What evil spirit have you familiarity
with?
None.
Have you made no contract with the
devil?
No.
Why do you hurt these children?
I do not hurt them. I scorn it.
Who do you imploy then to do it?
I imploy no body.
What creature do
you imploy then?
No creature. I am falsely accused.
Essential
Question: What is the
historical relevance of the Salem Witch Trials to both the town of
Why is it important
that we study the Salem Witch Trials?
Enduring
Understandings:
Standard:
USII.24. Analyze the roots of domestic anticommunism as well as the origins and
consequences of McCarthyism.
Standard:
History & Geography 8. Interpret the past in terms of its
own historical context rather than in terms of present day norms and
values.
Standard:
Standard:
History & Geography 6. Distinguish between long-term and short-term cause
and effect relationships.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/salem/index.html
Assessments:
After reading
primary source documents of the Salem Witch trials and excerpts from Arthur
Miller’s ‘The Crucible’, students (working in groups) will design their
own play or dramatic reenactment of a witch trial. Students will perform these mini-dramas for
the class.
Individually each
student will have to create a dialogue between a fictitious reporter and member
of the trial (ie: defendant, witness, judge).
At least five question and answers will be required and the information
needs to touch on what life was like in
Students will fill
out a graphic organizer comparing the Salem Witch Trials to McCarthyism.
Students will
participate in the dot assignment. Each student will be given a piece of paper,
either blank or with a dot on it. Then
students will be asked to move around the room asking indirect questions to
determine what paper the other student picked up. The object is to make the largest non-dot
group without directly asking another student what was on their piece of
paper. This exercise will model the
hysteria during the witch trials and McCarthyism. Students will then be asked to journal their
feelings towards this experience and see if they can relate it to anything
happening today or something they could see happening in the future.