Twenty people from Salem and neighboring towns were killed and hundreds of others accused during a frenzy of Puritan injustice that began in 1692, stoked by superstition, fear of disease and strangers, scapegoating and petty jealousies.Have you ever visited Salem, Massachusetts?

Do you find it interesting to learn/read about the Salem Witch Trials?

State Sen. Diana DiZoglio, a Democrat from Methuen, has introduced legislation to clear the name of Elizabeth Johnson Jr., who was condemned in 1693 at the height of the Salem Witch Trials but never executed. "Some of the conversation was, 'Why are we doing this? She's dead. Isn't there more important stuff going on in the world?'" said the 8th grade teacher. "But they came around to the idea that it's important that in some small way we could do this one thing." Do you agree even with bigger things happening in the world, it's important to still make small changes in the world?

DiZoglio says she was inspired by sleuthing done by a group of 13- and 14-year-olds at North Andover Middle School. Civics teacher Carrie LaPierre's students painstakingly researched Johnson and the steps that would need to be taken to make sure she was formally pardoned. Do you think this was a good exercise for an 8th grade civics class?