Modern Day Witch Hunt
Research Assignment
Studt
Using the brainstorming session from class, pick an event/situation that reflects the characteristics of a
witch hunt. Research that event to accurately convey how/why that event/situation can be comparative
to a witch hunt. Compile your research into a brief summary supporting your claim.
Step 1: Determine the topic
 Choose an event and/or situation that reflect the characteristics of a witch hunt. The more
characteristics you can verify/prove through research, the more accurate your claim will be that
your topic can indeed be considered a witch hunt
Step 2: Using the characteristics to guide you (and organize your notes) research your topic
 Using a minimum of 4 sources, not all the same kind of resource (ie. a variety of websites, news,
journals, video/documentary, etc.), research your topic and organize your notes by
characteristics.
 At least one of your sources should focus on basic background of the events of Salem 1692,
whereas the other sources should be used to support the characteristics you’re choosing to
research in regards to your topic.
 Characteristics:
o Victims
o Accusers
o Persecution
o Accusations
o Witnesses (or lack of)
o Faulty evidence/logic
o Circumstantial evidence
o Ruined reputations
o Consequence
o Power of suggestion
o Greed
o Fear
o Hysteria
o Corruption
o Deception
o Followers
Step 3: Organize your notes in correct format
 Min. 4 sources
 Each source should have its own page of notes
 Ensure source credibility/reliability
 Correct MLA Citation at the top of the note page
 Min. ¾ page of notes
 Organized by categories
 Paraphrase information into own words 75% of time; designate direct quotes using quotation
marks
Step 4: Compile source citations into a correctly formatted Work Cited Page
Step 5: Compile notes into an outline that conveys your position
 I will not be grading this step, but it will be very helpful for organization
 My topic can be considered a “witch hunt” because …
 Reason (characteristic)
o Example/proof
 Reason (characteristic)
o Example/proof
 Reason (characteristic)
o Example/proof
Step 6: Write a minimum 5 paragraph essay that persuades an audience that the topic you’ve chosen
can and should be considered a witch hunt based on the criteria you’ve outline and researched to
support.
Essay structure:
Intro Paragraph
 Intro sentence
 Introduce basic background of Salem 1692
 Connect to your topic
 Formally introduce topic in thesis
Body Paragraphs (x3 min.)
 Topic sentence
 Researched evidence to support topic sentence
 Explanation of connection between support and topic
Conclusion Paragraph
 Restatement of thesis
 Recap supporting details
 Conclusion sentence
Score Guides
Notes
 Ensure source credibility/reliability (3pts)
 Correct MLA Citation at the top of the note page (3pts)
 Min. ¾ page of notes (3 pts)
 Organized by categories (3 pts)
 Paraphrase information into own words 75% of time; designate direct quotes using quotation
marks (3pts)
Total _____ / 15 pts EACH (x4)
Grand Total _____ / 60 pts
Work Cited Page
 Correct Citation format (3 pts)
 Alphabetical order (3 pts)
 Spacing (3 pts)
 indenting (3 pts)
Grant Total _____ / 12 pts
Research Paper
Rough Draft
 evidence of a draft (3 pts)
 evidence of revisions (3 pts)
 evidence of editing (3 pts)
Final Copy
Intro
 appropriate/effective intro sentence (3 pts)
 evidence of funneling (3 pts)
 thesis statement (3 pts)
Bodies
 body paragraphs have topic sentences that correspond with the thesis (3 pts)
 body paragraphs are adequately supported with research evidence (3 pts)
 minimum of 6 in-text citations
o 3 parenthetical (3 pts each = 9 pts)
o 3 direct (3 pts each = 9 pts)
Conclusion
 Restatement of thesis (3 pts)
 Inverse funneling (3 pts)
 Recap of main points (3 pts)
Structure
 Essay is organized and cohesive (3 pts)


Paper reflects appropriate MLA format (3 pts)
o Spacing
o Heading
o Title
Essay reflects appropriate grammar and mechanics
o 0 to 3 errors (12 pts)
o 4 to 9 errors (9 pts)
o 10 to 15 errors (6 pts)
o 16 to 20 errors (3 pts)
o 21 + errors (0 pts)
Grand total _____ / 69 pts
Overall Score ______ / 126 pts (notes, work cited, rough draft, final copy)
Scoring Scale
3- Meets Expectations
2- Moving towards meeting expectations
1- Attempted
0- Not evident
Student Name
Teacher Name
Class/Hour
NOTES EXAMPLE
“The Holocaust.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial
Museum, 4 May 2009. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.
Background
 ““Holocaust” is a Greek word meaning “sacrifice by fire.””
 Most Jews occupied countries that the Germans would influence during WWII
Faulty Logic
 Germans believed they were “racially superior.”
 Jews were thought to be inferior and were thought to be an alien threat to the German
community
Victims
 Germans target groups perceived to be racially inferior: Roma (gypsies), the disabled and some
Slavic people (Polish, Russian, others)
 “Jews were the primary victims of Nazi racism, about 200,000 Roma Gypsies, at least 200,000
mentally or physically disable patients.”
 Groups were persecuted on political, ideological and behavioral grounds
 “In 1933, the Jewish population in Europe was over 9 million”
Consequence
 2-3 million soviet prisoners of war died: murder, starvation, disease, neglect, etc.
 The national socialist government established concentration camps
 Survivors found refuge in allied power’s displaced persons camps
 “Between 1948 and 1951, almost 700,000 Jews emigrated to Israel, 136,000 Jewish displaced
person from Europe”
 “In 1945, the Germans killed about 2 out of every 3 European Jew as part of the “final solution,”
the Nazi policy to murder the Jews of Europe.