Prohibition
LessonplansforprimarysourcesattheTennesseeStateLibrary&Archives
Author:PatriciaLockhart,LucyElementary
GradeLevel:5thgrade
DateCreated:January2015
Visitwww.tn.gov/tsla/educationoutreachforadditionallessonplans.
Introduction:ProgressiveErareformwasintendedtobuildabettersociety.Inthislesson,students
willexplorewhatprohibitionis,howitcameaboutandthereasonwhysomepeopleagree/disagree
withprohibition. GuidingQuestions:

WhatroledidtheProhibitionplayinsocietyin
AmericanandTennesseeduringtheearly20th
century?

Whatdoprohibitionistsbelieve?Whoaresome
peoplewhomighthavebeenprohibitionists?
LearningObjectives:Inthecourseofthelesson,
studentswill

Identifythe5W’sofprohibition(who,where,
when,why,andhow.) 
Conductafriendlyprohibitionexperiment.

AnalyzeprimarysourcesfromtheperiodofprohibitionintheU.S.

Formulateexperiencesbasedaboutprohibitionfromtheactivities.
CurriculumStandards:
5.40Analyzethemajorgoals,struggles,andachievementsoftheProgressiveEra,includingat
tackingracialdiscrimination,childlabor,bigbusiness,conservation,andalcoholuse.
CCSS.ELA‐LITERACY.RH.6‐8.1‐Citespeci ictextualevidencetosupportanalysisofprimaryand
secondarysources.
CCSS–RI5.1‐Quoteaccuratelyfromatextwhenexplainingwhatthetextsaysexplicitlyand
whendrawinginferencesfromthetext.
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MaterialsNeeded:




TennesseeStateLibrary&Archivesexhibit,TheSaloon&Anarchy:ProhibitioninTennessee
ToolsforEducators
ArtMaterial(paper,crayons,markers,etc.)
PrimarySourcesfromthewebsite
Background:
TheSaloonandAnarchy:ProhibitioninTennessee
Author:TSLA SourceLocation:
TennesseeStateLibrary&Archives
“Temperance”
Author:CalvinDickinson
SourceLocation:
TennesseeEncyclopediaofHistory&Culture
LessonActivities:
Introduction
Thestudentswilleachselectsomethingtheywanttoprohibitfrombeingbroughttoschoolthatiscur‐
rentlyallowed.(Example:Takis,sparkle‐toes,mechanicalpencils,etc.)DONOTHAVETHEMREVEAL
WHATTHEYWANTTOPROHIBIT.Givethestudents30minutestocreatea lyerofwhattheyarepro‐
hibitingandwhy.Allowthemtopresent,orpost,intheclass.Monitorthestudents’reactionstothedif‐
ferentitemsthatarebeingprohibited.Dotheyagreeordisagree?Wasthereuproarorastrangesilence?
WholeGroupActivity:
Usetheonlineexhibit,“TheSaloonandAnarchy:ProhibitioninTennessee”attheTSLAwebsitetoshow
relevant,informationaltextthatexplainswhatleadstoprohibition,itspassage,andtherepealofprohi‐
bition.Thisexhibitincludestheanswerstotheguidingquestionsaswellasaplethoraofinformation
pertainingtoprohibition.
SmallGrouporIndependentAssignments:
1)BaseduponThePassageofProhibitionarticle,doyouagreeordisagreewithWHYprohibitionwas
passed?WritealettertotheAnti‐SaloonLeagueeithersupportingtheircauseorchastisingthem
fortheirbeliefs.
2)Newspaperclippingsaboutprohibition–AnalyzethisnewspaperarticleusingtheTSLAwork‐
sheetfortheanalysisofanewspaperarticle.
3)Postthe“NowWatchYourStep”picturefromTheNashvilleTennesseanin1933.Askthestudents
toanalyzethepoliticalcartoonusingtheTSLAanalysisguide.
4)CompareandContrast:Thinkaboutatimeinyourlifewheresomethingwasprohibited?Howdid
youfeelandwhatactionsdidyoutake?
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