The Crucible-Prereading Explorations

Step one:

Before reading The Crucible, an understanding of the Puritan Society and religion is needed. Check out the following website:

http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/purdef.htm

What made the Puritans unique and how were they viewed by others in the State?


Step two:

To better understand The Salem trials and The Crucible, an understanding of �spectral evidence� is necessary. Check out the following website:

http://salem.lib.virginia.edu/Witch.html

Would this kind of evidence be allowed in our courts today?


Step three:

The Salem Witch Trials is an example of the term �witch hunt�. Have there been any other �which hunts� in history? How are they similar to the Salem Witch Trials? Visit the following website for more examples:

http://www1.yadvashem.org/yv/en/holocaust/index.asp?WT.mc_id=ggcamp&WT.srch=1

http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/witch/




Step four:

Pre-teach vocabulary for students and address the vernacular of the text. What was unique about the way the Puritans spoke and dressed? What is �plain speech�?

http://www.puritanfellowship.com/2008/11/importance-of-preaching-with-plain.html

http://downingtownfriendsmeeting.org/plainspeech.htm


Step five:

What was Arthur Miller's motivation for writing The Crucible (1953)?

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/sal_cru.htm

http://summarycentral.tripod.com/thecrucible.htm

Step six:


In the 1930's Orson Welles and his radio broadcast group, "Mercury Theatre on the Air" adapted the H. G. Wells novel War of the Worlds into a radio drama.  Compare the reactions of the listeners who believed that aliens had landed in New Jersey to those Puritans who felt that their neighors were witches.

An additional example of mass hysteria is the California Gold Rush of the 1800's.  Thousands of people flocked to California in hopes of finding gold.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/map/index.html

1. Go to http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/
   
2.  Read the exposition of the Salem witch trials.  
   
3. Then click on the link at the bottom that says 1692 Salem.  Read the excerpt and then click on the three bottom links:  "Religion and Witchcraft," "Economic and Social Divisions," and "Puritan Children."
   
4. Read about these categories.
   
5. Then click on The Story of the Witch Hunt at the bottom of the page.  Try to view the short movie.
   
6. Your last link to read is The People.  Read about the six people listed.

*Make sure you answer all of the corresponding questions in the next "Evaluation" section.