An introductory classroom activity on Puritans would be to show their emigration from England. The Puritans were a group of people persecuted by their countrymen for their beliefs. An educational and interesting classroom activity would be to split the students up into groups, one of which represents the normal Anglicans, and the other group could be the Puritans. After reading cards that outlined the bad aspects of the opposing side, the Puritans could blame the Anglicans for corrupting Christianity, and the Anglican group could criticize and persecute the Puritans. This would show students why the Puritans left England.
Another interesting classroom activity on Puritans would show the long and arduous journey they undertook to cross the Atlantic Ocean. When the Puritans traveled across the ocean in the 17th and 18th centuries, it took months of battling high seas, disease and malnutrition to make the trek. A classroom activity could be a game that presented the struggles the Puritans faced when crossing the ocean. Students could be split into groups on different boats. As students rolled dice or picked up cards, it would influence their fortunes for the better or worse on the high seas. This would illustrate the struggle the Puritans encountered.
A fun classroom activity would show the life the Puritans lived in New England. Upon their arrival in the new world, the Puritans struggled to survive amid harsh conditions and ignorance of the new land. A classroom activity that highlighted how Puritans lived in New England would assign students different characteristics of Puritan life to present. For example, one student would be assigned Puritan lodging. This student would research and then make a presentation to the class about what Puritan villages consisted of and how their buildings were constructed.
To adequately cover the Puritans, it is necessary to present the passionate religious ideas the Puritans believed in and lived by. The Puritans were a people who based their lives around Christianity and the Bible. An educational classroom activity would have students face different circumstances within the village, e.g., livestock getting sick. Students could choose between different reactions to these circumstances. However, as with people in Salem and other villages, students might be ostracized from their townspeople and branded a witch if they choose the wrong answer.