Description

Ancient China Class Play

Find out about Ancient China – via the 12 Animals of the Zodiac! What made Confucius so confusing? Why was the first Emperor so egotistical? Which wiggly creature is responsible for the finest thread? How did the first seismograph use dragons? Find the answer to these and many more questions in this class play about Ancient China.

(Also available, set of 5 guided reading play scripts (Readers Theater), with quizzes – The beginnings of a great civilization, Confucius, First Emperor, Life in Ancient China and Chinese Myth: The Monkey Who Would Be King –  see Guided Reading  Play Scripts Section)

Ancient China Class Play Sample text:

(Loud rumbling sound; Farmer, Rat and Ox run for cover; whole casts sways backwards and forwards)

(Enter Chang Heng clutching seismograph, Cai Lun, Peasant, Monkey and Sheep, bleating with fear)

Sheep:           Don’t panic! Don’t panic! Nothing to worry about! Just a wee ….(Shrieking) EARTHQUAKE!

(Whole cast cover their heads with their hands)

Chang Heng: It’s all right, everybody. Now I have invented the seismograph here, we know when an earthquake’s coming!

Sheep:           Yes, and it’s here! Right now, in case you hadn’t noticed! Couldn’t you have invented something a bit more useful – like how to stop it?!

(Rumbling subsides, everybody sighs with relief)

Sheep:           Wow! You did it! That was impressive!

Chang Heng: (Coughing) Er, well, of course. Us inventors are capable of anything!

Monkey:       (Sarcastically) Yeah, right! Time for a quick reality check. Remind me, what were the four Great Inventions of Ancient China?

Sheep:           That would be the compass, gunpowder, printing

Cai Lun:         And paper making! I can take credit for that invention!

Sheep:           What did you use?

Cai Lun:         Oh just mulberry bark and bamboo fibers mixed together in water. Course I had no idea what my little recipe would go on to yield

Peasant:        What, like toilet paper, tea bags and money? (Holding up each in turn)

Cai Lun:         My goodness! So many different uses. And there was me thinking it would just be used to write on!

(Enter Confucius)

Also available, a collection of plays  on Myths and Legends from Different Civilizations