The American Experience

During the first semester, students work in small groups to produce an original documentary film that integrates literary analysis and historical research. Each project centers on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, paired with an additional historical event selected by the group.

Students examine these events through shared thematic lenses such as fear, conformity, justice, or abuse of power. By exploring how similar themes emerge across different moments in American history, students are challenged to think comparatively and critically about the forces that shape societal behavior.

The documentary project requires students to balance scholarship and storytelling:

• Primary-source research – Analyzing historical documents, court records, and archival materials
• Literary analysis – Connecting Miller’s text to historical reality and broader American themes
• Narrative development – Writing scripts and narration that translate research into clear, engaging stories
• Film production – Planning, filming, and editing footage into a polished, audience-ready documentary

The final films reflect both academic rigor and creative expression, demonstrating students’ ability to communicate complex ideas through multiple mediums.

Students in the American Experience engage in a range of interdisciplinary projects that reflect both academic rigor and creative exploration. While each group approaches its work differently, all projects require students to connect historical events, literary themes, and contemporary relevance.

Watch The Salem Witch Trials Documentary

Other of student-selected projects include:

• Comparative documentaries – Examining The Crucible alongside other moments of mass fear or injustice in American history
• Historical case studies – Investigating how power, accusation, and public opinion shaped specific events beyond Salem
• Narrative analysis projects – Exploring how authors and historical actors frame truth, memory, and responsibility
• Multimedia storytelling – Combining research, interviews, narration, and visual media to communicate complex ideas

These projects challenge students to move beyond surface-level understanding and engage deeply with the enduring questions at the heart of the American experience.

Student voice is central to the American Experience. Throughout the year, students are asked not only to study history and literature, but to reflect on why these stories matter and how they continue to shape the present. Through discussion, writing, and revision, students question assumptions, recognize patterns across time, and consider how lessons from the past inform contemporary issues. Creating work for audiences beyond the classroom builds ownership, confidence, and the ability to communicate complex ideas with clarity and purpose.

That process comes into focus at the conclusion of the documentary project, when students reflect on their collaboration and goals beyond a grade. The Salem Witch Trials documentary was created by four students, Joe Cruz of Wakefield, Gabe Juliano of Wilmington, Lucas Lilley of Woburn, and Nick Capone of Dracut, each taking on a distinct role in research, scripting, narration, and production.

For Cruz, who helped shape the film’s narrative and direction, completing the project brought both relief and pride. “We’re able to take our own mind, our own creativity, and turn it into something mixed with our knowledge from the classroom,” he said. “We’re able to make something truly special, different, unique, only made by us, no one else. It’s a thing to take pride in.” His hope for the film was simple. “We hope, number one, it gets a good grade. And then, number two, it might teach someone.”

Juliano focused on how historical research translated into voice and meaning, selecting quotations and recording narration that anchored the film’s themes. Lilley emphasized the technical growth behind the scenes, developing both historical understanding and video production skills. Capone, who led much of the research and script development, reflected on how closely the patterns of history still resonate today.

Together, their reflections underscore the course’s larger purpose. By engaging deeply with the past and sharing their work publicly, students leave the American Experience with stronger intellectual curiosity, a sense of responsibility, and an understanding of how learning can inform and teach others.