Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary class...

Prohibition banned the selling of alcohol in America—but why? Designed for high school pupils, the lesson explores the causes of Prohibition including the Temperance Movement. The lesson pairs a PowerPoint presentation with worksheets...

Organized crime and speakeasies ... just another day during Prohibition. An intriguing activity explores the world of Prohibition and its consequences on life in the United States. Scholars analyze primary sources and place them on a...

Before Prohibition, America was literally awash in alcohol, according to one historian of the topic. When the Eighteenth Amendment was enacted, loopholes allowed Americans workarounds, such as the ability to make up to 250 gallons of...

Eleventh graders explore the origins of the Prohibition Movement in the United States. In small groups, they analyze the influence of World War I in the passage of the eighteenth amendment. Students explain how different demographics of...

High school student love discussing controversial issues like those brought up in this fourth amendment case study. They examine the 1928 Olmstead vs. U.S. prohibition court case, applying the fourth amendment to determine whether or not...

What led to the end of Prohibition? In a word: money. To use the words of one historian: the government was desperate for tax revenue in the midst of the Depression. With a series of curated videos, scholars examine the causes of and the...

Students examine consumer traits. In this economics lesson plan, students examine the separate histories of Prohibition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Students participate in a classroom simulation to discover how the movements...

Students take a closer look at the Roaring Twenties. In this Prohibition and organized crime lesson plan, students watch "The Untouchables," and respond to the provided discussion questions about the film. A permission slip is provided...

Students listen to the 18th Amendment. After a discussion on Prohibition, the groups determine if it was a success or a failure and present their findings to the class. They view political cartoons of the day and analyze their meaning.

What makes a cartoon political? The lesson plan provides learners with political cartoons and teaches how to analyze them using a five-step process. Scholars also complete a hands-on activity and participate in group discussions to...

Innovation, politics, race, war...these themes are continuously evident in humanity over the course of history, and are revealed with spectacular imagery and commentary by famed documentarian Ken Burns. While primarily focusing on...

Eleventh graders consider the impact of reform movements of the 19th century. In this Progressive Reform lesson, 11th graders examine documents and images associated with women's suffrage, prohibition, and labor reform. Students respond...

Students read and discuss the Enemy Alien Evacuation Order. They perform research by reading newspaper articles from February 1942 as well as investigating available information on the Internet. Students work in groups to create a...

Ambitiously spanning American history from 1865 to 1941, this video discusses and clarifies topics such as women's suffrage, the sinking of the Maine, and the development of America as a world empire. Maps and photographs will engage...

In this activities in a national park worksheet, students read a list of activities, label them prohibited or permitted, and explain the reasons for their answers. Students categorize fourteen activities.

A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...

To grasp what life was like in the 1920's, middle schoolers research and role-play. Intended as a follow-up activity to a lecture on the 1920's, learners will journal, view a PowerPoint, role-play, and reflect on what they've learned....

America during the 1920s was quite an interesting place! Bring the jazz, poverty, consumer excess, culture, and politics to life with this presentation. Primary source images, excellent descriptive text, and a wide span of topics are...

Scholars research and present on the historical happenings of 1919. After sharing their findings, pupils debate about how Congress dealt with the moral issues of the time. The evaluation asks learners to write a persuasive essay...

Eighth graders take a stand on a variety of controversial topics with a lesson on argumentative writing. As they view an informative presentation and work with collaborative groups, they decide which side of each argument they want to...

Detailing the goals of the Progressive Movement in the beginning of the 20th century, this presentation contextualized the time period for history students, making it easier to understand both society and politics of the time. A short...

Students explore the difference between temperance and prohibition. After reading a story, students explore the difference between a vigilante action and a protest. They explore social and political factors that may cause social...

Young scholars compare and contrast major events in U.S. histroy using a Venn diagram. They focus on how the events affected their state and the country as a whole. Events expolred include World War I, the Great Depression, Prohibition,...