Unit Title: The Power of Fear

Lesson Title: You Stand Accused in Ms. Maloneys Class; Witches! In

7th Grade.
Curriculum Area (s): ELA
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Time Required: 2 class
periods (50 minute
segments)

Author: Hannah Maloney

Author Contact:
hemalo9571@ung.edu
Instructional Groupings:

Are you using whole group, small group,

partners,
quads, homogeneous, heterogeneous?
Whole group (read text as a class), small
groups (trial reenactments)
Standards: List the state standards that you are using in this unit/lesson.
ELACC7RL2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the
text.
ELACC7RL3: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g.,
how setting shapes the characters or plot).
ELACC7RI3: 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).

Objectives: SWBAT comprehend, analyze, and explain a theme or central

idea from the text, elements of a story, interactions and their effect on a
historical event, what the Salem Witch Trials were, and reflect after reading
Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem.
Materials: Class set of Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in
Salem, Transcripts of the Salem Witch Trials
(http://www.salemwitchtrials.com/transcripts.html), a pen or pencil, and
notebook paper.
Overview: What is the purpose of the lesson?
The purpose of this lesson is for students to determine a theme or central
idea of a text, analyze particular elements of a story, analyze the interaction
between individuals and their influence on events, and for students to
comprehend the last effects of the Salem Witch Trials in American History.
What will I differentiate? Content Process Product
I will differentiate the text for students who need me to, the transcripts of
the trial, my instruction, the ELA standards, the reenactments of the trials,
the class discussion/socratic seminar (if applicable), and the postassessment.
How will I differentiate? For readiness interest learning profile
affect/learning environment combination
Each student reading aloud from the text anything they found interesting to
them will differentiate this lesson. If they do not wish to do that, then they
will have an opportunity to display their comprehension to the class. Each
group will be given different scenarios to reenact when they are put on
trial. Students will be mixed depending on the degree of their ability. There

will not be advanced, on-level, and struggling groups. High-achieving

students will be place with lower performing students but I will do my best to
keep this hidden. Students will not know their scenarios vary on difficulty.
As a result of this lesson/unit students will
Understand ((big ideas, principles, generalizations, rules, the point of the discipline or
topic within
the discipline)

Students will understand how fear, religion, and setting played a large role in
the Salem Witch Trials. Students will understand how the results of the witch
trials were telling of the time period. Finally, students will know how different
points of view can have a large impact on social situations.
Know (facts, vocabulary, howtos, information that is memorziable)
Students will know the main characters of the text, specialized vocabulary
words specific to the topic, and the long-lasting effects of the trials in
American History. Students will know ELA vocabulary terms such as point of
view, setting, and theme/idea. Students will know how to cite evidence from
a text and how to interpret and explain that evidence to build an argument
of explain a concept.
Do (Skills) (thinking skills, skills of the disciplineskills you will assess)
Students will be able to comprehend, interpret, and explain the events and
consequences of the Salem Witch Trials. Students will be able to provide an
objective summary of the reading, analyze and interpret what different
viewpoints mean, and understand what interactions between individuals can
influence events.
PreAssessment (How will you find out about where your students are at for this
lesson? What will
your preassessment look like?)

The pre-assessment for this lesson would be to give students the opportunity
to practice writing. This guided practice would instruct the students to
describe six basic elements of the book (Title/Cover, Author/Illustrator,
Setting, Characters, Events, and Genre of Literature) This would be reviewed
as a class and they would keep this practice in their binders to use as a
reference.
Steps in the Lesson: Include ideas for wholeclass instructions, if any; differentiated
activities;
sharing, etc.

Step One: Each student should have a copy of the book at their desk from
the class set. Since the book was assigned as an out-of-class reading, we will
spend a short time recapping the book. (We may watch the YouTube video of
the author reading the book at this point or we may do that later) After going
over the main points and theme of the book, students will remain at their
tables (the desired environment would be students sitting at round tables)
and begin brainstorming over how to reenact a witch trial from the text.
Step Two: Students will come up in groups and reenact a witch trial.

Accountability measures will be in place to make sure students do not goof

around and blow this off as an easy activity. A rubric will be provided to the
students simply stating that 3 pieces of evidence must be provided in the
trial and that poorly argued accusations will not be tolerated. Students can
use their own technology and are highly encouraged to use transcripts from
the trials (Yes, they are in the text but a link will be provided as well).
Step Three: Following the conclusion of the witch trials, students will assess
each other based on which group had the best argument (Reward: 2 bonus
points on any assignment of their choice). Following the assessment, their
will be a class discussion, possibly a socratic seminar if time allows, giving
the students a second opportunity to analyze the material.
Closure Activity/Wrap up: This may be in the form of independent practice, a
chance to share, or
explicit restatement of the goals of the lesson.

Have the class close the session in a discussion or even a socratic seminar.
Since students were instructed that they could use their technology to
research the Salem Witch Trials, they should have a good knowledge base
after that, and after reading the book. Students should state what makes
them uncomfortable about the trials, did they feel as if they were justified or
unjustified, why did the people in the village feel the way they did about
witchcraft etc. The purpose of the wrap up is for students to demonstrate
what they learned about the witch trials and how well they can articulate
that to their classmates and to me. The teacher needs to be able to tell that
students comprehended the material.
PostAssessment: How will you use this data to inform your next learning experience?
Concluding the lesson, students will be assigned homework over materials
read and discussed in class. The homework would consist of a journal entry
written from the point of view as someone accused of witchcraft, or as
someone accusing someone of it. If written from the POV of an accuser, the
student must provide evidence as why they believe the person is guilty. If
written from the POV as a person accused, the letter must be persuasive as
if they were trying to convince a judge of their innocence and provide
examples of why they are innocent and wrongly accused.
Additional Resources: Any websites or materials that you used?
YouTube video of the author reading from the text:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-mqKXHVea4