Intended especially for teachers who might be a little intimidated by the art of playwriting, this guide provides a step-by-step plan for using drama in the classroom in grades 4-8 to build children's language arts and thinking skills. The guide features a series of engaging activities where students will learn how to write dialogue, set scenes, and communicate emotions through expressive language and mime. The guide introduces the specific form of playwriting in lesson 1. Each subsequent lesson in the guide introduces a new idea, then builds on concepts taught in previous sections. Each lesson in the guide includes: (1) the Director's Chair, an explanation of the techniques or skills developed in the lesson, including short sample scripts; (2) prewriting activities that help students become more familiar with the topic and give them opportunities to experiment before they tackle a new technique; (3) Stage Write activities with step-by-step instructions for writing scripts using new skills; (4) helpful hints that provide further guidelines for the activities; and (5) extensions that can be used during writer's workshops or as homework or learning center assignments. The guide approaches performing or reading a script as a form of publishing out loud--scripts should be shared with the entire class and an area of the room should be designated as the stage for script-sharing. (NKA)