燃える時代：近世ヨーロッパの魔女裁判

This class will cover the era of the Witch Trials in Europe, which began to reach its peak in the mid-1500s and lasted until the late 1700s. This class also covers the precipitating events, belief systems, and thought patterns that led to the Witch Trials; these include books that were written about "witches," superstitions, ideas about the roles of men & women in society & in the home, beliefs about natural and supernatural events, etc.

During Week 1, we will cover the causes and events that led to the massive hunting of witches in early modern Europe, which then culminated in their trials and eventual executions.

During Week 2, we will discuss the actual Witch Trials that took place in Europe during the early modern time period. The following questions are just a sample of what we will be answering during this week's reading and discussion session:
In which countries did the witch trials take place?
Who made the accusations?
Who was accused and why?
Was the evidence against the accused factual?
Were there any underlying reasons or ulterior motives involved in these accusations?
How would you have reacted if you were alive during this time (if you were accused?) (if you knew an accused person was innocent?)

I want students involved and eager to learn. I ask them questions before reading or introducing material to gauge their interest and to see how familiar they are with the topic. I am passionate about the subjects I teach, and I believe that helps the students to be passionate about learning the material, too. I believe in igniting fires as opposed to trying to stuff facts in heads. Students should know how to find information and be eager to learn more. That is my goal. 

The students and I will interact with one another through discussion. I will lecture and show slides in this class, but there will also be ample discussion time.