The Crucible, McCarthyism, and 9/11

Salem, 1692. Hollywood, 1952. New York City, 2001. Three different places and times, with three different threats affecting them-- but are they so different after all?

Your task today is to understand what happened at these key flashpoints in American history, how they intersect, and how we see the fears and failings of all three represented in The Crucible.

Step 1: Play through the game on this site to see if you would survive the Salem Witch Trials. After you complete the game, on the first page of the word doc write 2-4 sentences discussing how you felt during and after the game. Was it sad, shocking, scary, or did you feel something else?

Step 2: Starting on the second page of the word doc, copy and paste the questions below. Then, using the resources I have provided, find the answers to each question.

Article 1

1. What is communism?
2. What color is a nickname for communism/things related to it?
3. Who was Joseph McCarthy? List 3 facts you find about him.
4. Why did McCarthy become so powerful? 
5. Who were the Rosenbergs?
   
6. How do you think the average American in the 1950s felt about McCarthyism?
7. What was the "$64 question" that the trials centered around?
8. What happened to people who were accused of having communist ties? Write at least two sentences.
9. Why were the Army-McCarthy hearings so controversial?
10. List two similarities you see between the Salem Witch trials and McCarthyism.

Article 2

1. How did Arthur Miller feel about McCarthyism?
2. Do you agree that McCarthyism was similar to the hysteria in Salem during the witch trials? Why or why not?

Article 3  Article 4 Article 5 

1. In 3-4 sentences, summarize what happened on 9/11. 
2. Looking at Article 4, which new airport security rule do you think is the most strict?
3. Article 5 describes mass hysteria. Have you ever been affected by mass hysteria? If you have, describe your experience here. If not, describe how you imagine you might feel.
4. What is different between the Puritans' response to "witches" and Americans' response to Muslims after 9/11?
5. What might be the same?
6. Do you feel it is accurate to say the response to the witch trials and the response to 9/11 were similar? Why or why not?

Step 3: On a new page on the word doc, write a 5-6 sentence paragraph discussing what you read and learned about today. How do you feel about connections between the Salem Witch Trials, McCarthyism, and post-9/11 America? Do you feel it is fair to make these connections?

EXTRA CREDIT: For 5 bonus points (added to your overall points earned), ask your parents or another adult about where they were on 9/11 and what they think has changed since the terrorist attacks. Write down or record what they say and turn it in to me. For 10 bonus points, ask an adult who was alive (and old enough to remember!) in the 1950s what they remember about what it was like to live during the Cold War and the McCarthyism era.  Write down or record what they say and turn it in to me. I would like to be able to share these testimonies with all of my 11th grade classes!

We will be working all class period today on this WebQuest. If you do not finish, you may continue working on it as homework. Save it all as a word doc and submit it on Google Classroom. The assignment will be due at midnight on Tuesday the 6th.

You will be graded on accuracy for this WebQuest. The assignment is worth 40 points-- one point per question, with questions requiring more than one answer worth more than one point. The first paragraph you write in response to the game is worth 5 points. The paragraph you write at the conclusion discussing what you learned is worth 10 points.