Littell 1
Name_____________________________
Littell
English___________ Block____________
Date______________________________
Hysteria Mini-Research Assignment
Directions: Research an example of hysteria from America's history. You will need to accomplish the
following tasks:
Final Outcomes:

Provide detailed answers to your topic's questions on notecards, citing each source on the back
of each notecard. Include which question it answers on the back as well. In lieu of notecards,
you may use separate sheets of paper with the citation at the top of each page.

Document the sources that you use during your research with a complete Works Cited for the
topic. This will be a separate, typed document.

Prepare several points of comparison and contrast when it comes to the details of your example
of hysteria with specific scenes from the play. Be organized to compare your topic with the
events of The Crucible in an essay. This will require that you can cite your notes and citations in
the essay. You will also need to be able to cite The Crucible and the scene(s) that you select.
This should be on a separate sheet of paper.
You will be assigned one of the following four topics:
1. The Salem Witch Trials
2. Japanese American internment during WWII
3. McCarthyism, "Red Scare"
4. The Aftermath of September 11th, 2001
If you have another topic you’d like to use, you can see me with four prepared questions you would
answer.
Sample Notecard:
Internal Citation Here_____________
Answer to questions from this source. Be
sure to put information in your own words –
paraphrase. If you quote anything, be sure
to put it in quotation marks.
Put your works cited on this side in
MLA format of course!
Also, include which question
number it answers on this side.
Partner Possibility: The research component of this assignment may be done with a partner. This is
only for the notecards. Each of you will need to submit your own Works Cited document and a sheet with
your points for comparison. Only one set of notecards will need to be submitted per group.
Assignment information modified from:
Fanning, Michele. “Crucible Research Project.” Grossmont High School, 2007. Web. 26 Sept. 2011.
The original was designed by Heather Vermeulen, Stephanie Johnson, Carolyn Roscoe, and Kevin
McClure and last updated on April 20, 2005.
Littell 2
The Crucible Mini-Research Assignment Rubric
Component
Description
Notecards /
Paper Notes
Format

Followed above instructions

Double-sided
Works Cited

ABC order

Double-spaced

Hanging indent

No URLs

MLA formatted Paper

Titled

Creates topics for comparison

Pulls out scenes from The Crucible

Scenes are cited
Information
on Front of
Notecard

Combination of notecards provide detailed
responses to questions

Includes internal citation information at the top
Information
on Back of
Notecard

Proper MLA format of citation
Points of
Comparison
1
2
3
4
Points
Earned
Points
Possible
5
10
10
20
5
Total:__________________/50
Trouble?
Having trouble finding sources? Go to my website and peruse the list of links of some resources. You
will need to find other resources as well. There is also a link to Purdue’s OWL website for information on
MLA citations.
Littell 3
Salem Witch Trials
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores how discrimination caused hysteria during the Salem witch trials in
September of 1692. The result of such discrimination was that hundreds of people were accused of
witchcraft and imprisoned for months. An additional nineteen people were convicted and executed for the
same accusation.
Your task is to do further research on the Salem Witch Trials.
Questions to consider:
1. What events and accusations started the hysteria that led up to the Salem Witch Trials?
2. What are some examples of discrimination during the accusations and trials, and to what degree
do you think discrimination was a cause?
3. How did local community leaders in and around Salem respond to the accusations and
proceedings?
4. Was the response to hysteria surrounding accused witches in Salem appropriate? Why or why
not?
Japanese American Internment Camps
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores how discrimination caused hysteria during the Salem witch trials in
September of 1692. The result of such discrimination was that hundreds of people were accused of
witchcraft and imprisoned for months. An additional nineteen people were convicted and executed for the
same accusation. Japanese Americans confronted similar discrimination and hysteria during World War
II, when they were relocated to internment camps because Americans unjustly accused them of
espionage.
Your task is to do research on the relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps.
Questions to consider:
1. Why were Japanese Americans discriminated during World War II?
2. What specific pieces of evidence do you see of hysteria based upon discrimination?
3. What was former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's response to hysteria against Japanese
Americans?
4. Was the response to hysteria against Japanese Americans appropriate? Why or why not?
Littell 4
McCarthyism Red Scare
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores how discrimination caused hysteria during the Salem witch trials in
September of 1692. The result of such discrimination was that hundreds of people were accused of
witchcraft and imprisoned for months. An additional nineteen people were convicted and executed for the
same accusation.
Your task is to do further research on the “Red Scare,” or McCarthyism, of the 1950s and hysteria.
Questions to consider:
1. What events and accusations started the hysteria that led up to McCarthyism?
2. What are some examples of discrimination during the accusations, and to what degree do you
think discrimination was a cause of the hysteria?
3. How did local, state, and federal government leaders respond to the accusations and
proceedings?
4. How did the general public react to accusations of communism?
September 11th Aftermath
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible explores how discrimination caused hysteria during the Salem witch trials in
September of 1692. The result of such discrimination was that hundreds of people were accused of
witchcraft and imprisoned for months. An additional nineteen people were convicted and executed for the
same accusation. Arab-Americans confronted similar hysteria following the events of September 11th,
2001; many suffered and still continue to endure discrimination and even acts of violence because
Americans unjustly accused them of association with terrorist organizations.
Your task is to do research on the discrimination against Arab-Americans during the aftermath of
September 11th. During your research:
Questions to consider:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Why were Arab-Americans discriminated against following the terrorist attacks of September 11?
What specific pieces of evidence do you see of hysteria based upon discrimination?
What was the United States government’s response to hysteria against Arab-Americans?
Was the response to hysteria against Arab-Americans appropriate? Why or why not?
What other occurrences of hysteria in American history is this compared to?