A River Shared by Many
Roles: Narrator, Ethan, Leah
Narrator: On a Saturday morning, Ethan and Leah stand beside the Missouri River at Steamboat Park in Pierre, South Dakota. They are gathering ideas for a school project. Across the water is Fort Pierre.
Ethan: Our teacher asked us to explain why the river matters to our community. Where should we begin?
Leah: With what we can see. People walk by the water, watch birds, and launch boats. The river gives people places to spend time outside.
Ethan: It also flows past farms, towns, and wildlife habitats. A decision made in one place can affect people and animals somewhere else.
Narrator: Leah points upstream on a map.
Leah: Oahe Dam is north of Pierre. It helps manage the river and produces electricity. Dams can also change the way water, sediment, and fish move through a river.
Ethan: So we should explain both the benefits and the changes. People depend on water and electricity, and wildlife needs healthy places to live.
Leah: Right. For example, fish need suitable water and places to grow. Some birds nest on sandbars. Changes in river flow can affect those habitats.
Narrator: The students notice a piece of fishing line near the path.
- community:
- A group of people living in the same place or sharing a common environment.
- habitats:
- The natural homes or environments where plants, fish, birds, and other animals live and grow.
- upstream:
- In the direction opposite to the way a river flows; closer to the river's source.
- sediment:
- Natural material like sand, soil, and silt that is carried by water and settles at the bottom of a river.
- suitable:
- Right or appropriate for a particular purpose, person, or living thing.
- sandbars:
- Ridges of sand built up by currents in a river or coastal water, often used by birds for nesting.
- cooperation:
- The process of different people or groups working together toward a shared goal.
- agencies:
- Organizations or government departments that manage specific public resources or services.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Where are Ethan and Leah standing at the beginning of the script, and what is their main goal?
- 2According to Leah, what are the two main benefits provided by Oahe Dam?
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About this reader's theater passage for Middle School
“A River Shared by Many” is a reader's theater reading passage about Missouri River management and ecology in Pierre, South Dakota, written for Middle School. It takes about 2 minutes to read (309 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.