What should be
done to protect
the innocent from
being accused and
presumed guilty?
Task
Arthur Miller’s play, The
Crucible, in the context of
the historical Salem Witch
Trails, shows many
innocent people being
accused of crimes/sins
they did not commit.
Throughout history,
society has been blinded
to similar occurrences, or
“witch hunts.”
Task
Indeed, Miller wrote The
Crucible in response to
one of those “witch hunts”
that took place in his time
period – McCarthyism.
Your Job
In a group of 3 (or 4) students, you will
research the back ground of the Salem
Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and other
“witch hunts” throughout history to find:
• Their causes
• Evaluate their consequences
• Develop a solution that would help
avoid and/or prevent such “witch
hunts” in the future
Your Job
You will be charting your results and
collaborating in order to create a letter to
the editor of a newspaper telling what
society should do to prevent innocent
people from being accused and presumed
guilty in the future.
Process
Journal 1
Look at the pictures and poem below and
do a quickwrite in your journal about one
time you’ve been falsely accused.
Consider what led up to the accusation
and what the results of the accusation
were. Also, discuss what could have been
done to prevent the false accusation. Fill
at least half of a page.
Japanese Internment Camps
I am Japanese American
I now live behind these barbed wires
Everyday I wake up to see the same people
Guards blocking the exits
Wondering if I will live through another day
Everyday I get more lonely
I always pray for me and mama and papa
At mealtime we get to eat the same exact stuff
everytime
I never drink the powdered milk that all the kids got
at mealtimes
I don't really like it that much
So, I just wait, and wait.
By Jordan
http://www.germantownacademy.org/academics/ls/5th/morewrit/mwrith/strpojlb.htm
Process
Journal 2
Go through the Salem Virtual Witch Hunt.
You will be experiencing what it was like to
have been accused of witchcraft in Salem
during the Salem Witch Trials. Your job is
to experience the emotions and feelings of
being falsely accused. Write one page
about your experience, what it felt like, and
what you learned.
Process
Groups
Now, you will separate into groups of 3 (or
4) students and will need to choose one of
the following roles:
• Expert on the Salem Witch Trials
• Expert on McCarthyism
• Expert on mass hysteria and related
persecutions of innocent people
Process
Research
Once you have picked a role, you must
begin researching your topic and
summarizing/journaling on the information
you read and learn. You must
summarize/journal on a minimum of 4
articles. Your entries must be at least a
half of a page long.
Process
Charting
For your role, you will chart out the
following on a role chart:
– The problem behind the situation (what is the
issue?)
– The causes of the “witch hunt”
– The consequences of the “witch hunt”
– Some possible ways for that society to have
avoided it
Process
Comparing
Compile the information (charts and
summaries/journals) your group has
collected and compare:
• Causes
• Consequences
• Solutions
Create a Venn Diagram to show
similarities of each point. You should have
at least one Venn Diagram for each point.
Process
Prewriting
Now you must begin your letter to the
editor. To start, create and thesis and
outline.
Process
Writing
Write the letter to the editor – each
member contributing information on which
she/he is an expert. Discuss the issues,
causes, consequences, and the main
solution. Write as if to the Houston
Chronicle.
Role of the Expert on
the Salem Witch Trials
For this role, you must gather extensive
background research related to the Salem
Witch Trials, identifying
• Their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people
at the time)
• Their consequences (both for individuals
accused and accusing, and for the society)
• Possible ways to have avoided them (be sure
your solutions are applicable to the people at that
time period and in that situation.
Role of the Expert on
the Salem Witch Trials
Research links for the Salem Witch Trials
• Timeline of Salem Witch Trials
• Puritan History
• List of Accused
• Example of Martha Carrier’s Trial
• Salem Witch Trials #1
• Salem Witch Trials #2
Role of the Expert on
the Salem Witch Trials
Searchable sites:
• The Salem Witch Museum
• Witchcraft in Salem Village
• The Crucible project
Role of the Expert on
McCarthyism
For this role, you must gather extensive
background information related to
McCarthyism, identifying
• Their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people
at the time)
• Their consequences (both for individuals
accused and accusing, and for the society)
• Possible ways to have avoided them (be sure
your solutions are applicable to the people at that
time period and in that situation.
Role of the Expert on
McCarthyism
Research links for McCarthyism
• Excellent Summaries of McCarthyism Era
• Short Biography of Joseph McCarthy
• Congressional Committees and Unfriendly
Witnesses
• Different View of the 1947 HUAC Activities
• HUAC
• HUAC and Censorship
• Famous American Trials
• Age of McCarthyism
Role of the Expert on
Related Persecutions
For this role, you must gather information on at
least two related persecutions and identify the
following for each:
• Their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people
at the time)
• Their consequences (both for individuals
accused and accusing, and for the society)
• Possible ways to have avoided them (be sure
your solutions are applicable to the people at that
time period and in that situation.
Role of the Expert on
Related Persecutions
Research links for Related Persecutions
• Mass Hysteria
• Modern Day Witch Hunts of large groups of
people (be sure to view the bibliography section
to use the original sources)
• Arab Americans Under Attack
• FBI Hate Crime Statistics for 2005
• FBI Hate Crime Percentages (according to bias)
• Hate Crimes in 2001
Role of the Expert on
Related Persecutions
Searchable sites:
• United States Holocaust Museum
• Simon Wiesenthal Center
• Japanese American Interment Resource