The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The trials resulted in the executions of 20 people, most of them women. The Salem witch trials are often considered a dark and tragic chapter in American history. During the hysteria of the trials, over 200 individuals were accused of being witches. The accusations were often based on flimsy evidence, such as gossip or personal grudges. Many people confessed to being witches under duress or pressure from the court, while others maintained their innocence and were executed.

Salem Witch Trials/Transcript

An animation shows Nat and Moby at the dock of a pond. Moby is tied to a chair hanging from a long wooden beam, a contraption that can dunk the chair into the water. Nat stands behind the contraption, pulling on a rope that holds the chair in the air.

NAT: Look, it's pretty simple: If you float, we'll know you're a witch. But if you sink, you're innocent!

Moby hands Nat a typed letter. She lets go of the rope to grab the letter and Moby falls in the water with a splash. Nat reads from the letter.

NAT: Dear Nat and Moby, Were there really witches in Salem, Massachusetts? Thanks, Ms. Kathleen's class. Well, plenty of people thought there were, back in the late 1600s. It all started when 11-year-old Abigail Williams began having mysterious fits: screaming, twitching, collapsing in a heap on the floor.

An animation shows a young girl, Abigail, twitching on the ground and covering her face in distress. She is dressed in typical Puritan clothing: a long dark dress, apron, and bonnet.

NAT: The symptoms soon got worse, and spread to her cousin, 9-year-old Betty Parris.

A younger girl, Betty, joins Abigail on the ground. They are both twitching.

NAT: The girls lived with Betty's father, Reverend Samuel Parris. He brought in a doctor, who said they were "under an evil hand."

An animation shows Reverend Samuel Parris talking to the doctor as the girls convulse in the background.

NAT: Back then, in Salem, Massachusetts, that was considered a real cause of illness. The colony had been founded by Puritans: a Christian sect who believed God had chosen them to create a pure society. Their way of life was incredibly strict, and all about the Church. On Sundays, you couldn't work, do chores, or hang out with friends.

An animation shows a map of the northeast coast of North America. Salem and Boston are labelled. Salem is slightly north of Boston. The animation changes to show 17th-century town on a hill, with a large church in the center of the town.

NAT: Even Christmas was banned—the Puritans weren't fans of frivolous holidays. Everyone was committed to creating a community without sin.

An animation shows the interior of the church. The pews are filled with Puritans. In the front, a reverend preaches with a very serious expression on his face.

NAT: So, if anything bad happened, the Puritans believed they'd been attacked by evil. A.k.a. the devil. A shadowy figure appears behind the reverend.

NAT: He would give certain humans magic powers in exchange for their souls. Then those people¬¬—witches—would act against others on the devil's behalf.

An animation shows the same shadowy figure standing behind a Puritan woman as she writes in a book. As she finishes writing, the woman screams. Her hair becomes wild and her eyes turn red.

Moby stands next to Nat. He is wet from the pond, and he takes a lily pad off his head. The rope falls from his waist.

NAT: After the doctor's visit, the girls started pointing fingers at their supposed attackers. All were older women and outsiders: Sarah Osborne was sick and bedridden; Sarah Good was homeless; and Tituba was enslaved by the Parris family.

An animation shows each of the accused women.

NAT: Gossip in the village said she practiced voodoo and fortune telling.

An animation shows a mob of villagers, some with pitchforks, pointing fingers at Tituba.

NAT: And so began history's wildest witch hunt, which swept Salem Village like a fever in 1692. In less than a year, hundreds were accused of witchcraft and thrown in jail.

An animation shows flashes of people arguing and pointing fingers and others cowering in fear.

NAT: Nineteen were convicted as witches and hanged, and one was crushed to death.

An animation shows a rope tied into a noose and several large boulders.

NAT: Yeah, today it seems almost impossible to believe. But the Puritans felt the threat of evil all around them: They were surrounded by Native people, whom they believed worshipped the devil.

An animation shows a two Puritan women praying in a church. They have worried expressions on their faces. Shadowy figures appear outside the window of the church.

NAT: They thought Native customs and rituals were witchcraft.

An animation shows two Native men carrying a dead deer, tied to a wooden pole. As they walk by the church, the men's shadows move across the windows.

NAT: Relations with Native people were strained, and often erupted into violence. Of course, that was mainly because colonists kept snatching up more and more land.

NAT: Well, the Puritans might have felt the hand of evil in other ways, too. A recent outbreak of smallpox had killed hundreds of colonists. The British king had tried to take away their religious freedom just a few years before. And towns nearby were becoming less and less religious. So Salem Village doubled down on its faith.

An animation shows the Puritan church. The reverend frowns as he speaks from the pulpit. Behind him, images depict men and women with smallpox, King James II of England, and a cross tumbling from the spire of a church.

NAT: They hired a strict, conservative minister to run their church. That was Samuel Parris—the same guy whose daughter and niece had been acting so strangely.

An animation transitions from Samuel Parris preaching from the pulpit to him looking worried as Abigail and Betty twitch and roll on the floor of his house.

NAT: Well, Puritan children weren't allowed to act like kids. They were expected to be quiet and obedient at all times. So, it must've been a thrill for Betty and Abigail to suddenly be the talk of the town. Soon, other girls began suffering the same symptoms.

An animation shows villagers gathered inside a courthouse. Sarah Osborne, Sarah Good, and Tituba stand at one end of the room while Betty and Abigail twitch on the ground. Three judges look on as two other girls from the crowd drop to the ground and begin crying and pointing at the women.

NAT: A hearing was held to examine the three accused witches. Six hundred people, more than the entire population of Salem, showed up to watch. Osborne and Good denied the charges, even as their accusers twitched and screamed at their feet.

An animation shows the three accused women standing together in the courtroom. Osborne and Good step forward and shake their heads as they speak.

NAT: But Tituba confessed! She said Osborne and Good were witches, too—that they told her to attack the girls.

The animation shows Tituba stepping in front of Osborne and Good and pleading to the judges. Behind her, Osborne and Good look shocked.

NAT: Well, historians believe Tituba was beaten by Parris, and forced to confess. Admitting to witchcraft would also save her life. Those who confessed were usually allowed to live—so they could identify other witches.

An animation shows Tituba thinking as she holds her hand to her chin. Two images appear behind her: a rope noose and a woman pleading on her knees.

NAT: That's probably why Tituba kept adding details to her story—to satisfy the judges. She said the devil had come to her and promised her nice things if she signed his book. She also said she'd seen nine other marks in the devil's book.

An animation shows Tituba speaking in the court. An image that appears behind her shows Tituba running through the woods. It changes to show Tituba signing a book while a shadowy figure puts his hand on her shoulder. Nine x’s appear next to the book.

NAT: Yup, that meant nine more witches were doing the devil's work in Salem. Tituba, Good, and Osborne were thrown in jail to await official trials.

An animation shows the three accused women in a jail cell.

NAT: Meanwhile, panic and fear spread like wildfire, as more and more people were accused: Within a few months, the girls had named dozens of witches. Almost all the names were older women who didn't fit into Puritan society: They didn't go to church, or they had bad manners or strong opinions. They were unmarried, or widows, or owned property without a man in charge.

The animation shows more women filling the jail cell.

NAT: A woman named Bridget Bishop checked all the boxes: She'd been married several times, ran a tavern, spoke her mind, and wore a shocking red getup.

An animation shows a woman wearing a faded red dress in the jail cell. The animation changes to show the woman carrying drinks in a busy tavern.

NAT: The governor set up a special court for the witch trials, and Bishop was up first.

The animation shows a man opening the jail door and motioning for Bishop to come with him. She wears iron handcuffs.

NAT: In court, the case against her was almost all spectral evidence: These were visions or dreams about the evil deeds of the accused witch. Several girls testified that they'd seen the ghost of Bishop pinching, choking, or biting them.

An animation shows Bishop in court. Abigail Williams stands next to her and points her finger at Bishop. An image of appears of Abigail in bed with a demon-like Bishop standing above her.

NAT: That was enough to convict her, and Bishop was hanged the next week. That summer, 17 more met the same fate, including Sarah Good. Sarah Osborne and several others died awaiting trial.

An animation shows a gavel banging. It changes to show Bishop tied up with a noose around her neck. A crowd of people yell and point angrily. It changes again to show a man placing a noose around Sarah Good's neck. Sarah Osborne is shown collapsed on the floor of the jail cell.

NAT: A 4-year-old girl was accused and jailed, but she saved her life by confessing. Eighty-one-year-old Giles Corey, one of the few men accused, refused to participate in the trial. He was tortured: crushed to death by heavy stones over several days.

An animation shows Giles Corey underneath a pile of rocks. As a crowd watches, an angry man puts a heavy stone on top of Corey’s face.

NAT: Well, when Rebecca Nurse, a religious mother of eight, was accused, a petition went around challenging it. Many even testified in her defense at the trial. The jury found her "not guilty," but reversed their decision under pressure—and Nurse was hanged.

An animation shows elderly Rebecca Nurse tied up. A man places a noose around her neck as a crowd of people watch.

NAT: Everyone was on edge: If Nurse could be executed, no one was safe.

The crowd looks worried.

NAT: The tide really started to turn after a minister was hanged. Authorities began to express doubts about spectral evidence. By fall, the community realized they'd gone too far, and changed course.

An animation shows a man with a noose around his neck. The crowd disperses.

NAT: The court was disbanded, and most prisoners awaiting trial were released. Soon after, the governor pardoned all accused witches and made payments to their families.

An animation shows three women leaving the jail. One raises her hands in prayer while another smiles and shades her eyes.

NAT: But it was different for Tituba: Parris didn't want her back, so she stayed in jail and was later sold away.

NAT: The witch trials caused a crisis in the Puritan community. How could they have lost their way so terribly? A whole town deciding their neighbors were evil, and condemning them to die…based on the stories of a few kids desperate for attention. The Puritan faith didn't last long after that.

An animation shows Parris preaching to the Puritan congregation in church. Gradually, the members in the audience fade away until no one is left.

NAT: Yeah, you sometimes still hear about so-called witch hunts: campaigns that use fear to target people with unpopular ideas. Like the Red Scare, which swept the nation in the 1950s.

An animation shows a magnifying lens scanning a line of white human icons. It stops as it scans a red human icon.

NAT: Suddenly everyone was looking for Communist spies, and Congress held hearings to root out those in government. Lives were ruined based on little or no evidence.

An animation shows a trial. The man speaking is angrily pointing his finger at the accused person.

NAT: Playwright Arthur Miller compared the panic to Salem in his play, The Crucible. It's still popular today, and a reminder of how history can repeat itself.

An animation shows Arthur Miller typing on his typewriter. The trial appears on his TV.

NAT: Of how easy it is for a society to blame its problems on the vulnerable: outcasts… immigrants… religious or racial minorities…

An animation shows Tituba with an angry crowd surrounding her. Many are pointing their fingers at her and one person holds a pitchfork. The image changes to show a woman holding a baby. She stands in front of a barbed wire fence. The angry crowd remains, though the pitchfork changes to a cell phone pointed at the woman.

NAT: So, what do you say we—

Nat realizes that Moby is no longer standing next to her. She looks at the. the pond, where air bubbles rise to the surface.

Moby appears behind Nat, wearing a classic witch costume.

Nat jumps and falls in the water. She surfaces and spits out water.

Salem Witch Trials Lesson Plan: Culture

This lesson accompanies the BrainPOP topic Salem Witch Trials, and supports students’ in analyzing the role of Puritanism in shaping the values of New England communities. Students demonstrate understanding through a variety of project s.

Step 1: ACTIVATE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

Display the phrase “Salem Witch Trials.” Ask students:

• What do you know about the Salem Witch Trials? What do you wonder?

Step 2: BUILD KNOWLEDGE

• Read aloud the description on the Salem Witch Trials topic page .
• Play the Movie , pausing to check for understanding.
• Assign Related Reading . Have students read one of the following articles: “Quirky Stuff” or “Unsolved Mysteries.” Partner them with someone who read a different article to share what they learned with each other.
  

Step 3: APPLY and ASSESS

Assign the Salem Witch Trials Challenge and Quiz , prompting students to apply essential literacy skills while demonstrating what they learned about this topic.

Step 4: DEEPEN and EXTEND

Students express what they learned about the Salem Witch Trials while practicing essential literacy skills with one or more of the following activities. Differentiate by assigning ones that meet individual student needs.

• Make-a-Movie : Create a movie that explains the events that led to the Salem Witch Trials, and document its effects.
• Make-a-Map : Make a concept map identifying the causes and effects of the Salem Witch Trials.
• Creative Coding: Code a newscast from the time of the Salem Witch Trials with a headline about what’s happening.

More to Explore

Related BrainPOP Topics : Deepen understanding of culture in the American colonies with these topics: Regions of the Thirteen Colonies and Building the Thirteen Colonies .

Teacher Support Resources:

• Learning Activities Modifications : Strategies to meet ELL and other instructional and student needs.
• Learning Activities Support : Resources for best practices using BrainPOP.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in print or digital text.

Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.

Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not”).

Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims”).

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

Salem Witch Trials Lesson Plan: Write an Editorial

NOTE TO EDUCATORS: The movie featured in this lesson plan contains depictions of suffering and punishment endured by innocent victims. Due to the sensitivity of this topic, consider previewing the movies before showing it to the class.

In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, students explore BrainPOP features and resources to learn about the Salem Witch Trials. Students then write an editorial or produce a video editorial persuading the people of Salem to put an end to the witch trials.

Students will:

1. Brainstorm what they know about the Salem Witch Trials.
2. Watch a BrainPOP movie about the Salem Witch Trials.
3. Use the Make-a-Map tool to identify evidence for putting an end to the trials.
4. Write an editorial (or produce a video editorial) persuading the people of Salem to put an end to the witch trials.

Materials:

• Internet access for BrainPOP
• Interactive whiteboard
• Sample persuasive editorial from local or national newspaper

Preparation:

Preview the BrainPOP movie Salem Witch Trials to plan for any adaptations. Make copies of sample editorial for the whole class. Assign the Salem Witch Trials Make-a-Map.

Lesson Procedure:

1. Write “Salem Witch Trials” on the board. Ask students what they know, if anything, about this tragic period in U.S. history. Allow time for students to share, jotting their ideas on the board. Younger students may not know anything about it, which is ok. You can ask them to make guesses of what it was about.
2. Project the BrainPOP movie Salem Witch Trials on the whiteboard. Read aloud, or have a volunteer read the summary of the Salem Witch Trials movie that appears under the player.
3. Now show the Salem Witch Trial movie to the whole class on the whiteboard or other large display. Turn on the closed caption option to aid in comprehension.
4. After watching the movie, distribute the sample editorial you brought in. Ask students if they know what an editorial is, and allow time for them to respond. Follow up by explaining that an editorial is an article written by someone on the staff of a newspaper or other publication that express the publication’s opinion about a current issue or topic, often with the purpose of persuading readers to think or act in a certain way. Point out that for an editorial to be persuasive, the writer needs to support the opinion with evidence, such as facts, reasons, and/or examples. Allow time for students to read the sample editorial, or invite a volunteer to read it aloud.
5. Tell students that today they will write an editorial (or produce a video editorial) from the point of view of a journalist living at the time of the Salem Witch Trials. The goal of the editorial is to persuade the people of Salem to stop their witch trial immediately.
6. Remind students that to make their argument persuasive, they need to support it with evidence. Have students open their Make-a-Map assignments, or just open Salem Witch Trial Make-a-Map . Explain that they will watch the movie again, within Make-a-Map, to identify evidence to support the argument that the witch trials should end. Circulate as students work, helping as needed.
7. Once students complete their maps, instruct them to write their editorials, using evidence from their Make-a-Maps to support their arguments. Also encourage them to use the editorials you distributed as a model for how to write an editorial. Alternatively students can use Make-a-Movie to produce video editorials.
8. Finally, have students swap editorials with someone else in the class and instruct them to edit each other’s articles for clarity, grammar, accuracy, etc. Or, if students have produced video editorials, they can share those with each other.

Extension Activities:

Display the Salem Witch Trials topic page on the whiteboard. Scroll down to the four related topics. Initiate a class discussion about how each of the four topics is related to the Salem Witch Trials topic.

Many people confessed to being witches under duress or pressure from the court, while others maintained their innocence and were executed. The trials were fueled by superstition, fear, and religious zealotry. Puritan beliefs and the idea that the Devil was actively trying to corrupt the Puritan community played a significant role in the accusations and subsequent trials.

The court relied heavily on spectral evidence, which was essentially testimony from supposed victims of witchcraft who claimed to see the accused's spirit harming them. The Salem witch trials ultimately came to an end when the governor of Massachusetts stepped in and disbanded the court. The trials had caused so much fear and division within the community that it was clear something needed to be done to put an end to the madness. The legacy of the Salem witch trials is one of caution and the dangers of mass hysteria. The trials serve as a reminder of the consequences of unchecked fear and the importance of safeguarding against false accusations. They also highlight the need for a fair and impartial justice system. BrainPOP, an educational website, offers an animated video and accompanying lesson materials on the topic of the Salem witch trials. The video provides a clear and concise overview of the events, causes, and impact of the trials. It is a useful resource for students and educators alike who wish to learn more about this dark chapter in American history..

Reviews for "The Infamous Trials: The Most Notorious Figures of the Salem Witch Trials"

1. Emily - 1/5 - I was really disappointed with the "Salem witch trials brainpop" video. The animation was cheesy and the explanations were oversimplified. They barely scratched the surface of the deep historical and cultural significance of the trials. I was expecting a more in-depth analysis, but instead, I felt like I was watching a children's show. Overall, it failed to provide the depth and seriousness that such a topic deserves.

2. John - 2/5 - I found the "Salem witch trials brainpop" video to be underwhelming. While it did cover the basic facts and events surrounding the trials, it glossed over the complexities and ignored some important details. The explanations were too simplified, and it felt like a missed opportunity to educate viewers properly about this dark period in American history. I would have preferred a more comprehensive and thoughtful approach to the topic.

3. Sarah - 2/5 - I think the "Salem witch trials brainpop" video was a missed opportunity. The content felt rushed and barely scratched the surface of the trials. It lacked the depth and analysis that I was hoping for. Additionally, the animation style and humor seemed out of place given the seriousness of the topic. Overall, I was left wanting more information and a more serious tone in addressing such a significant historical event.

Learning about the Salem Witch Trials with BrainPOP