Reading Activities compiled by Ann Tanner |During Reading | After Reading | Before Connections Why and How I Teach Historical Fiction. 2006. Scholastic. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/witchhistory.html>. This website shows a history of witch trials before the Salem ones occurred, specifically trials in England. It includes teachings from various religious and political leaders. Such a history would help students understand that the trials were not just a random occurrence, but instead there was a tradition of persecuting witches in this way. Cotton Mather: Memorable Providences, Witchcrafts, Possessions. Bible and History. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://www.piney.com/MatherWitch.html>. This website will also help to put the trials in perspective. It contains a document from Cotton Mather, a Puritan leader of the time, who really influenced the trials and the way they were carried out. Obviously certain parts of the document would have to be picked out as useful, but it would help students understand what important leaders of that particular time and place were teaching about witches. Puritan. 2006. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 30 Jan 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritan>. This website explains the basic ideas and history of the Puritans. Understanding Puritanism is extremely important in understanding the Salem Witch Trials. Maps of Salem. 2002. Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/salem/maps.html>. This website contains maps of Salem and other surrounding areas that are mentioned in the book. It would help students be able to visualize the happenings in the book. The difference between Salem Town and Salem Village is especially important. Various Images of Salem Witch Trials. 2002. Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive and Transcription Project. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://www.iath.virginia.edu/salem/generic.html>. This website has various paintings and images of the Salem Witch Trials. It would help students understand what the dress, etc, was for the time period. They would be able to see how different artists imagined the scenes, which could help in their own reading and understanding of the book. The various paintings also include descriptions that explain what is going on in them and how they are connected. Timeline of the Salem Witch Trials. Siteclopedia Network. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/timeline.html>. This timeline outlines the major events that occurred during the process of the trials. It would help students better understand exactly what was happening and in what order the events took place. Biographies of Key Figures in the Salem Witch Trials. 2006. Famous American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/ASAL_BI.HTM>. This website contains biographies of many of the main characters in the Salem Witch Trials, many of whom are also key characters in the book. It would help students see which aspects of the book are historical and which are fictionalized. Life in 1692. 2005. Discovery Education. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/life/>. This website is particularly good in explaining what life was like for Puritans in Salem in 1692. It explains what their basic beliefs would have been, the differences between various economic and social groups (such distinctions were involved in accusations), and what life was like for children at the time (which is important since the girls who were accusers were almost all children or at least very young). It really puts the story in the context of the time period. History of Ann Rinaldi. 2002. Ann Rinaldi: Historian and Storyteller. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://www.annrinaldi.com/docs/Rinaldi_bio.html>. This website is a biography of Ann Rinaldi, the author of the book. It helps explain why she began writing and how she became interested in writing about American history. Why and How I Teach Historical Fiction. 2006. Scholastic. 30 Jan. 2006 <http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/social1.htm>. This website offers help with teaching historical fiction. It lists seven reasons why it is good to teach historical fiction and tips for choosing good historical fiction. It also gives several examples of good historical fiction. Understanding reasons why historical fiction can be helpful in the classroom can help direct the lesson plans a teacher might come up with. During Connections Salem Witchcraft Hysteria. 2005. National Geographic. 4 Feb. 2006 <http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/salem/>. This website is an interactive version of the witch trials. It puts the student in the place of an accused witch and forces them to decide what they would do in that situation. They are able to see the outcomes for different decisions. It really puts the student right into the story. Salem Witch Trials: The World Behind the Hysteria. 2005. Discovery Education. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/salemwitchtrials/story/story.html >. This webpage contains a short video that explains the background of the trials. It would be more engaging for many students than simply having to read the material. The Salem Witch Trials, 1692. 2000. Eyewitness to History. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/salem.htm>. This article contains an eyewitness account of the trial of Martha Corey, written by a minister who was visiting Salem. Primary sources like this allow the students to determine how accurate the historical fiction they are reading really is. Lesson Plans for Teachers. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://www.rockhall.com/programs/plans.asp>. Click on Lesson 30. This site contains a lesson plan for incorporating the music and lyrics a couple of famous classic rock songs into the classroom. The lesson plan is very detailed and contains many very interesting ideas. Half-Hanged Mary. 4 Jan. 2004. The Daily Poetry Movement. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/01/277707.shtml>. This is a poem written by Margaret Atwood about a woman who was hanged for witchcraft in Massachusetts in the 1680s but survived. It gives a feminist perspective to the experience of being accused. Trial Transcripts. The Salem Witch Trials. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/transcripts.html>. This webpage contains the actual transcripts from parts of the Salem Witch Trials. Students would once again be able to compare the proceedings in the book to how they actually occurred. Crossword Puzzle. 2001. Thing Quest: The Salem Witch Trials. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112514/witchcraft_crossword.htm >. This crossword puzzle would be a fun activity for students to demonstrate their knowledge of the trials. If a teacher didn't want to use this exact one, it would also be a good example for the kinds of clues to give, etc. Secrets of the Dead: The Witches Curse. 2002. PBS. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_salem/index.html>. This article contains information about the theory that ergot poisoning was what really caused the Salem Witch Trials. Students would be able to look through everything they have learned about the proceeding and determine whether they believed that such a theory makes any sense. Salem Witch Trials Quiz. The Salem Witch Trials. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/quiz.html>. This online quiz contains 15 questions about the main events of the trials. The students are allowed to see immediately whether or not their answers were correct. It would be a good review on certain aspects of the trials. FAQs about the Salem Witch Trials. 2006. The Salem Witch Museum. 4 Feb. 2006. <http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/education/faq.shtml>. This website contains answers to questions that are frequently asked about the trials. Students may likely have some of these questions themselves while reading the book. It would be an easy place for them to find answers to those particular questions. After Connections The Apology of Ann Putnam, Jr. 2006. BookRags, Inc.10 Feb. 2006 <http://www.bookrags.com/history/americanhistory/the-apology-of-ann-putnam-jr-1706-b-wia-01/>. This site contains the apology that Ann Putnam gave to the church congregation in Salem years after the trials. This apology is depicted in the book. Reading it would give the students a good idea of how accurately it was represented in the book, and it would also show them the fate of one of the girls who caused so much trouble in Salem. It includes several vocabulary words that students may not know. Salem Witchcraft Trials Jeopardy. 2006. Famous American Trials: Salem Witchcraft Trials. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/salem/scopesjeopardy%5B1%5D.htm>. This is a jeopardy style quiz game that would measure the knowledge the students had accumulated about the witch trials. The categories include "Key Figures," "Numbers," "Witchy Stuff," "Places," and "Potpourri." Even if this site didn't have the exact questions a teacher was interested in, it is a good example for how to set up such a game. McCarthyism. 2006. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism >. This article briefly explains the ideas behind McCarthyism and the controversy surrounding it. The hysteria surrounding the witch trials has often been compared to the hysteria surrounding this Red Scare. Students may be able to draw parallels. Rumour, Hearsay Fuel Riots of Hate in Britain. 2000. The New Zealand Herald. 10 Feb. 2006 < http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=147544>. This is a newspaper article details some Salem Witch Trials-esque attacks on suspected pedophiles in Britain. Those attacked turned out not to be pedophiles. It describes the psychology behind such attacks and the fate of those who were accused. It would help students connect the trials and the book to a more modern problem. Victims of Mass Hysteria. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://kwhaley.20m.com/masshysteria.htm>. This website provides ideas for activities that would help connect the trials to more modern problems, such as those in the last two connections, as well as others. It includes such ideas as making Venn diagrams for multiple trials. It contains many links to other such issues. Teacher Tips. 2005. Salem Witch Trials. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://midsolutions.org/courses/edl637/student_prog05/projects/sheehan_sibley/Witch/Teacher%20Tools.htm >. This site offers many ideas for projects that could be done after studying this subject, such as web research, news articles and a newspaper, and a mock trial. It is directed towards a slightly younger age group but could easily be worked with for older students as well. The Crucible. Dir. Nicholas Hytner. With Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder. 20th Century Fox, 1996. As this book would likely be taught at a junior high level, it would be good to connect it to a work they would encounter later in their education, so they would already have a good idea of the background. Showing a clip or two from this movie could help accomplish that. Hawthorne's Struggle and Romance with Salem. 2004. Literary Traveler. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://www.literarytraveler.com/hawthorne/nathanielhawthorne.htm>. This article details the issues Nathaniel Hawthorne had with being a descendant of a judge from the Salem Witch Trials. It would be good for students because his ancestor is mentioned frequently in the book, and it would also give them good background information for future readings of things like The Scarlet Letter or The House of Seven Gables. Books. 2002. Ann Rinaldi: Historian and Storyteller. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://www.annrinaldi.com/docs/Rinaldi_books.html >. This is a list of other books written by the same author who wrote A Break with Charity. It includes descriptions of each book. If students enjoyed reading this book, they would be able to find other books they would likely also enjoy. American Historical Fiction for Young Adults. 2006. City of Cerrito. 10 Feb. 2006 <http://www.ci.cerritos.ca.us/library/booklists/american_history.html>. This site contains a long list of historical fiction relating to American history that would be appropriate for this age group. It is divided into different time periods. Students may find other historical subjects they are interested in and find books they would enjoy reading.