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Year 6

Understanding the historical context of the Scottish witch trials

I can describe the events of the Scottish witch trials and share my opinion about how best to remember the victims in the present day.

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New
New
Year 6

Understanding the historical context of the Scottish witch trials

I can describe the events of the Scottish witch trials and share my opinion about how best to remember the victims in the present day.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The Scottish witch trials occurred during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries in Scotland.
  2. Individuals who were prosecuted as witches were often executed.
  3. Witches were recognised by the church as being capable of causing real harm.
  4. Witches were seen as linked to the devil and were therefore also heretical.
  5. Life at this time was very much dominated by the church and the desire to stamp out any connections to the devil.

Common misconception

Pupils who are Christian may find it hard to connect their faith to the one depicted here.

Explain to children that religions evolve over time and that beliefs are not always fixed.

Keywords

  • Memorial - a structure or statue designed to remind people of a person or event

  • Trial - an examination of evidence to decide if someone is guilty or innocent of a crime

  • Early Modern period - the period between Medieval and modern times (around 1500-1800 AD)

  • Devil - the spirit of evil in Christian and Jewish traditions

You will need to have read the whole text of 'A Kind of Spark' before this unit, using our accompanying reading unit if you wish. You will want to allow time to share additional videos, images and accounts of the witch trials.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2020 Knights Of edition of ‘A Kind of Spark’ written by Elle McNicoll, illustrated by Kay Wilson, for this lesson.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
'Executed' means the same as ...
'attacked'.
'murdered'.
Correct answer: 'killed as a punishment for a crime'.
'stolen'.
Q2.
What does it mean if you are 'convicted' of a crime?
A court says that maybe you did it.
Correct answer: A court says that you did it.
A court says that you did not do it.
Q3.
Put these steps in order to show what happens if someone is guilty of a crime.
1 - a person is accused of a crime
2 - a person is put on trial
3 - a person is convicted of the crime
4 - a person is sent to jail
Q4.
Which of the following do the police still do today in the UK?
Correct answer: arrest people they think have committed crimes
torture people they think have committed crimes
Correct answer: gather evidence about people they think have committed crimes
Correct answer: ask other people about people they think have committed crimes
Q5.
Which religion has historically been most common in the UK?
Islam
Buddhism
Correct answer: Christianity
Hinduism
Judaism
Q6.
Put these historical events in the order they happened.
1 - the birth of Jesus Christ
2 - the Romans leave Britain
3 - the Vikings invade Britain
4 - the Tudor period (e.g., Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare)
5 - the Victorian Era

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
During which period did the Scottish witch trials take place?
the Bronze Age
the Roman occupation of Britain
the Medieval period
Correct answer: the Early Modern period
the modern period
Q2.
Which of these were beliefs held by many people in the Early Modern period in Scotland?
Correct answer: the devil could impact daily life
religion was unimportant
Correct answer: witches had real power to harm people
Correct answer: witches were guided by the devil
Q3.
Which of these were often true of the people who were accused of being witches in Early Modern Scotland?
Correct answer: they were usually women
Correct answer: they were usually illiterate
Correct answer: they were usually older and lived alone
they were usually powerful and wealthy
Q4.
Which of the following were used as proof of someone being a witch?
fingerprints
eye colour
Correct answer: neighbours' opinions
Correct answer: not bleeding when pricked with a needle
Correct answer: having birthmarks
Q5.
Which of the following has already been done in Scotland?
a memorial for victims of the witch trials
a pardon for victims of the witch trials
Correct answer: an apology to victims of the witch trials
Q6.
What is the key purpose of a memorial?
to make a place more beautiful
to represent a political party
Correct answer: to remind us about an event or person