Salem Witch Trials
Salem, Massachusetts
1692
What was the Salem Witch
Trials?
• Betty and Abigail, daughter and niece of minister Samuel Parris, began to play around
with magic.
• The two girls began having seizures, lesions appeared on their skin, and it seemed as if
they were being choked with invisible hands.
• Doctor diagnosed the girls as being victims of witchcraft.
• The girls accused Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne (unpopular women in the village)
and Tituba (a slave) of bewitching them.
• What Caused the Salem Witch Trials? (YouTube clip)
Who was accused?
• Single or widowed women between the ages of 40-60.
• These women shared similar characteristics: eccentric, independent, and
strong personalities.
• These types of women were seen as a threat to male power, which some
historians believe was the reason they were accused.
What was done?
• Ministers, such as Cotton Mather, demanded that all witches be found and
hung, because they were seen as a threat to the lives of other human beings.
• People would accuse their neighbors as being witches to get revenge or if
they just didn’t care for them.
• The question still remains: Were people really bewitched? Many historians
believe that it was just a shared delusion. Others believe that the new, more
restrictive form of government put added pressures on the lives of the
people which lead to bitterness, aggression, and paranoia. Thoughts?
Why was being a witch so serious?
• The dominant religion in Salem during this time was Puritanism, who…
•are Protestant Christians
•believe the everyday world and spiritual world are closely intertwined; humans are sinful
by nature: some people are damned for eternity (the unregenerate) but Jesus Christ came to
die for a select few (“the elect”); People’s lives are already predetermined.
•The Bible states in Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
•Therefore, those who partake in witchcraft are viewed as people who should not live.
They reject the Lord and follow the devil, making them dangerous to others.
Anticipation Guide: Do you agree or disagree with
the following statements?
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1.) Confessing to a crime you didn’t commit in order to avoid punishment is wise.
2.) The difference between right and wrong is clear.
3.) It is better to die for what you believe in rather than to lie to save your life.
4.) It’s more difficult to forgive yourself if the person you have hurt doesn’t forgive
you.
• 5.) A person is innocent until proven guilty.
• 6.) Justice is best determined in a court of law.
Reciprocal Teaching: “Why I Wrote The
Crucible” By Arthur Miller
• Your group of four will engage in an activity called Reciprocal Teaching. Reciprocal
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Teaching includes the following steps:
1.) Predicting what the article will be about before reading.
2.) Reading the article
3.) Asking questions you have that pertain to the article
4.) Clarifying those questions as a group
5.) Summarizing the article.
6.) After completing these steps, you will explain three reasons why Miller wrote The Crucible and
explain their significance.
7.) Infer why you think Arthur Miller titled the play, The Crucible.
After reading Act I: Modern-day Scenarios
• In your groups, think of a scenario that occurs today where people are
victimized and/or accused of something they didn’t do by others. Write out
this scenario and answer the following questions:
• 1.) What motivates everyday people to accuse others?
• 2.) What would it look like if the whole town of Selinsgrove jumped on the
bandwagon of the accusers in this particular circumstance?
• 3.) Does your situation and how people reacted compare or contrast to the
witchcraft accusations in Salem presented thus far?
After reading Act II: Debate/Discussion
• 1.) Elizabeth feels like it’s Proctor’s duty to tell the
court the girls are frauds (Abigail, Tituba, and
Betty). Proctor thinks he should just stay out of the
whole situation. What is your view on this issue? Is it
his duty to Salem to tell, or should he stay out of it
all together?
Debate/Discussion Conti…
• 2.) Does PROCTOR or HALE have better insight
about the witchcraft trials?
• 3.) Does PROCTOR feel bad about his affair with
ABIGAIL? Why or why not?
Debate/Discussion
• 5.) What do you think people’s main source for
accusing others is: To get revenge since they don’t
like them OR to save themselves from being accused
in the future?
• 6.) Who is now in control of the witchcraft
accusations in Salem: Hale or the townspeople?
Fakebook Assignment
• You will create a Fakebook page about a character of your choice in The Crucible by
going to www.classtools.net and clicking on the Abe Lincoln icon. Go through the
brief tutorial as to how to set up your page.
• IMPORTANT: you must write down the web address for your Fakebook page if
you do not finish it today; this is the only way to access your page at another time.
• Here is an example…
• www.classtools.net/FB/1704-7xecLQ
Fakebook Assignment: Putting yourself in the
character’s shoes (first-person POV)
1.) About Me (the character): include information about the character’s personality, occupation,
schooling (if applicable), marital status, age, and any other appropriate “About Me” information.
2.) Statuses: The character will need to post 3 statuses about his/her intentions regarding his/her
actions throughout the play.
3.) Pictures: The character will need to post at least 1 picture of him/her to give a visual of what
he/she looks like and at least 1 picture of each of the character’s friends.
4.) Friends: The character will need to add at least 2 friends from the play onto their Fakebook
page (this indicates who they interact with in the play). One of these friends needs to
respond/comment on one of your character’s statuses.
If you finish your Fakebook early…
• Go to this website and “Blabberize” a different character: http://blabberize.com/make
When you Blabberize a character, you need to…
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1.) upload a picture of the character or another visual that you feel represents that character.
2.) tell the issue(s) that character is facing and why.
3.) explain this character’s relationships with other characters in the play: friends and enemies.
4.) explain how this character impacts the play thus far.
5.) talk as if you are the character (that character’s point of view).
Here is an example: John Proctor from The Crucible: http://blabberize.com/view?id=1300811
After reading Act IV: Acting Activity
(Test Review: Part 1)
*You will perform for your final activity before your test in groups of about 6.
1.) You will act out the main points in your assigned act.
2.) You are expected to delete pieces of the act you feel are not as important as the
others and/or to the play as a whole. You may break it up into scenes so your
performance runs smoothly.
3.) You need to act as the characters with full costumes and props found in the closet.
*Make sure you pay attention to the performances of other groups; this activity acts as
part of your test review.
Wordle
(Test Review: Part 2)
Directions:
• Create a Wordle that names 10 important topics addressed in The Crucible.
• For each topic, you must provide an example from the play that supports that topic, explain the
topic’s significance in the play, and write a corresponding theme Arthur Miller wants to teach you
about that topic on the back of your printed Wordle collage. For example, your topic could be
courage, and your theme could be “Courage is standing firm in your values in the midst of
controversy.” Keep in mind: topics are subjects, while themes convey messages/lessons.
• Wordle Example: C:\Users\bbenner\Documents\ENGLISH 3 CP\The Crucible
Unit\wordle.png
www.wordle.net/create