation. This script is just about right!

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