Beliefs About Witches

National Curriculum Links

History programmes of study: Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Understand historical concepts such as causation and change over time.
  • Develop historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity and difference, and significance.
  • Understand how people’s beliefs and attitudes have shaped history and how these are influenced by the social, religious, and political contexts of the time.
• Specific focus for this lesson:
  • Causes and consequences of the witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe (c. 1500–1750), and how beliefs in witchcraft reflected wider social tensions.

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Lesson Overview

Duration: 50 minutes
Class size: 6 students
Age: Year 8 (12-13 years)
Topic: Why did people believe in witches?

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify who was typically accused of witchcraft and explain why.
2. Understand and explain the social, religious, and political causes behind witchcraft accusations.
3. Explain the reasons why the witch-craze escalated during the 16th and 17th centuries.
4. Predict and discuss reasons why belief in witches and witch trials declined.

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Resources Needed

• Image of a historic witch trial (e.g., a woodcut or painting depicting a trial scene)
• Cards for sorting causes of witch accusations (social, religious, political)
• Role play scenario cards (accused and accuser roles)
• Whiteboard and markers or flipchart
• Student notebooks and pens/pencils

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (7 minutes)

Activity: Show the class a dramatic image of a witch trial scene (e.g., a 17th-century woodcut) and ask:

• What can we infer from this image?
• What emotions or attitudes do the people in the image show?
• Who do you think these people are, and what might be happening?

Purpose:

• To engage students visually and begin thinking about perceptions of witches.
• To activate prior knowledge and encourage inference skills.

Assessment:

• Listen for students’ ability to observe details and infer people’s roles/emotions.
• Record key vocabulary on board (accused, accuser, fear, trial).

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2. Mini-Lecture (10 minutes)

Content: A focused explanation on:

• King James I’s Daemonologie (1597) and how it legitimised fears of witchcraft.
• The widespread fear of the Devil and how this was shaped by religious beliefs (Protestantism and Catholicism).
• Social tensions such as economic hardship, scapegoating of marginalised people (especially women, elders, and the poor).
• Political instability and how authorities used witch trials to assert power.

Teaching Tips:

• Use simple language with clear examples.
• Include a brief quote or excerpt from Daemonologie to bring historical voices alive.
• Encourage questions during or after for clarification.

Assessment:

• Observe students’ engagement and questioning to check understanding.
• Ask 1-2 students to summarise key points at the end.

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3. Card Sort Activity (15 minutes)

Instructions:

• Provide students with a set of cards, each labelled with causes of witch accusations under three categories: Social, Religious, Political. Some causes include:

  • Social: Poor harvests, fear of outsiders, women as scapegoats
  • Religious: Fear of the Devil, Protestant vs Catholic tensions, King James I’s influence
  • Political: Increasing law and order, fear of rebellion, local rivalries

• Students work together to categorise causes appropriately and then rank which they believe were strongest causes for witch trials.

Outcome:

• Deepens understanding of multiple causations and complexity.
• Promotes collaboration and critical thinking.

Assessment:

• Review how students justify their categorisation and ranking.
• Ask groups to share their top cause with the class and reasoning.

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4. Role Play (13 minutes)

Activity: Split students into pairs or trios. Distribute role cards: one student is the accused witch, the other the accuser(s). The accused prepares a defence; the accuser states reasons for accusations based on social, religious, or political causes.

Scenario Example:

• Accuser claims the accused caused the village livestock to die through witchcraft.
• Accused denies, citing fear of social exclusion or old age stereotypes.

Purpose:

• Helps students empathise with historical individuals.
• Reveals the human impact of beliefs and accusations.
• Develops speaking and listening skills, understanding perspective.

Assessment:

• Observe how well students build arguments using historical causes.
• Assess engagement and empathy in role.

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5. Plenary – Discussion & Reflection (5 minutes)

Question: “Which cause was most important in witchcraft accusations: social, religious, or political? Why?”

• Facilitate a short debate/discussion.
• Encourage students to justify their opinions using evidence from the lesson.
• Invite each student to contribute.

Assessment:

• Listen for ability to articulate and support an opinion.
• Check understanding of lesson content holistically.

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Differentiation

• For students who need more support, provide simplified cause cards or sentence starters during the card sort and role play.
• For more able students, challenge them to consider how causes might overlap or influence each other.

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Homework / Extension (Optional)

• Research one witch trial from history (e.g., Pendle witches, 1612) and identify the causes involved. Prepare 2-3 sentences to share next lesson.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Monitor student engagement with historical empathy activities; adjust role play structure if needed.
• Note vocabulary acquisition and inquiry skills development for this topic on superstition and belief.
• Consider follow-up lessons on the decline of witch hunts and the Enlightenment for continuity.

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Summary

This 50-minute lesson immerses Year 8 students in critical thinking about witch beliefs through visual inference, historical context, categorisation, and role play. It closely aligns with the National Curriculum’s emphasis on causation, understanding historical beliefs, and empathy. The varied activities ensure participation in a small class, making the learning memorable and facilitated by rich dialogue.