Miller wrote The Crucible in response to one of those "witch hunts" that
took place in his time period--McCarthyism.
The Question:What should be done to keep the innocent from being accused and presumed guilty?
Your job, in a group of 3 (or 4) students, is to research the background of the Salem Witch Trials,
McCarthyism, and other "witch hunts" throughout history to find their causes, evaluate their consequences, and
develop a solution that would help avoid and/or prevent such "witch hunts" in the future.
You will be charting your results and collaborating in order to create a letter to the editor of a newspaper telling
what society should do to prevent innocent people from being accused and presumed guilty in the future.
Process
1. Go through this Salem Virtual Witch Hunt. You will be experiencing what it was like to have been accused
of witchcraft in Salem during the Salem Witch Trials. Your job is to experience the emotions and feelings of
being falsely accused. Write one page about your experience, what it felt like, and what you learned.
2. Next, you will separate into groups of 3 (or 4) students and will need to choose one of the following roles:
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Expert on the Salem Witch Trials
Expert on McCarthyism
Expert on mass hysteria and related persecutions of innocent people
3. Once you have picked a role, you must begin researching your topic and summarizing on the information
you read and learn. . Your entries must be 1/2 a page long.
4. For your role, chart out the following:
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The problem behind the situation (what is the issue?)
The causes of the "witch hunt"
The consequences of the "witch hunt"
Some possible ways for that society to have avoided it
5. Compile the information (charts and summaries/ journals) your group has collected and compare:
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Causes
Consequences
Solutions
6. Create a Venn Diagram to show similarities of each point. You should have at least one Venn Diagram for
each point.
Role of Expert on The Salem Witch Trials
For this role, you must gather extensive background information related to the Salem Witch Trials,
identifying
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their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people of the time),
their consequences (both for individuals accused and accusing, and for the society),
possible ways to have avoided them. Be sure your solutions are applicable to the people at that
time period and in that situation.
Research links for Expert on Salem Witch Trials
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Timeline of Salem Witch Trials
Puritan History
List of Accused
Example of Martha Carrier's Trial
Salem Witchcraft Trials #1
Salem Witchcraft Trials #2 \
Searchable Sites:
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The Salem Witch Museum
Witchcraft in Salem Village
The Crucible project
Role of Expert on McCarthyism
For this role, you must gather extensive background information related to McCarthyism, identifying
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their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people of the time),
their consequences (both for individuals accused and accusing, and for the society)
possible ways to have avoided them. Be sure your solutions are applicable to the people
at that time period and in that situation.
Research links for Expert on McCarthyism
Excellent Summaries of McCarthyism Era
Short Biography of Joseph McCarthy
CNN Cold War - Episode Script: Reds
Congressional Committees and Unfriendly Witnesses
CNN - Virtual McCarthyism Trial
Different View of the 1947 HUAC Activities
HUAC
HUAC and Censorship
Famous American Trials
Age of McCarthyism (brief history with documents)
Role of Expert on Related Persecutions
For this role, you must gather information on at least two related persecutions, and identify the following for
each:
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the causes (focus on the beliefs of the society and of the leading characters),
the consequences (both for individuals accused and accusing, and for the society),
possible ways to have avoided them. Be sure your solutions are applicable to the people at that
time period and in that situation.
Research links for Expert on Related Persecutions
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Mass Hysteria
Modern Day Witch Hunts of large groups of people
(be sure to view the bibliography section to use the original sources)
SWC : 36 Questions About the Holocaust Questions and Answers about the Holocaust
Japanese Internment Camps
Manzanr
Arab Americans following the tragedies of 9/11/01
Arab American's Under Attack
FBI Hate Crime Statistics for
FBI Hate Crime Percentages (according to bias)
Hate Crimes in 2014
Searchable sites
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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Japanese American Interment Resource