Introduction

Have you ever been falsely accused?  It doesn't feel very good. Take a look at the pictures below; then click to read  a poem  Japanese Internment Camps (after reading the poem, close the browser window to return to this page).

Arthur Miller's The Crucible, in the context of the historical Salem Witch Trials, 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."  Arthur Miller wrote The Crucible in response to one of those "witch hunts" that took place in his time period--McCarthyism. This happened in the United States in the early 1950s.

The Question:
What should be done to keep the innocent from being accused and presumed guilty?

Your task, in a group of 3 (or 4) students, is to research the background of the Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and other "witch hunts" throughout history to find their causes, discover their consequences, and examine a solution that would help avoid and/or prevent such "witch hunts" in the future.

1. Assessment Task One
   Take a look at the above pictures and their  following poem.  Describe - in your logbook - a time when you were falsely accused of something.  Consider what led up to the accusation and what the results of the accusation were.  Don't use real people's names. Write about half to one page.
   
2. Assessment Task Two
   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.  When you have finished this interactive exercise write one page about your experience, what it felt like, and what you learned.
 
3. Next, you will separate into groups of 3 (or 4) students and will need to choose one of the following roles:
• Expert on the The Salem Witch Trials (context of The Crucible)
• Expert on McCarthyism
• Expert on related persecutions of innocent people
• Expert on Presentation (you should decide how to present your group's information; you may choose a dramatic presentation or an electronic presentation using computer software (eg. AppleWorks, StarOffice or PowerPoint; click to see the responsibilities for this role)
 
4. Research - Once you have picked a role, you must begin researching your topic and summarizing  the information as you read and learn. 

5. For your role, describe the following:

• the problem behind the situation (what is the issue? why did it happen in the first place?)
• the causes of the "witch hunt"
• the consequences of the "witch hunt"
• a possible way for that society to have avoided it
 
6. Compile the information your group has collected; 
   • compare causes
   • consequences
   • solutions

7.  Present your research  Assessment Task Three
   

For this role, you must gather extensive background information related to the Salem Witch Trials, identifying

• their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people of 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.

• Timeline of Salem Witch Trials
• Puritan History
• List of Accused
• Example of Martha Carrier's Trial
• Shows Background of Feelings and Superstitions of Salem

Searchable Sites:
• The Salem Witch Museum
•  Witchcraft in Salem Village
• The Crucible project
• http://users.stargate.net/~jrpowell/salemsentinel/resources.htm

 


Back to Process

For this role, you must gather background information related to McCarthyism, identifying

• their causes (focus on the beliefs of the people of 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.

McCarthyism (Warren High School - see also The Red Scare)

McCarthyism In The 1950s

Excellent Summaries of McCarthyism Era

Short Biography of Joseph McCarthy (Encarta)

The Great American Red Scare

McCarthy - multimedia presentation (audio and video)

Forty questions and answers about Senator Joseph McCarthy by James J. Drummey

Congressional Committees and Unfriendly Witnesses

CNN - Virtual McCarthyism Trial

The Crucible/McCarthyism (Wilton Library Teen Center)

extensive list of links

Back to Process

For this role, you must gather information on at least two related persecutions, and identify the following for each:

• the causes (focus on the beliefs of the society and of the leading characters),
• the 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.

• "Asylum Seeker" Detention Camps in Australia 2001 and 2002
  • AUSTRALIA: Secretary General of Amnesty International urges Australian government to uphold human rights
  • AUSTRALIA: Secretary General Irene Khan meets Minister Philip Ruddock
• THE HOLOCAUST AN HISTORICAL SUMMARY Holocaust
• SWC : 36 Questions About the Holocaust Questions and Answers about the Holocaust
• people of Arab / Middle Eastern appearance following the tragedies of 11th September 2001
• Other persecutions of large groups of people 
  (be sure to view the bibliography section to use the original sources)

Searchable sites

• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• Simon Wiesenthal Center

Back to Process

Decide how to present your group's information; you may choose a dramatic presentation or an electronic presentation using computer software

  If you take the Drama option you should plan a short prepared improvisation or script or series of tableau or a combination of these (it should last approximately 5 minutes) and it also should portray/depict methods to prevent "witch hunts".

view production photos of The Crucible

or

If you choose the electronic option you should liaise closely with the teacher to explore the technical possibilities(eg. availibility of programs like AppleWorks, StarOffice or PowerPoint)

The electronic presentation itself should include

• a Cover page stating group members' names, a title, and the date
• Problem(s) behind each situation (what are the issues?)--have at least one slide introducing each issue researched.  Each of these slides must have at least one graphic relating to that topic (total of 4 graphics)
• Causes of each "witch hunt"
• Consequences of each "witch hunt"
• Possible way(s) for each society to have avoided it
• Go to Hints for making AppleWorks Slide show (Australian)
• To view a sample PowerPoint presentation, click here

Create a visually-interesting presentation that is organized and makes effective use of the technology.  Be as creative as you wish but whatever you do keep it simple.  You should have at least four graphics (one for each type of "witch hunt"), but you may have many more.  You may also include audio and/or video clips if appropriate (it should last approximately 5 minutes). 

Don't forget that the original question: What should be done to keep the innocent from being accused and presumed guilty?
Back to Process

1. Logbook entry "falsely accused" (see Assessment Task One) - individually marked worth 25%
2. Response to Salem Witch trials Interactive Exercise (see Assessment Task Two) - individually marked worth 25%
3. Research Presentation - Dramatic of Electronic - group mark worth 50%

So, now that you have decided what should be done to keep the innocent from being accused and presumed guilty, do you think it will work?  You have had to analyze society and how it works.  Do you think your solutions will change society significantly?  Do you think society will change and avoid "witch hunts"?  Why does society tend to repeat mistakes instead of learning from them?

Thank you to the following for images, information, and assistance:

April M. Moore literatureteacher@yahoo.com who did all the hard work in the first place

Picture for Japanese Internment Camp
http://www.uwec.edu/Academic/Geography/Ivogeler/w188/j6.gif

Assistance from Keith Nuthall--WebQuest instructor in original webquest (http://www.teachtheteachers.org/projects/AMoore/Crucible.htm)

Another Webquest on The Crucible

http://www.awa.com/w2/front_page/fp-3.4.html (Review of The Crucible)

Arthur Miller's The Crucible: Fact & Fiction (or Picky, Picky, Picky...) by Margo Burns, margo@ogram.org