GOALS 2000 CYCLE 11 SOCIAL STUDIES COLLABORATIVE
LESSON/UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE
THEME/NAME OF UNIT: Discrimination and Persecution
SUBJECT:
American Studies
LESSON NAME: The Salem Witch Trials of 1692
GRADE LEVEL: 11th Grade
LESSON UNIT DESIGNERS Kim Jurik and Heather Jennings
CONTACT INFORMATION Wexford-Missaukee ISD, Pine River Area Schools, High School,
17445 Pine River Rd. LeRoy, MI 49655, (231)829-3841, kjurik@coslink.net;
heatherj@netonecom.net )
FOCUS QUESTIONS (Problem Statements/Essential Questions):
1. How were people persecuted during this era?
2. Who were the primary characters involved in the trials?
3. What were the different punishments “witches” received?
4. How did the trials affect the Salem society?
5. How have the trials affected society today (history)?
6. What are some modern-day witch hunts and/or other types of persecution crimes against
humanity involving discrimination?
BENCHMARK:
Strand
Standard
I. Historical Perspective
4. All students will evaluate key decisions made at critical turning points
in history by assessing their implications and long term consequences.
Benchmark
2. Evaluate the responses of individuals to historic violations of human
dignity involving discrimination, persecution, and crimes against
humanity.
Other Information Also uses: I.4.4.; V.1.1.; V.1.2.; and V.1.3.
THEMATIC STATEMENT:
Based on Puritan beliefs during the Salem Witch Trial era, discriminating crimes and persecution
against humanity created a “purified” society.
INSTRUCTIONAL BLOCKS:
ACTIVITY 1: “It Began with Those Girls”—This lesson will focus on the girls in Salem
Village in the winter of 1692. It will reveal the important part the girls played in
the tragedy of the witch trials.
*Lecture:
I.
Background and Beliefs
II.
Beginnings in Salem
A. The young girls of Salem ages 9-20
1. Haitian Slave Tituba from whom the girls learned witchcraft
2. The girls began to act strangely
3. Tituba read the palm of Elizabeth Parris who went into shock
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4. The village physician was called in and diagnosed it as an evil
hand upon them
5. Reverend Parris called several area ministers to come observe
the girls and to pray over them. The girls became terrified
B. What the girls did
1. If the girls were bewitched, there must be witches in the
vicinity. Who were they?
2. The ministers and townspeople pressed the girls for names
3. The girls then decided to give them some
*Watch a few short segments of The Crucible. These segments will help to portray
what the girls did and how the trials were started. It will also show the reaction of
the girls in the trials. Show the beginning when the girls wake up to about twentyfive minutes in. Then watch when Reverend Hale arrives to the part of chaotic
accusations. Then watch the different trials. Afterwards, go over each question on
the video handout.
*Video Questions: 1)What were the girls doing in the woods? 2)What did Abby
drink? 3)What was wrong with Betty and what did the doctor say about it? 4)Why
did everyone go to town? 5)where did the girls go when they left the church
building? 6)Why did Abigail Williams not want the other girls to tell what
happened in the woods? 7)What did Betty try to do? 8)Why was Reverend Hale
sent for? 9)When Hale questioned the girls, what did they say? 10)What was the
town’s reaction? 11)What did Abby say about Tituba? 12)Who did Tituba accuse?
13)What was Hale’s reaction? 14)What were the girls’ reaction during the trials?
15)What were some of the reasons people accused others?
*Vocabulary: 1)resident 2)guilty 3)witchcraft 4)witch 5)Haitian 6)possessed
7)uncontrollable 8)accuse 9)banish 10)witch-hunt 11)confess 12)execute
13)historian 14)minister 15)magistrate 16)deed 17)discriminate 18)persecute
ACTIVITY 2: “It’s My Neighbor—She’s One”—This lesson is a continuation of lesson one
and discusses the various people involved as well as the accusations themselves.
*Go over vocabulary
*Finish lecture:
III.
Who were they?
A. When pressured to give names, the girls gave them three: Sarah Good,
Sarah Osburn (Osbourne), and Tituba
1. Sarah Good sometimes cursed people for not giving her shelter
2. Tituba was of a different rac and a slave
3. Sarah Osburn, like Sarah Good, was homely looking and lower
class
B. “Have you made no contact with the devil?” –Magistrates John
Hathorne and Jonathan Corwin came
1. Sarah Good was the first examined
2. Sarah Osburn also claimed to be innocent
3. Tituba not only confessed but blamed Good and Osburn.
*Activity: Divide into groups of three or four. Each group will find others who
were accused of being a witch and possible reasons behind it (using books or
internet). As a group, the students will also come up with possible questions to ask
a “witch.” Each group will then share their findings with the rest of the class.
*Go over Time-line
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ACTIVITY 3: “To Sink or Swim”—This lesson discusses the various punishments used on the
accused.
*Activity: Divide into groups of two or three and have the students look up
different punishments. They will then choose one of the two choices: 1)Together,
the pair will write and illustrate a (cartoon format) a situation involving a
punishment during the Salem Witch Trials or, 2)the students may choose to create
to create a front page of what a newspaper may have looked like during the trials—
again focusing on punishments. For both projects, the students will explain their
project to the class. Students should be given a chance to walk around looking at
projects. Go over punishments mentioned: torture of stones—1 documented
person, hanging, burning, drowning
Technology:
Use internet and resources on internet at www.salemwitchtrials.com/
Extensions:
*Students will research “European Witch Hunts” as well as witch hunts in other countries.
*Role-play a trial in class of other types of discrimination and persecution that occurs.
Accommodations:
*Students will use self and peer editing on all writing assignments.
*Several assignments will be done using partners or group work.
*Large portion of assignments will be done during class time in order to use computer research.
Culminating tasks: “Let’s Go on a Witch Hunt”
This activity discusses the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials and what society learned from the ordeal.
It also discusses “modern-day” witch-hunts.
*Discussion about how the trials affected Salem Society. Read “The Aftermath” (pg. 57-59 in
The Salem Witchcraft Delusion) out loud. Briefly lead into the fact that despite what happened
in the Trials, there have been “witch hunts” since then.
ACTIVITY: Divide the class into groups of 3-4. Assign each group to research a modern-day hunt.
Hunt topics should not overlap. Groups need to find the who, the what, the when, and the how. Each
group will teach their findings to the class in a 7-10 minute presentation that includes an activity
portraying the details of their topic which involves every student.
Assessment:
Rubric
Opening
Introduction of topic (5)
Explanation of topic (5)
Activity
Involved all students (10)
Effectively taught the right points (15)
Interest level (5)
Content
Includes the Who (10)
Includes the What (10)
Includes the When (10)
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Includes the How (10)
Closing
Properly summarized information (5)
Had some form of class assessment ie: quiz, etc. (5)
Participation
Peer grade (10)
Total Possible (100)
Timeline:
Approximately Two Weeks
RESOURCES:
Alderman, Clifford L. The Devil’s Shadow. New York: Julian Messner, 1967.
Dickenson, Alice. The Salem Witchcraft Delusion. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1974.
Karlsen, Carol F. The Devil in the Shape of a Woman. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1987.
“Mass Media and Modern-Day Witch Hunting” http://school.discovery.com/fall96/rogra…ericathesalemwitchtrials/materials0.html 12 December 2001
“Rediscovering America: The Salem Witch Trials Discussion Questions”
http://school.discovery.com/fall96/progra…ingamerica-thesalemwitchtrials/qanda.html 12
December 2001
“Rediscovering America: The Salem Witch Trials Program Highlights” http://school.discovery.com
/fall96/progra…erica-thesalemwitchtrials/highlights.html 12 December 2001
“Rediscovering America: The Salem Witch Trials Related Resources” http://school.discovery.com
/fall96/progra…merica-thesalemwitchtrials/resources.html 12 December 2001
Robinson, Enders A. The Devil Discovered. New York: Hippocrene Books, 1991.
“The Salem Witch Trials 1692: A Chronology of Events” http//www.salemweb.com/memorial/ 12
December 2001
“Teaching The Crucible” http://socialstudies.com/crucible/history.html 12 December 2001
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