Teacher Page
Fear controlled the Puritans of
Salem in the year 1692 when
accusations of witchcraft began to
plague the town. Travel back in
time and find if you would
survive.
Introduction
Task
Process
Evaluation
Conclusion
Bridget Bishop
Click Bridget Bishop to
begin.
Dive into Salem,
Massachusetts 1692,
when the public lived in fear
of witch accusations .
Discover the history of the
witch trials and what it felt
like to be Bridget Bishop
(pictured), whose life was
the first to be stolen.
Continue
Tasks
After learning about the
historic events of the Salem
Witch Trials of 1692
and McCarthyism of the
40’s and 50’s, write a 34 page essay comparing them
to events depicted in The
Crucible by Arthur
Miller.
and
Pretend that you are living
during the Salem Witch
Trials or the Red Scare,
write a play script with your
group members. Make sure
to make it as realistic as
possible. Your group will be
acting out the play in front of
the class.
What’s the Importance?
I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep
and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what
pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons
I was taught by all these Christian women and their
covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light
out of my eyes? I will not, I cannot! You loved
me, John Proctor, and whatever sin it is, you love
me yet!
Importance
What’s the Importance?
Because it is my name! Because I cannot
have another in my life! Because I lie and
sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth
the dust on the feet of them that hang! How
may I live without my name? I have given
you my soul; leave me my name!
Importance
mgallegos01@bellarmine.edu
You have entered the world of Salem in 1692
and the Red Scare and left with a better
understanding of the history behind The Crucible by
Arthur Miller. Before you start your essay, take
this knowledge and ask yourself
• What was it like to live in Salem 1692?
• Would you have survived?
If you want more information,
here are some other links that might
interest you.
Essay
Skit
The essay will be graded as follows:
The skit will be graded as follows:
Possible – 80 points
Possible – 60 points
20 points – grammar, punctuation, and
sentence structure.
30 points – Written Script with
actions as well as dialogue displayed.
20 points – Use of examples to support the
main idea.
20 points – Historical accuracy
40 points – Displays the knowledge learned
from reading the play and
participating in the WebQuest.
10 points – Creativity
Museum
McCarthyism
Lesson Plan
Content
•This lesson relates to the unit because the class previously read The Crucible by Arthur Miller and the lesson will connect the
play to the history behind the events portrayed in the play and the time period of when Miller wrote it. Understanding both will
enhance the student’s grasp of the literature.
•The student’s prior knowledge is that they previously read the play in the earlier lessons. The students have the knowledge of
the plot, characters, and mood of the literature.
•Some critical characteristics that may affect student learning are that some students have limited experience with using the
internet to collect information, some have difficulty focusing for long periods of time on one subject, and some students may take
over the group project causing the other group members to miss the full extent of the activity. Some attributes that may affect the
student’s learning are that students may bring in outside knowledge to make connections to the information being presented,
students may be determined to get through the activity, but continue to research the subject.
•The content of this lesson relates to the students life experiences. Hysteria from fear has sporadically developed throughout
history and can cause discrimination from bullying. Bullies force people to submit to what they want and this can occur in the lives
of students. It is common for a student to have to deal with people who will attempt to bully them into doing something they do
not want to do, much like how Abigail treats the other girls in The Crucible. This activity shows how far bullying can grow.
Learning Objectives
•Students will understand how The Crucible relates to history.
•Students will be able to discern between what is fact and fiction in pieces of literature with historical bases.
Connections
•The lesson connects to the Kentucky Teacher Standard one because it allows students to explore the history of the lay through
different perspectives from different periods of the past. Kentucky Teaching Standard 6 is also connected because the lesson
requires the students to use the available technology in order to establish higher learning and allows the students to learn from
diverse sources, which will accommodate diverse needs. The connected core content is the students are learning how the author
draws on and transforms historical information for his own use.
Name: Meaghan Gallegos
Date: November 1, 2011
Age/Grade level: 11th grade
Number of students: 27
Number of Students with IEP / 504 plan: 1
Number of gifted students: 3
Number of English Language Learners: 2
Subject: English
Major Content: Authors use of historical
sources
Lesson Length: 2 days
Unit Title: The Crucible
Lesson Number and Title: Lesson 3 History
Overview
Core Content:
•analyze how the author draws upon and transforms fictional or historical source material (e.g., how Shakespeare draws on Plutarch or a story in
Ovid)
•demonstrate control of a range of strategies to present complex information or explanations and employ them effectively to manage the
complexity of the topic and accomplish the writer’s purpose
•Participate productively in a range of structured interactions—both interpersonally and in groups—exchanging information constructively and
with confidence, adapting to different levels of formality.
•Sustain concentration on complex information presented orally, visually, or multi-modally and confirm understanding by challenging or
defending key ideas and supporting evidence.
Resources, Media and Technology
•The material and equipment needed to complete this lesson are paper, a writing utensil, computers, and Internet access.
•The technology resources used in this lesson include the PowerPoint software and the following Internet URLs:
o http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/brief-salem.html
o http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/arthur-miller/mccarthyism/484/
o http://www.sparknotes.com
o http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/scopesjeopardy%5B1%5D.htm
o http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/
o http://salemwitchtrialsfacts.com/
o http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education/faq.shtml
Procedure
•The activity that is going to help achieve the objectives is the WebQuest. The WebQuest allows the students to take their
previous knowledge of the play, The Crucible, and use it to make connections with the literature and history. The strategy that will
get the students involved is the freedom to explore the links in whatever order they want to. Also, the WebQuest takes them to
different webpages on websites that contain knowledge on the subjects, so once the student goes to a webpage, they will be able
to explore the entire site. In order to address the diversity in the classroom and individual needs, students may be given extra
time to complete the assignments.
•There are some activities within the WebQuest that will help get the students involved in the lesson. There is a game and an
interactive Salem Witch Trial, which will allow the student to become active in the lesson instead of an observer. The individual
websites should take ten to fifteen minutes to complete at the most, but extra time will be allotted to the students with the need.
•For students with individual needs, for instance ESL students will be grouped with students that can help them understand the
material better. Gifted students will be separated and grouped with students that they can help.
Assessment Plan
Objective / Assessment Organizer
Objective
Number
Type of Assessment
Description of Assessment
Adaptations and/or
Accommodations
Objective 1
Formative
Skit: Student will write a
skit in groups that will
show the history in The
Crucible by creating their
own story using history,
much like Arthur Miller
does.
Allow extra time for
ESL students. Group
students in a variety of
ways.
Objective 2
Formative
Essay: The student will be
required to write a 3-4
page essay that includes
how The Crucible relates to
the history of the content
and the time period it was
written.
Allow extra time for
ESL students and
students with learning
disorders