Classroom Radio Script Program Title: Voices of Freedom Episode: When Harriet Was Still Minty Length: 4–5 minutes Best for: Grades 3–5 (can be simplified for younger grades) 🎙️ CAST (Student-Friendly Roles) HOST – radio presenter NARRATOR – tells the story YOUNG MINTY – short lines, reflective SOUND CREW – 2–3 students making sounds footsteps wind night sounds (Optional: add a MUSIC STUDENT for soft humming or rhythm) 📡 SCRIPT OPENING [RADIO JINGLE – simple beat or clapping rhythm] HOST (clear, welcoming): Good morning, listeners. You’re tuned in to Voices of Freedom, where we tell true stories from history— stories you can hear, feel, and remember. Today’s story is about a girl who grew up to change the world. Her name was Harriet Tubman. But once—she was just a child. [JINGLE fades out] STORY SEGMENT [SOUND: Night insects. Soft wind.] NARRATOR (calm): Before she was called Harriet Tubman, her name was Araminta. Everyone called her Minty. YOUNG MINTY (soft, thoughtful): I was little. But the world felt very big. [SOUND: Light footsteps on dirt] NARRATOR: Minty was born around 1822, in Maryland. She was born into slavery. That meant she did not get to choose how she lived her life. HOST (brief explanation): Slavery meant children had to work instead of going to school. [SOUND: Fabric moving, quiet work noises] NARRATOR: Minty worked every day. She carried heavy things. She cleaned houses. Sometimes she was sent far from her family. YOUNG MINTY: I missed them. So I learned to remember. [SOUND: Wind through trees] NARRATOR: Minty learned to listen. She listened to voices. She listened to the land. She remembered paths, trees, and rivers. Listening helped her stay safe. TURNING POINT [SOUND: Sudden stop. Silence.] NARRATOR (slower): One day, while trying to protect someone else, Minty was badly hurt. That injury stayed with her for the rest of her life. YOUNG MINTY (steady): It hurt. But I didn’t give up. HOPE & FORESHADOWING [SOUND: Calm night. Very soft hum.] NARRATOR: At night, Minty looked up at the sky. She noticed one star that never moved. The North Star. HOST (gentle): That star would later help guide her— and many others— to freedom. CLOSING NARRATOR: Long before Harriet Tubman led people to freedom, she was a child learning how to listen, how to care, and how to be brave. HOST: This has been Voices of Freedom. Remember— big courage often begins very small. [RADIO JINGLE OUT]
