WebQuest - Student Page
Prohibition:
The Noble Experiment
7
th
A WebQuest for
Grade Drug & Alcohol Class
Shanna Yourchik - 2014
Title: [Barrels of confiscated(?) liquor in building]
Date Created/Published: [between 1921 and 1932]
Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.
National Photo Company Collection.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Introduction
Alcohol has long been integrated into the lives of everyday Americans throughout history. However, during the
early part of the 20th century, a set of social and economic circumstances came together that created
widespread dependency on drinking. The problem was largely male dominated, and concentrated in urban
areas. This trend was caused by a variety of reasons including the trauma of First World War, and the rise of
industrialization and urban labor. People who were struggling in life turned to alcohol for comfort. Many
women observed that their husband's drinking had begun to take priority over their jobs and families. They
also realized that their husbands drinking led to higher rates of domestic abuse. The growing cultural influence
of religion condemned drinking on the part of men and women and the implications of inebriation. Those people
who recognized the social problems of the time believed that alcohol was to blame. They began a movement
called Prohibition. This movement advocated for the criminalization of consuming, producing or selling alcohol
in the United States. The legislation opened the door for a variety of social and political problems, and many of
the issues that Prohibition hoped to combat were actually being enhanced. The political system became a host
for corruption and deceit, and law enforcement became largely ineffective. This time period also led to the rise
of organized crime, mobsters such as Al Capone and Bugsy Malone gained unrestrained power and authority
over entire cities. In 1932, President Roosevelt declared that the law was ineffective and problematic, despite
its good intent. In 1933, the 18th amendment was repealed by the 21st amendment.
In this WebQuest, you will explore how alcohol affected the lives of people in different ways, and how it
changed a person’s outlook on drinking.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Task
This WebQuest will require you to investigate how and why Prohibition affected people differently throughout
the United States. You will look at those who hoped for social reform through Prohibition, as well as those who
hoped to keep Prohibition in place only to reap the benefits of the underground culture it created.
It will be your job to investigate the details of Prohibition, and determine who would have supported it and not
supported it -- and why. You should also think about why Prohibition is known as "the noble experiment" that
was attempting to legislate morality. While the law demonized alcohol itself, what greater problems were trying
to be remedied by Prohibition?
Your final project will be a newspaper editorial, on the effectiveness of Prohibition.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Process
It is 1928. The 18th amendment has been in place for eight years. You, and three others, have been asked to
participate in a local newspaper editorial about the effectiveness of Prohibition. You, and the other members of
your group, will write opinion editorials about what you think the effect that Prohibition has had on the life of
the people you will be portraying. You will express whether you believe it is a good or bad piece of legislation
and why. In your group you will find:
1. A Housewife whose husband drinks every night, and becomes violent.
2. A citizen concerned about the implications of organized crime in urban areas.
3. A working man who was not able to vote on the 18th amendment because he was overseas fighting in WWI
and participates in the speakeasy underground.
4. A police officer who is unable to effectively enforce the 18th amendment because of government corruption.
Each of your articles (at least 300 words in length) will be informed by your personal point of view about
Prohibition and the impact it has had on you. Questions to consider:
- Do you agree with the reasons for enacting Prohibition? Why, or why not?
- Has Prohibition been effective? Why, or why not?
- Should it be repealed? Why, or why not?
After you create your articles, as a group you will assemble them in to the form of a newspaper. As you are
assembling and editing you will compare and contrast the roles that each of you portrayed to create a final
entry in the newspaper. How were the people you portrayed like the others? How were they different? What
were their feelings on alcohol? How were they different? Would you have wanted to live in any of these peoples
shoes? Why or Why not?
Prohibition the Noble Experiment
http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/FunFacts/Prohibition.html
Organized crime and prohibition
http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/organized_crime1_final.html
http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/nkazmers/prohibition1.html
"Prohibition Documentary"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiYqFXmVAFg
The 18th Amendment
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/interactives/constitution/
Graphics of Prohibition
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010643793/
Prints & Photographs
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=prohibition
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Evaluation
Your group will be evaluated using the rubric below.
4
3
2
1
Editorial
Content
The information was
accurate, pertaining to
the topic showing a
clear reason for
including it in the
newspaper
The information
was accurate,
pertaining to the
topic and there
was a fairly good
reason for
including it in the
newspaper
The information
was occasionally
inaccurate, or off
topic , but there
was a clear reason
for including it in
the newspaper
The information was
mostly inaccurate and
misleading. Did not
pertain to the topic.
There was no clear
reason for including it in
the newspaper
Group
Cooperation
Each person in the
group has contributed
at least 1 article and 1
graphic without
prompting from the
teacher
Each person in the
group has
contributed at
least 1 article and
1 graphic with a
few reminders
from the teacher
Each person in the
group has
contributed at
least one article,
with assistance
from the teacher,
but is missing the
graphic
One or more group
members required
mostly teacher help
before being able to
contribute either an
article or graphic.
Headlines
and Layout
All Articles have
headlines that capture
the reader’s attention
and accurately
describe the content of
the article. All graphics
have captions
Articles have
headlines, and
mostly describe
the content of the
article accurately.
All graphics have
captions.
Mostly articles
have headlines,
and most graphics
have captions.
Many Articles have
missing or inaccurate
headlines and graphics
are missing captions.
Grammar
and Spelling
No spelling or
grammatical errors
remain after 1 or more
students read and
correct the
newspaper.
A few spelling or
grammatical
errors remain
after 1 or more
students read and
correct the
newspaper.
More than 3
spelling or
grammatical
errors remain
after 1 or more
students read and
correct the
newspaper.
Several errors remain in
the final copy of the
newspaper.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Conclusion
Now that you have completed this WebQuest do you have a stronger understanding of how Prohibition came to
be, and the impact it had on American culture and politics? You can use this information as a stepping-stone for
learning more about American history, and consider the meaning of reforming social values and mores through
legislation. How were the people you researched different? How were they alike? How has this web quest
changed your views on alcohol? Do you think Prohibition would work in today’s society?
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
|Link to Teacher Page |
Credits and References
Designed by Shanna Yourchik, 2014 as part of the WebQuesting at the Library of Congress professional
development course offered through Teaching with Primary Sources at Waynesburg University.
WebQuest - Teacher Page
Prohibition:
The Noble Experiment
7
th
A WebQuest for
Grade Drug & Alcohol Class
Shanna Yourchik - 2014
New York City Deputy Police Commissioner John A. Leach, right, watching
agents pour liquor into sewer following a raid during the height of prohibition
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
|Link to Student Page|
Introduction for Teachers
Designed by (Shanna Yourchik)
Last updated (5/01/2014)
Briefly describe the purpose of the WebQuest and how is designed to fit into a unit of study:
This WebQuest will be used as An Introduction to a Drug & Alcohol Unit.
Greene County Human Services Drug and Alcohol Program
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
About the Learners
This WebQuest is designed for seventh grade science and/or social studies class doing a unit on Drug & Alcohol.
This WebQuest can easily be extended to 8th grade science or social studies as well.
Students will need background knowledge on using and finding primary sources, and about the Prohibition time
period.
Students of various levels may complete these tasks. You can modify by assigning specific group roles and
resources accordingly, depending on the skill level in your classroom.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Academic Standards
CC6-8RH/SS1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
AASL 1.1.7 Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and
supporting ideas, conflicting information, and point of view or bias.
CC6-8RH/SS2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate
summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.6
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or
avoidance of particular facts).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.8
Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.a
Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing
claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.1.d
Establish and maintain a formal style.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.2.a
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader
categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.5
With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been
addressed.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between
information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.3
Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals
or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.8
Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and
the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
Key Vocabulary words
Primary Sources
Prohibition
18th Amendment
legislation
alcohol
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Process for Teachers
This WebQuest should be completed over multiple days for a 2 week period. Students should be divided into
groups by the teacher, but they can choose which role they would like to portray.
Teacher should be familiar with Prohibition, and the 18th amendment. They should also be familiar with using
and finding primary sources.
Variations: This can be done in the classroom using the interactive white board, or in computer lab. Students
will need some lab time to be able to do the different searches.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Resources for Teachers
Describe what's needed to implement this lesson. Some of the possibilities:
 Computers
 Internet access
 paper
 Easybib (or other citation tool)
 Resources about using/ analyzing primary sources, and prohibition
 Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis Tool
The lesson should revolve around learning that comes from the analysis of LOC primary resources. List
additional links to Library of Congress documents, collections or exhibits that will give the teacher
background information.






The 18th Amendment: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/creating-the-united-states/interactives/constitution/
Graphics of Prohibition: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010643793/
Prints & Photographs: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=prohibition
Prohibition the Noble Experiment: http://www2.potsdam.edu/alcohol/FunFacts/Prohibition.html
Organized crime and prohibition: http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/organized_crime1_final.html
http://www.umich.edu/~eng217/student_projects/nkazmers/prohibition1.html
"Prohibition Documentary": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiYqFXmVAFg
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Evaluation for Teachers
Student final newspaper articles will show that students are able to analyze primary and secondary sources for
varying viewpoints on the topic and combine the information to come to a conclusion regarding the
investigative question.
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
Conclusion for Teachers
By answering the investigative question through their final project students will show that they are able to
analyze primary and secondary sources for a specific topic and combine the information to come to a conclusion
regarding the investigative question. At the end of the project the students should present their articles in a
group discussion to reflect questions listed in the student conclusion; Now that you have completed this
WebQuest do you have a stronger understanding of how Prohibition came to be, and the impact it had on
American culture and politics? Can use this information as a stepping stone for learning more about American
history, and consider the meaning of reforming social values and mores through legislation. How were the
people you researched different? How were they alike? How has this web quest changed your views on alcohol?
Do you think Prohibition would work in today’s society?
How did prohibition change a person’s outlook on the use of Alcohol?
|Link to Student Page|
Credits and References
Designed by Shanna Yourchik, 2014 as part of the WebQuesting at the Library of Congress professional
development course offered through Teaching with Primary Sources at Waynesburg University.