Question/Problem 1: What effect did Prohibition have on American society of the 1920s?
Description of lesson/activity
1. define prohibition.
2. describe the effects of Prohibition on society in the 1920s.
3. work with a variety of primary and secondary resources to learn more about Prohibition.
2. Students should work through the accompanying "Prohibition Worksheet," and teacher-led discussion should review student inferences regarding Prohibition based on the 18th and 21st Amendments.
3. Students should then be given the "Descriptions of Prohibition" handout and the "Prohibition: Positive and Negative Effects" worksheets. Teacher should direct students to read the handout and search for examples of Prohibition's effects on people and society, filling out the worksheet as they read. (Note that the Volstead Act is very detailed in terms of who is and is not affected by this law.) The teacher may supplement the handout with textbook or other resource readings.
4. Completed worksheets could be used for a writing assignment in which the student decides whether Prohibition had more of a positive or negative effect. The accompanying "Essay: What Effect Did Prohibition Have?" handout gives directions for this assignment.
5. As a culminating activity, the teacher should lead a discussion that compares the prohibition of alcoholic beverages in the 1920s to the current debate over the use of alcohol, tobacco products, and illegal drugs.
Resource: Student textbook
Resource: "Prohibition" worksheet
Resource: "Descriptions of Prohibition" handout
Resource: "Prohibition: Positive or Negative Effects" worksheet
Resource: "Essay: What Effect Did Prohibition Have?" Handout