Freethought Day Lessons
Freethought Day provides a way for students to discuss the current justice system.
By Andrea Ferrero
Each day in our classrooms, we support and reinforce fairness, equality, and free thought. In our country’s past, there have been many moments in which these virtues were exemplified. Freethought Day on October 12th marks the commemoration of the end of the Salem Witch Trials. It was over 300 years ago that Governor William Phipps called an end to the injustice. His decision created a new era of demands of equality in the justice system. He stated that "spectral evidence" or reliance on religious beliefs, without adequate evidence, could not be used to bring citizens to trial.
Making the Connection
Sharing this nationally observed day with students can provide interesting forays into social studies topics such as fair trials, human rights, belief systems and the Bill of Rights. Discussions about rules and systems of justice can tie directly into students’ lives. They can create their own Bill of Rights for the classroom describing, in detail, the important freedoms and rights they believe all students should have. A class comparison can be made between our current justice system and that of the Salem Witch Trials period.
Mock Trials
After becoming familiarized with the end of the Salem Witch Trials, and what bought them to a close, students can create short commercials or public service announcements that show a characteristic of the landmark decision, such as using reason, judgment, fairness, equality, and problem solving. They can reenact mock trials using scripts, and then debrief and discuss the class decision. Extending on the mock trials, students can choose a time in their lives when they felt they were treated unfairly, and taking on the role of a lawyer, use the amendments of the Bill of Rights to support their point of view. The following lessons explore diverse ways to incorporate the different aspects of Freethought Day into your classroom.
Freethought Day Lessons:
This lesson introduces students to the emotions the Salem Witch Trial inspired first hand. As part of the initial activity, the teacher challenges the class to seek out cheaters they know must be present in the student body in a role playing activity. Pulling from the emotions of blame, curiosity, hysteria, and human reactions of the class, students take on roles exploring and discovering the facts behind the Salem Witch Trials. The lesson culminates with a persuasive writing assignment.
In this role play lesson, students simulate a witch hunt using the historical facts and recorded human reactions to the Salem Witch Trials. Through the completion of the mock witch hunt, students complete research using a variety of media resources to build an understanding of the religious and cultural impacts of the Salem Witch Trials.
This fun mock trial lesson has students take a brand new perspective on the United States justice system. Students take on roles ranging from lawyers, jurists, judges, and the accused during the mock trials they create and conclude as small groups. For each trial, the group selects a classic fairy tale to use as the basis for the case. The villain of the classic fairy tale is used as the accused and details of the classic story are used to support evidence in the trial.