3. You are about to delve into the life of a Puritan in 1692. Back in England your family was condemned for their religious beliefs. Religious intolerance led them to Salem, Massachusetts, where people could worship however they chose without persecution, or could they? With many hardships to face such as famine, disease and rough weather, now a new epidemic has risen…witchcraft. Numerous villagers are being accused of conjuring up spells and spirits to harm others. A witch hunt has begun. What is the cause of this mass hysteria? What or who will bring this chaos to a close? And most importantly, will you be casted as a witch? Introduction
4. Oh no! Just days after having a big fight with a good friend of yours, you have discovered they have gone to the courts and accused you of being a witch! You have been thrown in jail, and are now awaiting trial. You are faced with a very important decision; Do you break the traditional Puritan code of telling the truth and lie about being a witch to save yourself, or do you hold fast to your beliefs and sacrifice your life out of fear that you will not be forgiven by God on Judgment Day? After carefully examining the history of the Salem Witch Trials, and reviewing the facts and trials of members of the village who were actually accused and convicted, you will write a letter to a friend or family member stating reasons why this person accused you, what evidence they have against you, and what you will plead. You will complete this task on the task template provided on the link below. The choice is yours…chose wisely! Task Template CLICK TO VIEW NYS STANDARDS ASSOCIATED TO THIS WEBQUEST TASK
5. STEP ONE: We will take a look at life in 1692. The people of Salem faced many hardships, even before the witch trials were conjured up. Many families had to work long hours tending to crops, raising animals for resources and make their own clothes, houses and equipment. The climate was rough, cold at times, and drought and famine ran rampid through the villages at times. Diseases, such as smallpox, spread like wildfire, killing children, and in some cases whole families. Salem was under attack by Native Americans on a daily basis. Life was not easy in 1692! The following are some links that will provide you with information on Salem life in 1692. Life in Salem Religion in Salem Economic and Social Division in Salem Children of Salem After reviewing these links, click on the worksheet link and complete. Process
6. Process Continued… STEP TWO: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble…Witchcraft is the name of this game. We will answer some questions using research such as: How did an entire village get caught up in the hysteria of witchcraft? How did this witch hunt start? How many lives were lost? What is the true story behind the Salem Witch Trials? There were so many men, women and children involved…there were the accused, the accusers, the investigators, the persecutors, all in a frenzy over the “demons” lurking in Salem. What is the story? The following is a link of the story of the Salem Witch Trials. Salem Witch Trials Story Make sure you are taking notes and carefully reading…you will need to utilize details in your task.
7. Process Continued… STEP THREE: “She’s a witch!”, “He’s a sorcerer!” We will start getting into character by answering the following questions: How would you feel if you were being accused of witchcraft? What was going through the minds of the accusers? What would you do if you were a judge listening to these cases being brought into court, and having to condemn so many lives to death? What were these people thinking? Tituba Sarah Good Rebecca Nurse The following links are slides that highlight some of the individual stories of the people that were involved in the Salem Witch Trials.. The following links are provided that show chronological lists of events in which people were accused, on trial or sentenced to death. Chronology of Events The Accused and The Executed Mary Easty Giles Corey *Remember that for your task YOU are awaiting trial. Examine these trials and biographies closely so you can use as much detail as possible in your letters.
8. Process Continued… STEP FOUR: So many lives were at stake literally. You have read the story of the Salem Witch Trials, and have read short biographies of some of the people involved. Now you are ready to see it played out in a short film. If you click on the cauldron below, you will be able to access a video on the Salem Witch Trials. Still having trouble making your decision on whether to plead guilty or not guilty? Maybe this virtual game will allow you to make an easier choice. Click the game link below and see what is in store! WITCH HUNT GAME! Process Continued…
9. Process Continued… STEP FIVE: Now that you are armed with all of this information, it is time for you to complete your task. You have a tough decision to make, so be careful. Make sure you know the evidence being held against you in addition to understanding the consequences of your actions. Click on the picture to return to your TASK!
10. Evaluation Click for Rubric This rubric will evaluate the students task based on the organization of the essay, paragraph construction, quality of information inserted, explanation and analysis skills.
11. Now that you have been a witch for a day, you understand all of the hardships the accused had to suffer even if they were innocent. Are you still interested in learning about the Salem Witch Trials? For our Resource Page and for more information click the witch below! Conclusion
16. Further Reading The following are links that will provide more information on the Salem Witch Trials. Have Fun! http://www.unmuseum.org/salemwitch1.htm http://www.unmuseum.org/salemwitch2.htm http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASAL_DE.HTM http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/saxon-salem/servlet/SaxonServlet?source= salem/texts/names.xml&style = salem/xsl/dynaxml.xsl&group.num = all&clear-stylesheet-cache =yes http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASAL_CH.HTM http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/bcr/salem/salem.html http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/salem/generic.html
17. THE END We hope you learned a lot while traveling back to 1692! CLICK HERE TO SEE AUTHOR’S DEDICATION PAGE
18. Tituba Although she was undoubtedly a slave, it cannot be said for sure what ethnicity Tituba really was. Although the original documents of the trials label her as an “Indian” (an individual of Native American descent) recent historians have begun to question this idea, claiming that Tituba was born in Barbados and brought to the colony of Massachusetts by her master, the Reverend Samuel Parris to watch over his family. One thing can be said for sure; it was the villager’s suspicions of Tituba that brought forth the origins of the Salem Witch Trials. Tituba was known for her radical stories and native customs among the people of Salem. While Reverend Parris was absent from his home, Tituba would enlighten the Reverend’s daughter Elizabeth and niece Abigail Adams. Soon, Tituba’s audience of young girls began to grow, and for whatever reason, the girls started claiming that Tituba’s stories and “spells” would physically affect them in such a way that it resulted in the girls falling into states of convulsions, accusing Tituba of trafficking with the Devil and sending out her spirit along with the spirits of others to infiltrate evil into the peaceful and religious village known as Salem. To save herself, Tituba confessed to the accusations of witchcraft; but she didn’t stop there! She accused others as well of helping her conduct the devil’s work, which fueled the girl’s imaginative story-telling, spiraling into countless accusations of not only others deemed “undesirable”, but also respected members of the village. For further reading on Tituba, click on the following links: Tituba 1 Tituba 2 For images of Tituba, click on the following link: Pictures of Tituba For an insight of Tituba’s examination during her trial, click on the following link: Tituba's Trial Go Back to the Process Page!
19. If there was a member of Salem which no one would have expected to be charged with witchcraft, it was Rebecca Nurse. Before the trials, Nurse was viewed by her community as a virtuous, pious woman who was of good nature and a devout Puritan. Why then were the young girls so quick to accuse the frail old woman, aged 71, of witchcraft? Nurse and her family lived on a vast estate consisting of 300 acres of land, the ownership of which was often said to be disputed by the Putnam family, claiming that parts of the land legally belonged to them. Despite claims that Nurse would send out her spirit to torment the accusing girls, there was much dispute among the people of Salem in deciding whether or not she was in fact guilty of witchery. As a result, 39 members of Salem signed a petition stating that they did not believe Rebecca Nurse ever trafficked with the Devil nor could an individual of her nature ever send out her spirit to torment others. Taking such claims into account, the jury decided that Rebecca Nurse was innocent; the first time the girls’ claims were ignored. Unfortunately, with the persistence of the girls formulating new accusations against the feeble woman, her case was reevaluated and was eventually found guilty by the jury who sentenced her to death by hanging on July 19, 1692. Rebecca Nurse For further reading on Rebecca Nurse, click on the following links: Rebecca Nurse 1 Rebecca Nurse 2 For images relating to Rebecca Nurse, click on the following links: Images of Rebecca Nurse 1 Images of Rebecca Nurse 2 For an insight of Rebecca Nurse’s examination during her trial, click on the following links: Rebecca Nurse's Trial 1 Rebecca Nurse's Trial 2 Go Back to the Process Page!
20. It is no surprise that the townspeople of Salem believed the allegations against Sarah Good as being a witch who tormented the people of the village. After all, Good was classified by many of the villagers as a “filthy” woman. Although a devout Puritan at heart, she rarely associated herself with the other members of the Salem community, with the exception of begging her fellow neighbor’s for money, food, or drink. Although the people of Salem slowly learned to ignore her, they could not help but notice a strange correlation between Good’s visits on their property and the death of many of their livestock. Therefore, when Abigail Williams, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Ann Putnam, Jr. claimed that the bite marks, pinches, and other forms of torture inflicted upon them, it was no surprise that one of the women named was Sarah Good. Ironically, it was during Sarah Good’s trial on March 1, 1692 that the imaginative nature of the young accusers was first noticed. One of the young girls fell on the floor and claimed that Good had sent out her spirit and stabbed her with a knife, showing the court only a fragment of what she claimed was all that was left after Good’s attack. It was at this point that a man came forth and identified the fragment as being his, claiming that he had broken his knife earlier and the piece produced by the young accuser was actually a remnant of his original weapon. Although one would think that the judges would begin to mistrust the young girls’ claims after such an incident, the girl was simply told to never exaggerate the truth again. Sarah Good pled innocent to the accusations of her involvement with witchcraft and was hung along with four other convicted “witches” on July 19, 1692. For further reading on Sarah Good, click on the following links: Sarah Good 1 Sarah Good 2 For an insight of Sarah Good’s examination during her trial, click on the following link: Sarah Good's Trial For a look at Sarah Good’s Tombstone, and others that were executed click on the following link: Tombstones Sarah Good Go Back to the Process Page!
21. Mary Easty Mary Easty was the sister of Rebecca Nurse and like her sister, she was a well respected member of the village of Salem. It comes then as no surprise how shocked the villagers were to discover that Easty too was accused of witchcraft. Easty’s trial was very similar to that of her sister’s; she was first accused by the “afflicted girls”, particularly Mercy Lewis, of tormenting them through witchcraft. Despite these accusations, Easty was granted freedom on May 18, 1692 and released from the chains which kept her in jail. Her freedom however was cut short after more accusations were presented to the jury by Lewis accompanied by the other girls. After being arrested for the second time, Easty lost her battle for freedom during her second trial and was condemned to death on September 9, 1692 despite her countless pleas and even a personal petition sent by her to the jury. Her hanging took place less than a month later on September 22, 1692 along with Martha Corey, Ann Pudeator, Alice Parker, Mary Parker, Wilmot Redd, Margaret Scott, and Samuel Wardwell , leaving behind a husband and twelve children at the age of 58. For further reading on Mary Easty, click on the following links: Mary Easty1 Mary Easty 2 For further insight to Mary Easty’s petition to the judges observing her trial, click on the following link: Mary Easty's Petition To Judges For an insight of Mary Easty’s examination during her trial and both of her indictments, click on the following link: Mary Easty's Trial 1 Mary Easty's Trial 2 Mary Easty's Trial 3 Go Back to the Process Page!
22. Giles Corey Giles Corey was eighty years old when he was accused by the girls for being a “Wizard”, sending out his spirit to force the afflicted girls to sign the Devil’s book. Before the trials Corey was said to be a prosperous, outspoken farmer, voicing his opinion to the detriment of some of the villager’s reputations. Unlike many of the other members of the village, Corey was viewed as a man who was not in favor of living peacefully among his fellow neighbors, participating in various lawsuits and forcefully spoke out against the Putnam family. After being accused by Ann Putnam, Jr., Marcy Lewis, Abigail Williams, Mary Walcott and Elizabeth Hubbard in April of 1692 of wizardry, Corey pleaded “not guilty” however refused to stand for trial. As a result, Corey was found guilty on account of the girls’ testimonies (as well as others) and was convicted by the court as a “standing mute”, the penalty for which was the sentence of “peine forte et dure” or being pressed to death by piling heavy stones on his body. Many associate Giles Corey with his famous last words, “More weight”. Corey was pressed to death on September 18, 1692, the only individual accused of witchcraft to be put to death by means other than hanging. For further reading on Giles Corey, click on the following links: Giles Corey 1 Giles Corey 2 Giles Corey 3 For images of Giles Corey, click on the following link: Giles Corey Images Go Back to the Process Page!
23. Sounds Toggle between screens Hyperlinks How to save the template or rubric WebQuest Help If you need help with the topics below, click on the link for technical support
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28. TAKE ME BACK TO THE EVALUATION PAGE! Student barely explains the reason for being on trial. No reason for their plea is given, and no consequence is stated. Student barely explains the reason for being on trial. Student writes their reasons for choosing their plea, however does not state the consequences. Student somewhat explains the reason for being on trial . Student also writes their reasons for choosing their plea but is unclear whether they are aware of the consequences of their decision. Student clearly explains the reason for being on trial. Student also writes their reasons for choosing their plea and shows that they are aware of the consequences of their decisions. Explanations and Analysis Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic. Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given. Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples. Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples. Quality of Information Paragraphing structure was not clear and sentences were not typically related within the paragraphs. Paragraphs included related information but were typically not constructed well. Most paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence. All paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence. Paragraph Construction The information appears to be disorganized. Information is barely organized, and paragraphs are not well-constructed. Information is somewhat organized with well-constructed paragraphs. Information is very organized with well-constructed paragraphs. Organization 1 2 3 4 CATEGORY Research Report : Salem Witch Trials Teacher Name:____________________________ Student Name:____________________________
29. STANDARDS HISTORY : Standard 1: History of the United States and New York Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York. TECHNOLOGY : Standard 5: Technology Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs. ENGLISH : Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, apply, and transmit information. Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression Students will read and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and performances represent. As speakers and writers, students will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for self-expression and artistic creation. Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues. CLICK TO GO BACK TO YOU TASK
30. DEDICATION Kali, Elina and Dominique would like to dedicate this WebQuest to Professor “Sir” Blanchard. We have suffered for weeks doing this project, and in turn learned that we actually were not technologically illiterate, but quite the contrary. Although we still resent you for making us do this tedious project…we love you!!!!!!!! Hope you enjoyed the WebQuest.