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Answer Key for “Salem’s Secrets” - Case Study Collection - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

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ANSWER KEY for “Salem’s Secrets: A Case Study on Hypothesis Testing and Data Analysis” by Susan M. Nava-Whitehead, Sciences and Education Department, Becker College, Worcester, MA Joan-Beth Gow, Biology Department, Anna Maria College, Paxton, MA The following are examples of answers students may provide to certain questions posed in the case.

Part I—Salem’s Secrets 1. What do you think caused the girls to behave this way? From what is written in the story opener, poison, cunning fakery, peer pressure, mass hysteria, or true sorcery could have caused the girls to behave this way. 2. In the opening passage, what “evidence” did the girls provide for the presence of witches/witchcraft? (List this information in column 1 of your data management sheet.) See the filled-in data management sheet at the end of this answer key for possible answers to this question. 3. Assume you are living in Salem in 1692; develop a hypothesis based on your observations— remember that a hypothesis must be supported by scientific evidence. A poison administered secretly by Sarah Good caused Elisabeth and Abby to display the listed symptoms. Sarah Good is a witch who has cast a spell on Elisabeth and Abby. One of the girls has been poisoned and the other believes she feels the same symptoms. 4. Reflect for a moment on this concept of “evidence.” How do we define “evidence” in science? Does the girls’ evidence pass scientific muster? Scientific evidence must be subject to validation in some way. Scientific evidence should confirm or refute other available scientific data. It should be non-biased. It should be empirically obtained, measurable, and repeatable, although these criteria cannot always be met with retrospective, rather than experimental, studies. Note that science is the study of physical phenomena and their physical explanations.

Part III—Ergot: A Toxic Fungus 1. Incidences of witchcraft are found universally among cultures of this time, but none had the devastating impact that Salem’s had. What other factors may have contributed to the phenomena at Salem? All the pieces were in the right place, so to speak. In addition to what might have been an organic cause for the girls’ actions, imbalances in social status, unrest among villagers, harsh environmental conditions, a true belief in the devil and evil, and perhaps even sheer http://www.sciencecases.org/lock/salem_secrets_key.asp

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Answer Key for “Salem’s Secrets” - Case Study Collection - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

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boredom and a desire to make an impact on the part of the girls all contributed to the events at Salem. 2. In column 2 of your data management sheet, list evidence that the events at Salem could have been caused by ergot poisoning. See completed data management sheet, below. 3. After reading Parts II and III of the case study, develop a second hypothesis, different from your first, explaining the events at Salem. Record this hypothesis on your data management sheet. See completed data management sheet, below.

Data Management Sheet Observations from Part I:

Observations from Part III:

staring in a trance making of poison choking sensation seeing spirits pricking or stinging sensation biting tearing and swatting at arms and legs grotesque and violent contortions convulsive fits copycat or acted behavior young girls affected exhaustion/collapse bruises poor nutrition—limited food supply lack of vitamins physically hard lifestyle high rate of disease poor growing conditions and season crowded living conditions community unrest superstitious people

wet growing conditions promote fungus growth production of poison from fungus insanity death convulsions seizures insomnia insatiable appetite loss of limbs tingling and itching sensation of hot and cold hallucinations perceptual disturbances gastrointestinal upset toxic effect variable may express selected symptoms sufferer highly suggestible affected by nutritional status, age, and gender affects people and animals toxin is stable

Data Interpretation: See “Table Comparing Two Explanations for the Events at Salem” below. Hypothesis 1: See Teaching Notes and answer key above—answers will vary. Hypothesis 2: See Teaching Notes —answers will vary. Final Conclusion: See Teaching Notes —answers will vary.

Part IV—Data Interpretation http://www.sciencecases.org/lock/salem_secrets_key.asp

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Answer Key for “Salem’s Secrets” - Case Study Collection - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

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The “Table Comparing Two Explanations for the Events at Salem,” below, serves as the answer key to this section.

Parts V— The Societal Frame: What is the Secret of Salem? and VI —Wrap up: The Societal Frame and Classroom Extensions The answers to the questions in Part V are subjective and meant to stimulate reflective thought. Part VI questions are meant to be classroom extensions and require that students do further research.

Table Comparing Two Explanations for the Events at Salem The following table was adapted and compiled from many sources including Caporeal (1976), Matossian (1982), Spanos and Gottlieb (1976), and Woolf (2000).

Arguments for Ergot Toxicity

Arguments for Mass Hysteria

WHO WAS AFFLICTED? The afflicted were predominantly young women. The non-random nature correlates to the pattern of response of ergot toxicity.

Young women were acting; mass hysteria more commonly affects young women.

Greater sensitivity: the young, the vitamin A deficient, females.

Vitamin A deficiency is questioned—Salem was a maritime community and Vitamin A is plentiful in seafood.

Livestock suffered signs and symptoms similar to the afflicted. Animals had no interest in the social dynamics of the community.

Some cows died, so what? Livestock death was not uncommon in this time period.

The physical behaviors of the afflicted were too severe to be faked. Testimony of observers described physical contortions not possible without a physiological cause. Victims of ergot toxicity are known to be highly suggestible. Babies also exhibited physical effects; babies could not act.

Symptoms were turned on and off in the courtroom. Conflicting data on whether ergot could be passed through milk. One would expect residual effects if ergot poisoning; none were reported.

No source of records exist that report residual effects after the trials were over.

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Answer Key for “Salem’s Secrets” - Case Study Collection - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science

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MEDICAL DATA THE

RECORD (RSW) (WOODWARD, 1864, REPRINTED 1969).

ONLY RECORDED MEDICAL DATA AVAILABLE TO US IS AN EXAMINATION OF THE

OF

SALEM WITCHES

The data show a pattern. Caporael notes a great frequency of signs and symptoms unique to and indicative of ergotism (not easily ascribed to another malady) among the accusing girls. In a time when sanitation was poor, general illness was common enough and would not be reported or observed. CULTURE

OF

Spanos also utilized the Record of Salem Witches and notes that 78% of all depositions report no signs and symptoms of ergotism and of the 21 depositions that do report signs and symptoms, none shows the full set. Ergotism would affect a broader and greater proportion of the population. WITCHCRAFT

The hunting of witches had a long history in Europe. If the cultural phenomenon of witchcraft was in decline prior to1692, why did it rise with such force in New England in this time period?

There were numerous witchcraft trials; was everyone suffering from ergot toxicity?

LOCATION Environmental conditions were conducive to the growth of ergot. Tree ring data supports a long cold winter followed by a cool, damp spring. These conditions supported ergot growth.

Available tree ring data is from New Hampshire forests.

Because of growing population, Salem Villagers were forced to grow rye on swampy, marginalized land and share grain stores. Village vs. Town The accusing girls were predominantly from Salem Village and thus were exposed to ergotinfected rye.

Some of the accusing girls lived outside the village. The socio-political fracture was a stronger trigger than physical geography.

Go back to the teaching notes

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