Guilty until proven innocent? A short video tackles the question of why witch hunts occur by examining the history of these purges and the tests used to identify those suspect of working with the devil.

Concepts

witches, the salem witch trials, the crucible, mccarthyism, the inquisition, due process, communism

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Include the video as part of a unit study of Arthur Miller's The Crucible and/or of McCarthyism
• Assign groups the task of investigating witch trial tests

Classroom Considerations

• Preview the video to determine if appropriate for your classes
• The video ends with a suggested link to a video about McCarthyism

Pros

• A link offers an opportunity to engage in a simulation of a with hunt

Cons

• Offers little rationale for why the witch hunts occurred

Common Core

SL.9-10.3 SL.11-12.3