1. What Caused the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692?
History Behind The Crucible: The Salem Witch Trials
The play The Crucible is set during the Salem Witch Trials in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in While it is an allegory for events in the 1950s, understanding the historical setting of the play is imperative.
You will conduct brief research about the Salem Witch Trials in order to answer the essential question below.
What Caused the Salem Witch Trial Hysteria of 1692?
Source:

2. Information Sources
Use the primary sources in your envelope and the websites below complete the
Student Activity on Slide 3:
World Book Student overview article: The Salem Witch Trials
Timeline of events in Salem during the witch trials.
The Salem Museum’s website
Information on the afflicted girls at Eyewitness History.
Events and causes of the hysteria.
Overview of the historical context for the play (Literature Resource Center database).
The Trial of Rebecca Nurse

3. The Student Activity
Use this document to access your prior knowledge about the Salem Witch Trials.
Then, use the sources on slide 2 to read and gather information and answer the questions.
Provide the name of the information source you used for to answer each question. Is it a primary or secondary source?

4. The Assessment Activity
Review the information you gathered to synthesize the facts and gain a clear picture of what happened in the Salem witch trials. Use one of the formats below to summarize the key facts and answer the question: How did intolerance and fear lead to the Salem witch trials?
Write a journal entry (paragraph) explaining what happened from the point of view of a visitor from another colony (such as Rhode Island or Virginia) who witnessed the events.
Your teacher may have you share your journal entry by posting it on a Wiki page, WallWisher wall or Voice Thread (text or audio entry).
Use Wordle to create a word cloud using key words and phrases from your notes to summarize what happened and why.
Take a screenshot of your word cloud and paste it into a Word document, PowerPoint slide, or Wiki page so that you can share it with classmates; print out, save, or post your document as directed by your teacher.
Use Glogster to create a Glog (interactive poster) using text from your notes and digital images from the information sources.
Your teacher or library media specialist can provide instructions for accessing student accounts in Glogster and sharing your Glog with classmates.

5. Enrichment Activities
“The Witch: No. 1”
Source: Library of Congress
Public domain image.
Here are some additional resources that may be useful for this research or for extending your learning about the Salem witch trials.
Documents, maps, and transcripts
More detailed information on the trials with primary sources
The Salem Witchcraft Papers

6. Teacher Support Materials
Lesson Objective: Students will analyze the events, causes, and effects of the Salem witch trials by conducting research to answer the essential question.
LA The student will assess, organize and check the validity and reliability of information in text, using a variety of techniques by examining several sources of information, including both primary and secondary sources;
LA The student will organize, synthesize, analyze, and evaluate the validity and reliability of information from multiple sources (including primary and secondary sources) to draw conclusions using a variety of techniques, and correctly use standardized citations;
Differentiation Strategies: Students can be paired based on reading level; students can create a cause and effect web instead of the chart; students can create a visual presentation using one of the digital tools on Slide 4. The information sources on Slide 2 include multimedia and Read Aloud.
Learning Preferences/Styles: Visual, auditory, global, field independent.
Notes to Teachers: Collaborate with your school’s Library Media Specialist to have students use the digital tools for the Assessment Activity on Slide 4, or visit these resources:
Wiki page - PB Works Tutorial
VoiceThread - Voice Thread Tutorial
Glogster - GlogsterEDU FAQ's: How to register and create student accounts
WallWisher – WallWisher FAQ’s
AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner:
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.
ISTE National Educational Technology Standards for Students:
3. Research and Information Fluency - Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
1. Creativity and Innovation - Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
Adapted from the presentation created by Stacey Kalwa, English Teacher and Kelly Ray, Library Media Specialist
BCPS Slam Dunk Model, Copyright 2010, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD, all rights reserved. The models may be used for educational, non-profit school use only. All other uses, transmissions, and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. This lesson is based on Dr. Jamie McKenzie’s Slam Dunk Lesson module available at