CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY LESSON PLAN (Long Form)
Student Teacher: MaryAitken
Grade Level: 7th
State Standard:
Subject: Salem Witch Trials
Name of Lesson: “You’re a Witch!”
Period / Time: 7th and 8th
Date:
I. Goal:

Students will understand the superstitious and religious culture of Salem and the fear and paranoia
that fed into Hysteria of the Witch Trials.
II. Objectives:

Students will explain the emotions they experience during the simulation

Students will construct a timeline of events.

Students will write and reflect on the emotions and reactions of the people of Salem.
III. Materials:

Note Cards,

Optional Book: I walk in Dread

Textbook
IV: Procedure:
A. Set / Hook:


Journal
o
When was a time that you were scared?
o
What emotions and thoughts did you experience?
o
What happened to you physically? Were you shaking? Heart pounding?
Briefly have students share what they wrote about.
|| OR ||
o
Read an exert from I Walk in Dread and discuss the classes reaction
o
Ask them to describe physical and emotional responses to fear.
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY LESSON PLAN (Long Form)
B. Transition: ”I want you to keep those feeling in the back of your mind throughout the period today, we will
come back to them. Now clear your desks, we are going to play a little game.”
C. Main Lesson:

The Dot Game Simulation
o
Each student will receive a note card. They will take care not to show it to anyone else, and carefully
note whether it has a dot or is blank. There are fewer dots than non-dots, but students will not be
informed of the exact numbers.

Have them write their name on the back of the card and hand it back so they cannot show it to
others during the game.
o
Students will have ten minutes to form as large a group of “non-dot” students as possible. The largest
group of “non-dots” will win points. The whole group will lose if even one “dot” made it into the
group.
o
“Dot” students will receive points for each person they are able to fool.
o
Since everyone in the class will deny being a “dot”, students must look for people who, by any
indication, seem suspicious. If a student suspects someone of being a “dot” they should tell the
instructor who will mark that student with a sticky not on their shoulder

This game can be done with no “Dots” or all “Dots”, the point is to create suspicion and turn
them against each other. Mix it up from period to period.
Debrief
Non Dots:


How did you feel when you discovered you were not a dot?
What methods did you use to determine who was a dot?
Dots:


How did you feel when you discovered you were a dot?
How did you convince others that you were not a dot?
Everyone:




For those accused of being a dot, how did it feel?
Was it harder to be accepted into a group once you had been tagged?
Given that there was no way to know for sure who was a dot, why did you try so hard to convince others that certain class members were dots?
What emotions fueled this activity?
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY LESSON PLAN (Long Form)
D. Transition: “Now, remember your feelings we discussed at the beginning of class and how you
reacted to being scared? This is what happened a long time ago in Salem. People were so frightened of
witches and evil that they began accusing each other much like you did during the activity. It quickly
escalated and got out of hand leading to infamous Salem Witch Trials that left 20 dead.”
E. Conclusion:
Outline and discuss the events surrounding the trials. Have students pick out details from their text book or online
sources. (This may take another period)
VII. Assessment:
VIII. Assignment:
Students will write a reflection on the power of fear and how it fueled the witch trials, and how they think
they would’ve reacted to the situation.