7/31/2019 Salem Witch Trials Lesson
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Salem Witch Trials
Overview and Context
Overview: The lesson will begin with a visual inquiry of a Salem
Witch Trial. We will ask
questions that will lead to a discussion about conditions of the
Salem Witch Trials,
why/how the trials came about, feelings attributed to this time,
and the studentsinterpretation of the art/framing of the art. We
will engage students in an activity
that will put them in the shoes of the characters in the
painting. The lesson will end
by furthering this engagement by having students put speech
bubbles on the
painting and act out the characters in the painting.
Sources/materials: Salem Witch Trial painting- Examination of
Tituba post-it notes projector
Attending to the Learners
Anticipating
student ideas:
Students will have been introduced to the Salem Witch Trials so
we anticipate that
they will have knowledge about what is going on during the time
period and canbring this knowledge to interpreting the photo. They
just finished a lesson on
Jamestown where they looked at pictures and documents, so we
know they have
image interpreting skills. They have previous looked at
artifacts using a magnifying
class so we anticipate that they will look for details. In
English, they are working
with understanding character feelings and motivations so we hope
they will be
able to communicate and emulate the feelings and behaviors of
the characters in
the painting. Students may have misconceptions about the actions
and happenings
of the characters in the picture such as who they are and what
they are doing.
They may relate something they have already learned to the
picture. We will
address these by letting the students explore their ideas and
then explaining the
picture after the discussion.
Making the
content accessibleto all students:
We will have a discussion and ask questions that are on multiple
levels. Students
will all have the same background knowledge, so they will have a
good foundation
for the lesson. Since we are slowly revealing the pictures, all
students will have the
opportunity to describe and interpret the detail they notice in
the photograph.
Since we will be collaboratively teaching the lesson, we will
work together to give
all students an opportunity to answer and participate so that
all student ideas will
be heard.
Learning Goals
Connection to GLCEs
P2.4 Use multiple perspectives and resources to identify and
analyze issues appropriate to the social
studies discipline being studied.
5 U2.1.2 Describe significant developments in the New England
colonies, including religious tensions
in Massachusetts that led to the establishment of other colonies
in
New England (National Geography Standard 13, p. 169 C, E)
5- U1.4.2 Primary and secondary sources (e.g., letters, diaries,
maps, documents, narratives, pictures,
graphic data_ to compare Europeans and American Indians who
converged in the western hemisphere
7/31/2019 Salem Witch Trials Lesson
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after 1492 with respect to government structure, and views on
property ownership and land use
Instructional Sequence
Time Steps Describing What the Teacher and Students Will Do
1 min Explain to the class that some pictures will be shown to
them and we will talk about what
they think is happening in the photos.
2 min Show the first picture. Ask students what they notice. If
they are reluctant to participate,
ask the following questions.
Questions:
What do you see in this picture? What kind of noise do you think
is occurring at this time? Look out the window. What do you think
is happening out there? Is the person showing any emotion?
3 min Show the second picture. Again ask the students what they
notice.
Question:
Have your opinions changed about what is going on in the
picture? What haschanged?
What type of noise is happening? What would you be doing if you
were in this picture? What is your prediction for the rest of the
picture?
4 min Show the third picture.
Questions:
What do you think that woman is pointing at? What do you think
the man is reaching for? Any new thoughts about the woman who is
being held back? Where do you think this is taking place?
5 min Show the forth picture.
6 min Show the fifth picture.What kind of noise do you think is
occurring at this time?
What does the artist want you to focus on?
Does she have any supporters? Why/why not?
Look out the windows- what do you see/hear outside of the
building?
If you were here at this moment, what are your feelings? Would
you be shocked? Or hiding?
What might have happened before/after this painting was
completed and how might that
timing impact how we see that event today?
What might not have been included in the framing of the art?
If you could travel back in time to return to this exact moment,
what would you look for that
you dont see?
10minutes
Hand out post-it notes to the students. Have them work with a
partner and each come upwith at least one phrase of an idea of what
the characters are thinking or saying to write
down. Have them write down thoughts of the characters that are
depicted in the photo and
stick the post-it note up on the board next to the
character.
10
minutes
To end the lesson, have students reenact the photograph so that
students are taking
different roles. Do this my splitting the photo into different
sections that involve 5-10
students so that others can see the reenactment. Ask for
volunteers and have them act out a
section of the photo. Have them express what their character is
thinking.
