How fair were witch trials in the 17th Century?

This outstanding lesson looks at how fair witch trials were in the 17th Century. It continues on from my previous lesson on why people why people believed in witches and why there was an increase in the number of witch hunts in the 17th century. This lesson focuses also on the methods and tactics that men like Matthew Hopkins used for hunting witches and how James I tried to apply a more ‘rational’ approach. These resources are beautifully designed and differentiated and a must have anyone studying this controversial period of history.

When you purchase this resource you will be able to download a three page Microsoft Word Document and an accompanying eighteen slide PowerPoint which include information, sources, links to video clips, starters, plenaries, questions and differentiated tasks and activities to help support the worksheet. The lesson begins with a choice of starters including a snowballing activity of the key words or a video clip summary where students note down the evidence that was used to prove that Blackadder was a witch . It then moves on to explain through a variety of information and sources how people tried to identify witches and finishes off by looking at the trial of Ursula Kemp. You can preview the tasks and activities below.

The aims and objectives for this lesson are:

• Know: What evidence was used to convict a witch in the 17th Century?
• Understand: Why did people hunt for witches?
• Evaluate: How fair were witch trials in the 17th Century?
• Skills: Source Analysis, Cause, Consequence & Citizenship

WILF – What Am I Looking For?

• Can You Describe: What evidence was used to convict a witch in the 17th Century?
• Can You Explain: Why did people hunt for witches?
• Can You Analyse: How fair were witch trials in the 17th Century?

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Kind Regards

Roy