Loading content…
Loading…
Transcript
McCarthyism &
the (2nd) Red Scare: A Modern Day Witch Hunt
Americans become obsessed with the "communist problem"
They started seeing "red" everywhere...
Hysteria and fear were spreading...
- What are we noticing about these propaganda posters?
- What connections can we make to the Salem Witch trials?
Let's play a game...
There are communists in this class, and your job is to find them. You will all receive a post-it saying whether you are a communist or not.
A 20th Century Witch Hunt
February 4, 2016
I'm not a history teacher but...
Rules:
- You have a set amount of time to get into groups
- All members of a group must agree before they let someone in
- Groups may split up & merge with other groups
- In the end, the communists must reveal their identity
So in other words...the stakes were high
There is a prize!
Quick overview of Cold War:
- After WWII, tensions intensified between US and USSR
- Americans were afraid of the Soviet's expansion in Eastern Europe
- In order to "contain" the perceived threat, a nuclear arms race between the 2 nations started
- Soviets tested an atom bomb, the US created the hydrogen bomb, etc etc
Discussion
You can win the game two ways:
- Form the largest group of students without a single communist in your group
- If you are a communist, you can win by infiltrating a group of non-communists
- What was your identity? (Communist, not a communist)
- Were you accused of being a communist? How did it make you feel?
- How did you convince people you were not a communist? Were you successful?
- Did you accuse anyone else of being a communist? Why did you think they were a communist? Were they really one?
- How did the behavior of people in our class change?
What are we doing today?
- Review Padlet & documentary
- Red Scare Activity
- Connections: McCarthyism, Salem Witch Trials, The Crucible
This leads to...
McCarthyism:
an intense effort to root out Communists from every corner of American society by any means necessary—even if those means violated traditional American values
Welcome!
What would you do...
Remember the HUAC?
- What would you do if you were accused?
- Confess (and avoid death) OR refuse to confess that you are a witch/refuse to accuse others (and risk execution)?
- Would you have stepped in and stopped the witch hunt?
"Are you now or have ever been a member of the Communist Party?
US Senator Joseph McCarthy
People were asked to confess & asked to testify against colleagues in order to have their names and reputations cleared!!! #seriously #notcool #soundfamiliar?
Where are we going from here?
Unit essential questions:
- What does it mean to live an authentic life?
- What happens when fear drives the way we think and act?
- When has fear led me to change my actions and beliefs?
Exit ticket: Connections
Individually :
Reactions to documentary?
- How does McCarthyism/the 2nd Red Scare connect to the Salem Witch Trials?
- How does all of this relate to The Crucible?