Title: Introduction to Prohibition
Grade Levels: 9 -12
Time Frame: Two or three 50 minute class periods
Subject matter: American History/ Language Arts
Teacher Information
Name: Carolyn Nobbe
School: Dupo High School
City, State: Dupo, Illinois
AAM/TPS Consortium: SIUE
Understanding Goal:
The students will evaluate opposing viewpoints and rationales surrounding the
th
18 Amendment and Prohibition. This activity is intended as an introduction to the
novel, Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle, which was inspired by this time period.
Background Information for Activity:
This lesson will be used as an introduction to background information for this
time period. The meaning of Prohibition and the 18th Amendment will be presented.
Objectives:
Students will evaluate two photos demonstrating opposing points of view using
the Photographic Analysis sheet.
Students will analyze two literary samples representing opposing points of view
using the Fact or Opinion worksheet.
Students will determine the photo and the literary sample that illustrates the same
point of view. One set will be for prohibition and the other will be against prohibition.
Students will be asked to state their opinions about prohibition based only on the
LOC information that has been evaluated.
Purpose of Library of Congress Resource:
Library items give students the opportunity to closely examine two different
photos and two different documents that depict opposing positions about the 18th
Amendment.
State Standards:
16a
Resources or Materials needed:
Fact or Opinion Worksheet
Photographic Analysis Worksheet
Picture 1
Picture 2
Document 1
Document2
Methods:
Modeling Activity:
1. Students will be given the Photographic Analysis worksheet.
2. The column headings will be read to the class and a brief explanation of each
will be given.
3. Students will be given the LOC “Hunting Picture”.
4. Students will be asked to describe one example that will fit under each
heading on the worksheet.
Student Activity:
1. The class will be divided into groups of two or three.
2. They will be asked to continue to evaluate the LOC “Hunting Picture” and fill
in the charts.
3. Each group will be asked to present their findings to the class.
4. This same process will be repeated with the remaining LOC picture.
5. Then the background information on each LOC picture will be presented.
Modeling Activity:
1. Students will be given the Fact and Opinion worksheet.
2. The difference between a Fact and an Opinion will explained and the students
will be asked to give examples of each.
Student Activity:
1. The class will again be divided into groups of two or three.
2. They will be asked to evaluate one of the LOC documents and list the reasons
that are stated that support or oppose Prohibition using the Fact or Opinion
worksheet.
3. This process will be repeated with the remaining LOC document.
4. Each group will be asked to present their findings to the class.
5. Background information will be presented on each of the LOC documents.
6. Students will then be asked to match the picture and the document that share
the same viewpoint.
Evaluation:
Students will be asked to imagine that they were living during that time period
and write a paper either supporting or opposing prohibition based only on facts (not
opinions). The persuasive papers will be evaluated based on content, organization and
sentence structure.
.