Every Witch Way: Learning From the Infamous Trials of Salem

The Salem witch trials offer rich fodder for social studies lessons. The following Web sites offer ideas for using the events as a springboard for discussing seventeenth-century society, women's roles, tolerance, justice, and more:

Salem Witch Trials Unit

This unit [1] for fifth graders presents a synopsis of the events, two dozen simple activities, and a bibliography for teachers and students.

The Salem Witch Trials WebQuest

On this Web site [2], kids work in groups of four, playing the role of accused, afflicted, and two judges. They research the events of the day and plead their case. The project culminates with the creation of another site.

Salem Witch Trial Reenactment

In this sixty- to ninety-minute lesson, fifth graders play the parts of historical figures from Salem.

This Web site [3] provides links to numerous lesson plans for grades 5-12, including a unit on Arthur Miller's play The Crucible, a classic dramatization of the events surrounding the witch trials.