"Find the Communist!" A McCarthy Era Red Scare Role-Playing Activity

Synopsis of activity:

This role-playing activity is meant to simulate the uncertainty and fear that gripped America in the 1950s. The activity involves holding a “town meeting” for the purpose of finding any communists in the community. This activity is fun and brings high energy to the classroom.

This is a great companion to a lesson about McCarthyism, the 1950s Red Scare, or with an ELA unit on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

Role of the teacher:

When the students walk in, explain to them that the class is holding a meeting to identify any communists among them. Your role is to pass out the character cards to the students and to moderate the meeting. Use the Teacher’s/Moderator’s Guide to keep the meeting going. At the end, ask the students to decide which person/s in the meetings are communists.