Synopsis
Kids on a cross-town train wish they were going on a worldwide adventure, but they soon discover that they can "travel the world" just by learning more about the roots of their fellow passengers! We Come From Everywhere celebrates the diverse origins of people in the United States, from Native Americans to immigrants from all over the globe. Students learn that we come from a variety of places and cultures, exploring some of the historical reasons that specific groups migrated to this country, while they develop an appreciation of the opportunities and challenges of immigration.
Preview the script and songs!Key Concepts
We Come From Everywhere is a fun way to celebrate the diversity of our country and help students investigate and feel pride in their own family backgrounds. It is a great complement to your curriculum resources in elementary school family history and immigration. And, like all of our plays, this show can be used to improve reading, vocabulary, reading comprehension, performance and music skills, class camaraderie and teamwork, and numerous social skills (read about it!) -- all while enabling students to be part of a truly fun and creative experience they will never forget!
Aligned with national standards! View the standards and vocabulary.Publication Info
Author: Ron Fink (Composer) and John Heath (Book and Lyrics)
ISBN:
978-1-886588-21-9
© 2001
Bad Wolf Press, LLC
cajjh (verified owner) –
We Come From Everywhere is a fun musical addressing the topic of diversity in the U.S. It is gently handled, and highlights that we all have family stories about where we came from in the world and our commonalities.
The dialogue and vocals are fun, but the range of some songs is quite challenging, especially for younger (<10) singers.
TeachTigers (verified owner) –
We haven't had our play performance yet, but rehearsals are going very well, and I have to say that this is my favorite play from you so far. Love the songs.
Jay Stetzer (verified owner) –
I purchased this recently for my 3rd grade performing arts class, and they absolutely loved it! They first learned the songs– everybody… every song… and not at my insistence. They simply guzzled them down like hungry birds. When I introduced the script, the same thing happened.</p><p>The staging was easy to manage, and the helpful production notes were very useful to my budding directors. The topic prompted all the students to find out about their own immigration stories (there were quite a number of interesting anecdotes that they shared). Not only that, their parents registered great interest in the topic as a result of the play. All around, the story and the subject sparked a tremendous amount of interaction among students, teachers, and parents. I call that a winning combination! Thanks so much for making this production possible. Jay Stetzer, The Harley School.
Tom Thieme (verified owner) –
I teach second grade in South Pasadena, California. Teachers at my school are united in our conviction that our students should see our campus as one at which each of them is valued and wanted. I'm not one for injecting my personal politics into my teaching but when my students feel personally threatened, it's my job as a teacher to reassure them.
I do a musical with my students every year because I think performing before a large group of people is a very important life experience. I've turned to Bad Wolf almost exclusively to achieve this goal and I'll even take credit for suggesting a musical on test-taking they eventually brought to fruition. I was going to recycle a musical I'd already done this year but considering the current political climate that has sadly imposed itself on so many of my students, I felt "We Come from Everywhere" was not only a musical that fit neatly into our curriculum, but one that reinforced and reassured my kids of their own worth.
No matter what your political leanings are, if you have children in your class feeling vulnerable due to their own heritage, working on "We Come From Everywhere" is a good way to assure them that we as teachers are always on their side.