| Studying the Background of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" |
| This webquest has been adapted from April Moore's webquest for use by Ms. Bailey's English III students on an individual basis. All students are cheaters-- Never trust them with anything!!! Have you ever been falsely accused? It doesn't feel very good, does it? Read a poem about Japanese Internment Camps, and then look through the photos of one of the camps. |
The Task:
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", is set in the context of the historical Salem Witch Trials, and 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." Miller wrote "The
Crucible" in response to one of those "witch hunts" that took place in his time period, McCarthyism. What should be done to keep the
innocent from being accused and presumed guilty?
Your job is to research the background of the Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and other persecutions, to find their causes, evaluate
their consequences, and understand the nature of people who subject others to persecution. You will be writing QuickWrites,
experiencing a virtual witch hunt, writing annotated bibliographies, investigating, creating, and presenting what you discover about
society and those that subject others to "witch hunts." What should/could you, as an individual, a single person, do to prevent innocent
people from being accused and presumed guilty in the future? The answer is understand the nature of the persecutors.
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", is set in the context of the historical Salem Witch Trials, and 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." Miller wrote "The
Crucible" in response to one of those "witch hunts" that took place in his time period, McCarthyism. What should be done to keep the
innocent from being accused and presumed guilty?
Your job is to research the background of the Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and other persecutions, to find their causes, evaluate
their consequences, and understand the nature of people who subject others to persecution. You will be writing QuickWrites,
experiencing a virtual witch hunt, writing annotated bibliographies, investigating, creating, and presenting what you discover about
society and those that subject others to "witch hunts." What should/could you, as an individual, a single person, do to prevent innocent
people from being accused and presumed guilty in the future? The answer is understand the nature of the persecutors.
The Process:
#1) Take a look at the above pictures and their following poem. Do a 1 page QuickWrite about one time you've been falsely accused.
Consider what led up to the accusation and what the results of the accusation were. Fill one page in your Journal.
#2) Go through this Salem Virtual Witch Hunt. You will be experiencing what it might have been 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 1 full page in your Journal about your experience, what it felt like, and what you learned.
#3) You will
write an annotated bibliography on the following article, concerning cheating students. Click here for the article. Then you will search for
and choose THREE other articles concerning persecutions and write Annotated bibliographies on each.
You will turn in your Annotated Bib.s, complete with ONE Cover Sheet:
The Annotated Bib.s MUST include:
-- MLA citation format for the article
-- 3 to 4 sentences on the main ideas in the article
-- 1 to 2 sentences stating your impression of the article (what did you like/dislike about it?)
Click Here for an example of an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Here are some websites to help you get started researching persecutions throughout history.
Make SURE you choose an actual ARTICLE, not just a website, no matter how informative it is.
It MUST have appeared in PRINT form to qualify.
Timeline of Salem Witch Trials
Puritan History
List of Accused
Example of Martha Carrier's Trial
The Salem Witch Museum
Witchcraft in Salem Village
The Crucible project
Summaries of McCarthyism Era
Short Biography of Joseph McCarthy
CNN Cold War - Episode Script: Reds
Congressional Committees and Unfriendly Witnesses
CNN - Virtual McCarthyism Trial
SWC : 36 Questions About the Holocaust Questions and Answers about the Holocaust
Japanese Internment Camps
Arab Americans following the tragedies of 9/11/01
Other persecutions of large groups of people
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Simon Wiesenthal Center
http://www.peterbergen.com/bergen/articles/details.aspx?id=273
http://www.9-11commission.gov/
http://www.globalpolicy.org/wtc/analysis/index.htm
http://www.teaching9-11.org/categories.cfm?20
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/History/ww2/Bosnia.html
http://chgs.umn.edu/museum/memorials/sarajevobosnianwar/
http://www.edukits.ca/diversity/balkans/student/background_bosnian_conflict.html
http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/bosnia.htm
http://www.haverford.edu/relg/sells/WitnessDoubtLatent.html
http://www.earlham.edu/~pols/globalprobs/bosnia/homepage.html
http://www.hmlc.org/
#1) Take a look at the above pictures and their following poem. Do a 1 page QuickWrite about one time you've been falsely accused.
Consider what led up to the accusation and what the results of the accusation were. Fill one page in your Journal.
#2) Go through this Salem Virtual Witch Hunt. You will be experiencing what it might have been 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 1 full page in your Journal about your experience, what it felt like, and what you learned.
#3) You will
write an annotated bibliography on the following article, concerning cheating students. Click here for the article. Then you will search for
and choose THREE other articles concerning persecutions and write Annotated bibliographies on each.
You will turn in your Annotated Bib.s, complete with ONE Cover Sheet:
The Annotated Bib.s MUST include:
-- MLA citation format for the article
-- 3 to 4 sentences on the main ideas in the article
-- 1 to 2 sentences stating your impression of the article (what did you like/dislike about it?)
Click Here for an example of an ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY.
Here are some websites to help you get started researching persecutions throughout history.
Make SURE you choose an actual ARTICLE, not just a website, no matter how informative it is.
It MUST have appeared in PRINT form to qualify.
Timeline of Salem Witch Trials
Puritan History
List of Accused
Example of Martha Carrier's Trial
The Salem Witch Museum
Witchcraft in Salem Village
The Crucible project
Summaries of McCarthyism Era
Short Biography of Joseph McCarthy
CNN Cold War - Episode Script: Reds
Congressional Committees and Unfriendly Witnesses
CNN - Virtual McCarthyism Trial
SWC : 36 Questions About the Holocaust Questions and Answers about the Holocaust
Japanese Internment Camps
Arab Americans following the tragedies of 9/11/01
Other persecutions of large groups of people
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Simon Wiesenthal Center
http://www.peterbergen.com/bergen/articles/details.aspx?id=273
http://www.9-11commission.gov/
http://www.globalpolicy.org/wtc/analysis/index.htm
http://www.teaching9-11.org/categories.cfm?20
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/History/ww2/Bosnia.html
http://chgs.umn.edu/museum/memorials/sarajevobosnianwar/
http://www.edukits.ca/diversity/balkans/student/background_bosnian_conflict.html
http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/bosnia.htm
http://www.haverford.edu/relg/sells/WitnessDoubtLatent.html
http://www.earlham.edu/~pols/globalprobs/bosnia/homepage.html
http://www.hmlc.org/
The Conclusion QuickWrite:
So, now that you have researched several persecutions, what do you think should be done to keep the innocent from being accused and
presumed guilty?
Consider and 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?
Write 1 full page in your Journal concerning your thoughts on these questions. DO NOT just answer them - write in paragraph form.
So, now that you have researched several persecutions, what do you think should be done to keep the innocent from being accused and
presumed guilty?
Consider and 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?
Write 1 full page in your Journal concerning your thoughts on these questions. DO NOT just answer them - write in paragraph form.
NOW: HAVE A BIT OF FUN, & PLAY THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS JEOPARDY GAME!
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/scopesjeopardy[1].htm
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/scopesjeopardy[1].htm
RUBRIC:
3 QuickWrites: 10 points each
Full credit - writing that discusses the issues with forethought and introspection. Full page or more of in-depth thoughts expressed.
Less than full credit given for less than required amount of writing - i.e. giant handwriting, overly large margins, tiny paper, less than a full page - or work
that does not reflect the nature of the assignment.
4 Annotated Bibliographies: 10 points each
Full credit - ALL aspects of the form included, correct and informative summary sentences, well thought-out criticisms.
Less than full credit given for Anna. Bib.s that to not include all aspects of the form, that have poor grammar and/or sentence structure, or are too long or
too short.
3 QuickWrites: 10 points each
Full credit - writing that discusses the issues with forethought and introspection. Full page or more of in-depth thoughts expressed.
Less than full credit given for less than required amount of writing - i.e. giant handwriting, overly large margins, tiny paper, less than a full page - or work
that does not reflect the nature of the assignment.
4 Annotated Bibliographies: 10 points each
Full credit - ALL aspects of the form included, correct and informative summary sentences, well thought-out criticisms.
Less than full credit given for Anna. Bib.s that to not include all aspects of the form, that have poor grammar and/or sentence structure, or are too long or
too short.