Adapted from the poem by Bruce Lansky in My Dog Ate My Homework! published by Meadowbrook Press.
Summary: A child causes trouble at home with his violin
playing.
Presentation
Suggestions: Have the students
read or perform the poem in front of the class. Have the students act out the
different lines while they read them.
Props: A wallet would be a great prop. If this is not
available, the poem can be performed without props.
Delivery: The lines of the poem need to be read with poetic
rhythm. For more information on poetic rhythm and how to perform poetry in
classroom, please read the Performing
Poetry section under the Teacher’s Resources.
Characters:
Narrator
Violin
Puppy
My Violin
Narrator:
My mom brought home a
violin
so I could learn to play.
She told me if I practiced
hard
I’d play it well someday.
Without a single lesson,
I tried to play a song.
My fiddle squeaked,
Violin:
Squeak!
Narrator:
my fiddle squawked.
Violin:
Narrator:
The notes came out all
wrong.
My little brother fled the
room.
Mom covered up her ears.
My puppy dog began to
howl.
Puppy:
(Lets out a howl)
Narrator:
My sister was in tears.
My dad pulled out his
wallet.
He handed me a ten.
He made me swear I’d never
play
that violin again.
© 2003 by Bruce Lansky. Adapted from the poem in My
Dog Ate My Homework! published by Meadowbrook Press. This classroom
theater play version of “My Violin” is © 2008 by Meadowbrook Press.
Permission is given for individual
school classes to perform this play and to make as many copies of the play as
are needed for the students’ use. All other reproduction and performance is
prohibited under penalty of law. For use of this play outside individual
classes, please contact info@meadowbrookpress.com for permission.
Click on the book
below for more information about
“My Dog Ate My
Homework!”