Alabama Social Studies SS24.US2.3d

Social Studies11th GradeRoaring Twenties and the Great Depression

The Standard

SS24.US2.3: Evaluate how key figures, events, and trends shaped United States society and culture from the conclusion of World War I through the 1920s.

Summarize the debate over prohibition and describe how prohibition contributed to social and cultural changes of the 1920s.

2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students explain why some Americans supported the alcohol ban and why others opposed it. They describe how illegal alcohol sales reshaped nightlife and fed organized crime.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can give a reason for each side of the debate. They can explain how the ban led to bootlegging and speakeasies without claiming it caused every change in 1920s culture.
Common Misconceptions: Some students think drinking alcohol itself was banned, rather than its production, sale, and transport. Others assume the ban stopped drinking or that all Americans opposed it.
How to Assess It: On an exit ticket, ask: What was one argument for the alcohol ban, one argument against it, and one way people responded to it?

Lesson moves

Give pairs a printed excerpt from the alcohol ban and a speakeasy photo; have them mark what the law banned and label one response.
Ask students to write: Did the ban protect families more than it limited freedom? Include one reason from each side.
Play a card sort with temperance, personal freedom, bootlegging, and speakeasy cards; students label each as an argument or a consequence.
Show a no-smoking sign from a public building; ask how a health rule can change behavior and spark disagreement.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS24.US2.3d, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.