Eyewitness Bias

In this worksheet, students examine a fictional eyewitness-style paragraph and identify words or phrases that reveal bias, fear, or exaggeration rather than factual reporting. They underline the problematic language and then answer reflective questions about why the chosen words signal unreliable testimony. Students are asked to consider how fear influenced descriptions during the Salem Witch Trials and how an eyewitness account could be rewritten to be more fair and factual. This activity builds media literacy and historical analysis by teaching students to evaluate credibility and perspective. It also strengthens their skills in identifying emotional language and understanding its impact on truthfulness.

Curriculum Matched Skills

English Language Arts – Identifying Bias and Loaded Language

Social Studies – Evaluating Reliability of Historical Testimony

English Language Arts – Textual Analysis and Revision

Critical Thinking – Distinguishing Fact from Exaggeration

This worksheet is part of our Salem Witch Trials Worksheets collection.