Assignment: Students will take part in a talk show, either as guests or
members of the studio audience.
-
Students play the roles of guests on a talk
show.
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Audience members will also be on a "side"
- they need to remain faithful to that ideal!
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Every audience member will be expected to
participate--either with questions or applause, feedback, etc.
Roles:
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Jeremiah Springer
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Young woman
accused of witchcraft
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Accuser
of the witch
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Judge
at the Salem Witchcraft Trials
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Slave
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Woman who was banished
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Puritan Minister
Other
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Teacher will signal "commercial breaks" when
necessary to speak with guests and/or host.
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Closure Assignment: Write about places in
today's society where people of one culture are judged unfairly by people
of another culture
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Guests and Host: write about how it felt to
be in the position you were in during the talk show
Role Descriptions
Jeremiah Springer
You are the talk show host. Your
own personal belief is that everyone should follow strict Bible laws, and
people that don't are morally corrupt. It is your responsibility
to make sure that all of your guests have the opportunity to share their
beliefs. You need to go to the audience to acknowledge their input and
questions for the panel, but make sure everyone knows your personal opinion
about the situation. You need to keep things moving along and "together."
Young woman accused of witchcraft
You have been raised in a Puritan
house. You were accused of witchcraft by the mother of your fiancee. You
are frightened of going to Hell, but you have not practiced witchcraft
so you will not confess. You consider yourself to be religious and hope
that God will have mercy on your soul.
Woman who accuses another
of being a witch
You are a devout Puritan worshipper,
but ever since your new neighbor lady moved in, you have had eerie
feelings. Sometimes you think you hear whispers, other times you see strange
shapes. Obviously she has cast some sort of evil spell on you - the sooner
she is convicted, the sooner God's good graces can return to your family.
Judge at the Salem Witchcraft
Trials
You know that you are doing God's
work by purging the communities of those horrible witches that go against
God. You have faith that God will guide you to make the right decisions
regarding the guilt and innocence of those that come before you in court.
You have sentenced eight women to death and have presided over their hangings.
Although you are not happy to kill people, you are thankful that their
harmful influence has been purged from the community.
Slave
You belong to a Puritan family.
Through their guidance you have become a Christian. Your master tends to
beat you if you do not perform up to his high standards. You have not seen
your family for several years. although you know that the minister preaches
that God wants you to be a slave, you still have a difficult time finding
happiness with your situation, although you want to go to Heaven, you are
afraid that God in his cruelty will not allow you that since you are unworthy.
Ex-Puritan Woman
You believe you are a devout Puritan.
You live your life to serve God's will. However, you have been forced out
of your New England home because you have some questions about the lack
of compassion and the strict practice of the Puritans, especially where
the children are concerned. You think that the Bible intends for families
to practice love rather than punishment. You want to stay in the New England
area, and have dreams of beginning a new community with your husband, family,
and friends.
Puritan Minister
You are a minister of a small
Puritan church in New England. You have a wife and a young child. You are
concerned about the corruption of your congregation, and strive to save
the members from the fiery pit of Hell. You love your community and your
family, and you are not tolerant of those who could be bad influences.
You are a follower of Governor John Winthrop and you believe also that
your Puritan community should be a true "City upon a hill."
Puritan audience members
You are hard core believers. Anyone
who disagrees with your leaders, your teachings, or your interpretations
of the Bible are going to burn in Hell, no question about it.
Non-Puritan audience members
You strongly feel that people
are being accused and convicted of witchcraft for no good reason whatsoever.
You want the witch trials to stop and all people to just live in peace
and friendship. Besides, what a crazy bunch of religious fanatics!
Slaves in audience
You believe in God and the Bible
and all that, but you are a little upset that all this "Love thy neighbor"
talk doesn't apply to you. You want to make sure that the other guests
understand that your situation is worse than a little witchcraft could
be.
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