Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Prohibition & Social Reform

Active learning works for this topic because students need to grapple with the human impact of economic collapse, not just memorize dates and policies. Through role-play, simulations, and debate, they connect abstract causes to real experiences of struggle and resilience during the Great Depression.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada, 1914–1929 - Grade 10
• ON: Social, Economic, and Political Context - Grade 10

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Letters to the PM

In small groups, students read real letters written by Canadians to Prime Minister R.B. Bennett during the Depression. They identify the different types of help people were asking for and the emotional toll the crisis was taking on families.

Explain the motivations behind the introduction and eventual failure of prohibition.

Facilitation Tip

In the 'Think-Pair-Share' on the causes of the crash, listen for students to move beyond blaming the stock market to identify interconnected factors like tariffs and overproduction.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was prohibition a success or a failure in Canada?' Facilitate a class debate where students must use specific evidence from the period, such as statistics on crime rates or changes in alcohol consumption, to support their arguments.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Stations Rotation
• 50 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: The 'Dirty Thirties'

Set up stations on the Dust Bowl, the relief camps, and the 'on-to-Ottawa' trek. At each station, students use photos and diary entries to understand the specific challenges faced by people in different parts of the country.

Analyze the impact of rum-running on Canada-US relations and organized crime.

What to look for

Provide students with a short primary source excerpt, such as a newspaper article from the 1920s discussing rum-running. Ask students to identify the author's perspective on prohibition and list two specific pieces of evidence they used to form that perspective.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Causes of the Crash

Students read a simplified explanation of the causes of the 1929 crash (e.g., overproduction, buying on margin). They discuss with a partner which factor they think was the most significant and why it led to such a long-lasting depression.

Evaluate the role of women's organizations in the temperance movement.

What to look for

On an index card, have students write one sentence explaining a motivation behind the temperance movement and one sentence describing a negative consequence of prohibition in Canada.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Experienced teachers approach this topic by grounding discussions in primary sources that reveal human stories behind economic policies. Avoid treating the Depression as a distant historical event; instead, use role-play to help students feel the weight of decisions made by governments and individuals. Research suggests that connecting economic theories to lived experiences deepens understanding and fosters empathy.

Successful learning looks like students moving beyond surface-level facts to analyze systemic causes, empathize with historical figures, and recognize how policy choices shape human suffering. Evidence of learning includes clear connections between economic policies, personal stories, and long-term social changes.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the 'Think-Pair-Share: The Causes of the Crash,' watch for students who oversimplify the stock market crash as the sole cause. Redirect them to examine the station rotation materials on overproduction and tariffs.

  Use the station rotation's 'economic vulnerability' section to prompt students to trace how Canada's reliance on wheat and lumber exports created fragility before 1929.

• During the simulation in 'Station Rotation: The 'Dirty Thirties',' watch for students who assume government relief was generous. Redirect them to review the 'relief application' station materials.

  Have students complete the mock relief application and discuss the questions about assets and family size to reveal how minimal and conditional relief payments were.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Stations Rotation
• Think-Pair-Share