Learning About The Salem Witch Trials
Use this page to guide you on your Web journey.
- Before you begin, fill in a KW chart to discover what you already know and still want to know. You need two of your own questions to begin your webquest. These are your inquiry questions.
- Record what you are learning in a Word document.
- Publish your team’s results on the class Wiki.
- You have one week to complete all tasks!
Wiki Report Guidelines:
Your Wiki report includes the following
- Give a summary of your experience at the National Geographic site. What did you do? What did you learn? Summarize the experience in 50-75 words.
- Record the basic information (who, what, when, etc). for the the two most interesting of the three court records you read. Label each record, like #1, #2, and #3 followed by the actual name/title of the record. You should look for common aspects of questioning, giving testimony, and treatment of witnesses. Begin your summary for each record with “We read ___ (create link to it).” Then tell what you learned. Focus especially on aspects of testimony and giving evidence. How are people treated? What kind of evidence is given?
- What did you learn from the “you are accused” activity?
- List your two inquiry questions and answer them.
- Add anything else that you discovered that you found interesting.
Websites:
- Visit the National Geographic interactive site and learn what you can there.
- A Brief History of Witchcraft Persecutions Before Salem; this is a good general site that may help you answer your questions.
- Primary Sources→ Read transcripts of original trial documents. Read three separate documents (the more interesting ones are examinations and depositions–you choose which ones from Vol. 1, 2, or 3).
- You’re Accused: What do YOU do? Choose a few options and see what the result is.
- If you still need more information to help you answer your questions, do a general search. Be sure to cite other sources on your wiki page.
