RYNJ fifth graders read several of Mark Twain’s short stories, then adapted the stories for the stage and put on a full-scale theater production. This unit used the students’ knowledge gained over the year in the ELA curriculum. Turning Mark Twain’s short stories into plays required synthesis and application of many skills learned over the year, such as identification and understanding of plot structure, main vs. minor characters and theme, as well as mechanics, and language skills used for writing the plays. Students used social-emotional skills as they worked as a team throughout the process, from writing to rehearsing to performance. This project, which began in April, was a unique way to see the students shine as they rose to the many challenges of adapting Mark Twain’s short works for the stage. A rousing round of applause for RYNJ fifth grade!